NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE02-064: TURN SIGNAL FAILURE

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE02-064 on August 22, 2002 and closed it on December 23, 2002. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000–2001 Chevrolet Malibu for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE02-064 (also written PE02064)
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status
Closed December 23, 2002
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Components
Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights; Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal — Switch
Vehicles and equipment
2000–2001 Chevrolet Malibu

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 Preliminary Evaluation PE02-064.

ODI OPENED THE INVESTIGATION BASED ON 9 COMPLAINTS OF TURN SIGNALS OPERATING SPORADICALLY ON THE 2000-2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU.THE TURN SIGNALS QUIT WORKING WITHOUT WARNING AND MAY OCCUR WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR STANDING STILL.GM IDENTIFIED THE HAZARD SWITCH AS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.ELECTRICAL CURRENT TO THE TURN SIGNAL PASSES THROUGH THE HAZARD SWITCH.FAILURE OF THE HAZARD SWITCHRESULTS IN LOSS OF TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS.GM REPORTS 318, 184 AND 201 CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THE MALIBU, ALERO AND GRAND AM RESPECTIVELY.GM ALSO REPORTS THE FOLLOWING MODELS HAVE THE SAME DESIGN TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD SWITCH AS THE CHEVROLET MALIBU: CHEVROLET CORVETTE, MONTE CARLO, AND IMPALA; OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE AND ALERO; AND THE PONTIAC GRAND AM.THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA SHOW THE HIGHEST OCCURANCE OF THE PROBLEM IN THE MY 2000-2001 MALIBU, ALERO, AND GRAND AM.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE02-064. 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.

Chevrolet

All Chevrolet recalls

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.

Chevrolet VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE02-064

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.