Investigations
BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH OPERATION
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE02084 - closed, opened 2002-11-18.
NHTSA investigation PE02084 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2002-11-18 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2003-04-08 - 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 PE02084 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: "THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH USED IN NEW BEETLE IS ALSO SPECIFIED IN GOLF AND JETTA MODELS. ONE TYPE OF SWITCH IS USED ON CRUISE EQUIPPED MODELS, A SECOND TYPE IS USED ON NON-CRUISE MODELS. VW REPORTS 86 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AN..." 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
THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH USED IN NEW BEETLE IS ALSO SPECIFIED IN GOLF AND JETTA MODELS. ONE TYPE OF SWITCH IS USED ON CRUISE EQUIPPED MODELS, A SECOND TYPE IS USED ON NON-CRUISE MODELS. VW REPORTS 86 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND 2575 WARRANTY CLAIMS OF INOPERATIVE BRAKE LIGHTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH ARE RELATED TO THE BRAKE SWITCH. TWO OF THE VW COMPLAINTS INVOLVE FAILURES THAT WERE ALSO REPORTED TO ODI. ADDITIONALLY, OVER 100,000 BRAKE SWITCH SERVICE COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN SOLD UNDER 4 DIFFERENT PART NUMBERS. THE INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.
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.