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NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE05-010: INOPERATIVE TAIL LAMPS

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-010 on February 15, 2005 and closed it on June 3, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000–2002 Saturn LS for it and links recall 05V-245 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE05-010 (also written PE05010)
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 June 3, 2005
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Components
Electrical System; Exterior Lighting; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 05V-245: REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY, reported
Vehicles and equipment
2000–2002 Saturn LS

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-010.

GENERAL MOTORS HAS DECIDED THAT A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT EXISTS ON CERTAIN MODEL SATURN SEDANS AND WAGONS.THE PLASTIC HOUSING IN THE REAR TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY CAN BECOME DISTORTED IF THE BRAKE LAMPS REMAIN ON FOR AN EXTENDED TIME.THIS CAN CAUSE (1) AN INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULB OR (2) A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT OPENS A FUSE CAUSING INOPERATIVE BRAKE OR TAIL LAMPS (INCLUDING THE CENTER HIGH-MOUNTED STOP LAMP).

GM WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL ON AN EXPANDED SCOPE OF SATURN VEHICLES TO INSTALL A REINFORCING SOCKET ADAPTER (AND CORRESPONDING NW SOCKET) TO THE BACK OF THE EXISTING LAMP ASSEMBLY.GENERAL MOTORS WILL RECALL 291,652 MY 2000-2002 SATURN LS SEDANS AND MY 2000-2004 SATURN LW WAGONS.THE RECALL IS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA NUMBER 05V-245.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-010. 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

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 PE05-010

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.