NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE03-017: HEADLAMPS FLICKER OFF AND ON

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE03-017 on April 17, 2003 and closed it on August 25, 2003. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2001–2002 Saturn LS for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE03-017 (also written PE03017)
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 August 25, 2003
Opened: April 17, 2003
Closed: August 25, 2003
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Components: Exterior Lighting; Exterior Lighting — Headlights; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Concealment Devices; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — High/Low Beam Dimmer Switch; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal — Switch
Vehicles and equipment: 2001–2002 Saturn LS

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 PE03-017.

THIS PE WAS OPENED BASED ON SIX ODI COMPLAINTS THAT HEADLAMPS FLICKER OFF AND ON, AND TWO ODI COMPLAINTS THAT THE SWITCH IS HOT TO THE TOUCH.THE INVESTIGATION HAS FOUND NO OCCURRENCES OF HEADLAMPS GOING OUT.THE COMPLAINTS ARE DUE TO SPORADIC DIMMING (FLICKERING) OF THE HEADLAMPS AS A RESULT OF VARIATION OF THE VOLTAGE TO THE HEADLAMPS.GM HAS SHOWN THAT A 1.5 -2.0 VOLTAGE DROP OCCURS WHEN OTHER ELECTRICAL DEVICES ARE ACTIVATED, HOWEVER AT NO TIME DO THE HEADLAMPS TURN COMPLETELY OFF.WITH RESPECT TO ALLEGATIONS THAT THE HEADLAMP SWITCH IS HOT TO THE TOUCH, GM REPORTS THAT THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF THE SWITCH IS 35 DEGREES C WHICH IS NOT HOT ENOUGH TO BURN A FINGER OR HAND.IN MAY 2001, GM MODIFIED THE HEADLAMP SWITCH CRIMPING OPERATION TO ELIMINATE THE OCCURRENCE OF HOT SWITCHES.ODI EVALUATED THE COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY RETURNS AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF MELTING OR BURNING. A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE03-017. 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.

Saturn

Saturn LS
- 2001, 2002

All Saturn 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE03-017

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.