NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE04-073: TURN SIGNAL/HAZARD FLASHER FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE04-073 on October 19, 2004 and closed it on December 16, 2004. NHTSA's investigations file lists 3 Volkswagen models for it and links recall 04V-584 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE04-073 (also written PE04073)
- 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 16, 2004
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components
- Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights; Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal — Flasher Unit
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 04V-584: VW/HAZARD SWITCH, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 3 Volkswagen models, including the Golf and GTI
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-073.
THIS INVESTIGATION WAS OPENED ON OCTOBER 19, 2004, BASED ON NINE REPORTS ON 2000 THROUGH 2001 JETTA AND GTI VEHICLES ALLEGING THAT THE TURN SIGNALS AND OR HAZARD FLASHERS FAIL TO BLINK, OR FLASH.SOME OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE LIGHTS WOULD BLINK ONLY A FEW TIMES AND THEN STOP.SEVERAL OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT HAVING THE HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH REPLACED REPAIRED THEIR VEHICLES.BY LETTER OF DECEMBER 13, 2004, VOLKSWAGEN NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL OF 350,000 MODEL YEAR 2000 THROUGH 2002 JETTA, GOLF AND GTI VEHICLES TO REPAIR THE TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD FLASHER SYSTEM.VW REPORTS 216 OWNER REPORTS, 4 FIELD REPORTS AND 4960 WARRANTY CLAIMS ON THIS POPULATION OF VEHICLES. VOLKSWAGEN DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH/RELAY KIT TO REMEDY THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLES.PLEASE SEE SAFETY RECALL 04V584 FOR DETAILS.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE04-073. 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.
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.
Volkswagen VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE04-073
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.