NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Defect Petition DP21-001: Backup Lights Fail To Illuminate
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Defect Petition DP21-001 on January 15, 2021 and closed it on July 9, 2021. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- DP21-001 (also written DP21001)
- Investigation type
- Defect Petition A petition asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; NHTSA grants or denies it, and granting one opens an investigation.
- Status
- Closed July 9, 2021
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Porsche Cars North America, Inc.
- Component
- Exterior Lighting — Back Up Lights — Switch
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Defect Petition DP21-001.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has completed its review of a defect petition received on November 20, 2020 requesting an investigation into the failure of reversing lights to illuminate in certain Model Year (MY) 2013 Porsche 911 Carrera vehicle with manual transmissions. The reversing lights fail to illuminate when the subject vehicles are shifted into reverse.
The reversing lights provide a warning to other drivers and pedestrians when the vehicle is reversing. The reversing lights also provide some illumination for the driver when reversing at night. Failure of the reversing lights can cause an increased hazard to the vehicle, its occupants, surrounding vehicles and nearby pedestrians. As of April 14, 2021, NHTSA has identified only one consumer complaint alleging a failure of the reversing lights in NHTSA's database. This complaint was received from the petitioner. Neither NHTSA nor Porsche have received any allegations of crashes or injuries associated with the failure of the reversing lights to illuminate.
Porsche determined that the reversing lights on the MY 2012-2015 Porsche Carrera vehicles were becoming inoperative due to the failure of the transmission side actuation mechanism. Porsche determined the weld between the shift rod and the stopper plate was below manufacturing specifications in some vehicles due to production weld process variations. Porsche modified production weld specifications to improve the strength and consistency of the weld joint between the shift rod and stopper plate. In January 2021, Porsche initiated a Service Action (228/20) on MY 2012-2015 Porsche Carrera vehicles with active notification of potentially affected customers to remedy the reversing light failure in the affected vehicles. Warranty coverage on the affected components has been extended to 15 years from the new vehicle delivery date with unlimited mileage. Porsche will replace the transmission in the affected vehicles with a new transmission with the modified weld specifications for the shift rod - stopper plate joint. NHTSA believes there is a high likelihood that many affected vehicles will be remedied with this action.
After thoroughly assessing the material submitted by the petitioner, information already in NHTSA's possession, information submitted by Porsche in response to an Information Request letter and the potential risks to safety implicated by the petitioner's allegation, as well as Service Action (228/20) initiated by Porsche offering extended warranty coverage, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. After full consideration of appropriate factors, the petition is denied. A denial report will be posted in the Federal Register.
The ODI report cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11376617
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Defect Petition DP21-001. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Porsche
Porsche 911 Carrera
What an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Porsche VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for DP21-001
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.