Investigations
HEADLIGHT
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE00017 - closed, opened 2000-04-11.
NHTSA investigation PE00017 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2000-04-11 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2000-09-26 - NHTSA updates that field whenever an Information Request goes out, a supplement is filed, or a status change is recorded in the public docket.
A Preliminary Evaluation like PE00017 is the entry point of the federal defect-investigation process. NHTSA engineers scan complaint databases, field reports, and manufacturer data to decide whether an Engineering Analysis is warranted, whether a voluntary recall is already sufficient, or whether the pattern does not rise to a defect finding.
Investigators summarized the matter as follows: "BASED ON THE REPORTS RECEIVED BY ODI FROM CONSUMERS, FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHT ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MAY OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, AND MAY RESULT FROM REPEATED ADJUSTMENT OF THE TILT STEERING WHEEL IN THE SUBJECT VEHICL..." Investigations are the early-warning layer of the federal auto-safety system, sitting upstream of formal recalls and defect orders. Whether this one closes without action or escalates into an Engineering Analysis, the full history stays in the ODI archive so researchers, litigators, and buyers can pull the paper trail at any time.
Investigation Summary
BASED ON THE REPORTS RECEIVED BY ODI FROM CONSUMERS, FAILURE OF THE HEADLIGHT ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MAY OCCUR IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, AND MAY RESULT FROM REPEATED ADJUSTMENT OF THE TILT STEERING WHEEL IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES. REPEATED ADJUSTMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL POSITION MAY STRAIN THE WIRING IN THE HEADLIGHT CIRCUIT TO THE POINT OF FAILURE WHERE THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH, RESULTING IN THE UNANTICIPATED LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. ODI HAS CONCERNS REGARDING THE HIGH RATE OF WARRANTY REPAIRS FOR PROBLEMS POTENTIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALLEGED DEFECT IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, WITH THE RECOGNITION THE EACH INCIDENT OF HEADLIGHT FAILURE REPRESENTS A CONDITION OF VEHICLE DISABLEMENT. IN ADDITION, THE MANUFACTURER'S EVALUATION OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, AND THIS OFFICE HAS INTEREST IN THE DETAILS OF THE METHODOLOGIES AND RESULTS OF THAT ASSESSMENT.
About This Investigation Type
A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first phase of NHTSA's investigation process. It is opened when the agency identifies a potential safety defect pattern, usually triggered by consumer complaints, manufacturer reports, or field monitoring. During a PE, NHTSA gathers information to determine whether a formal engineering analysis is warranted.
Data from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Cross-references: NHTSA recall campaign API and NHTSA FARS where fatality records overlap. PlainCars does not rate or recommend vehicles. about how PlainCars sources NHTSA data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.