Investigations
LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS
NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE99038 - closed, opened 1999-05-20.
NHTSA investigation PE99038 is a Preliminary Evaluation opened on 1999-05-20 and currently closed. The subject is tracked inside the Office of Defects Investigation queue. Latest activity on this investigation was logged on 1999-09-30 - 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 PE99038 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 REVIEW OF MAZDA'S INVESTIGATION AND TESTING, EXAMINATION OF TWO FAILED FIELD UNITS (A HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND A COMBINATION SWITCH), AND TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS OF SEVERAL COMPLAINANTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE HEADLIG..." 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 REVIEW OF MAZDA'S INVESTIGATION AND TESTING, EXAMINATION OF TWO FAILED FIELD UNITS (A HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND A COMBINATION SWITCH), AND TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS OF SEVERAL COMPLAINANTS, IT APPEARS THAT THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE WHICH IS ATTACHED TO AND LOCATED JUST BELOW THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER, CAN BE STRESSED FROM CYCLING THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER AND RESULT IN FATIGUE BREAKAGE OF THE WIRE. COMPLAINTS STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF DURING OPERATION IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1995 PROTEGE VEHICLES WHEN USING THE TURN SIGNAL AND/OR WHILE JUST DRIVING (E.G., GOING OVER A SMALL BUMP). SEVERAL COMPLAINANTS CONTACTED BY ODI STATED THAT SOMETIMES THE HEADLIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON AFTER GOING OFF UNTIL THE DRIVER SUCCESSFULLY JIGGLED THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER OR THE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNES (I.E., RE-MAKE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION OF A PARTIALLY BROKEN WIRE). PERMANENT LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS CAN OCCUR WHEN THE WIRE IS COMPLETELY BROKEN. IN JULY 1995, ABOUT THE START OF MY 1996 PRODUCTION, MAZDA CHANGED THE MATERIAL OF THE HEADLIGHT LEAD WIRE TO INCREASE DURABILITY. NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON MY 1996 PROTEGE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO ODI OR MAZDA.
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.