Investigations
STALLING & SUDDEN HEADLIGHT OUTAGE
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE05047 - closed, opened 2005-09-02.
NHTSA investigation PE05047 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 2005-09-02 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 2005-12-20 - 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 PE05047 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: "ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING THREE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING ALLEGED ENGINE STALLING AND/OR SUDDEN HEADLIGHT OUTAGES WHILE UNDERWAY. ODI ALSO FOUND NUMEROUS POSTINGS ON A WEB-BASED CHAT BOARD RELATED TO THE..." 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
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION AFTER RECEIVING THREE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING ALLEGED ENGINE STALLING AND/OR SUDDEN HEADLIGHT OUTAGES WHILE UNDERWAY. ODI ALSO FOUND NUMEROUS POSTINGS ON A WEB-BASED CHAT BOARD RELATED TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLE AND THESE ALLEGATIONS. FREQUENTLY, THE POSTING REFERENCED THE "BLUE" CONNECTOR JOINING THE MAIN HARNESS AND THE HEADLIGHT SUB-HARNESS. ODI HAS INSPECTED SUBJECT MOTORCYCLES AND ITS PEERS AND MET WITH THEIR OWNERS, DISCUSSED THIS MATTER WITH SUBJECT MOTORCYCLE DEALERS AND INDEPENDENT SERVICE PERSONNEL, AND REVIEWED HONDA'S RESPONSE TO OUR INFORMATION REQUEST. BASED ON THE INFORMATION GATHERED TO DATE, THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT MOST FAILURES HAVE DEVELOPED SLOWLY OVER TIME WITH THE OPERATOR NOTING DIFFICULTY STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE, AND A SMELL OF MELTING INSULATION, (NO FIRES ARE REPORTED). IN THE MAJORITY OF REPORTS, THE PROBLEM IS NOTED WHILE STARTING THE MOTORCYCLE. MANY REPORTS STATE THE ENGINE STALLED WHEN THE STARTER BUTTON WAS INITIALLY RELEASED. FOR THE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM, MANY OF THE CIRCUIT OVERLOAD REPORTS WERE DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF AFTERMARKET ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT. CURRENTLY, NO DEFECT TREND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WARRANTING FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF AGENCY RESOURCES AT THIS TIME. THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY THE AGENCY THAT NO SAFETY RELATED DEFECT EXISTS. ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS ISSUE CLOSELY AND SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, ODI WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
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.