Q: Two lights came on today at the same time: check emission system and check VSA system

The check emissions system may be related to many different things such as a problem with an oxygen sensor not reading the exhaust gases properly, a problem with the evaporative emissions system or potentially bad gas cap. The best option for this is to have a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to scan the vehicle for any diagnostic codes that may indicate specifically what is causing this.

The VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) light refers to the vehicles traction control system. The traction control system monitors the steering and stability of the vehicle and engages when loss of traction has been detected. This is done by the use of electronic sensors at each of the four wheels that communicate with the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) regarding steering performance and stability in adverse weather conditions. The traction control system works by reducing engine speed and determining which wheel to apply brake pressure to in order to prevent the vehicle from sliding. The anti-lock braking system and the traction control system work together to maintain the stability of the vehicle. The computer uses this information received from electronic sensors regarding the rotational speed of each wheel, the horizontal motion of the vehicle, and the vertical motion of the vehicle to determine how to direct the traction control system or the anti-lock braking system to best control the vehicle when needed. When this warning indicator light comes on in the dashboard, this could be an indication of several issues such as faulty wheel speed sensors, a faulty steering angle sensor, a faulty rotational speed sensor or a problem with the steering rack. In some cases, the traction control system may simply need to be reprogrammed. In addition, when any of these symptoms are detected, some vehicles may go into limp mode rendering the vehicle unable to accelerate beyond about ~30mph. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.