NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-034: BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-034 on June 16, 2005 and closed it on October 14, 2005, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA05-016, whose summary cites it. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2004 Land Rover Discovery II for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-034 (also written PE05034)
- 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 October 14, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Land Rover
- Components
- Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2004 Land Rover Discovery II
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 PE05-034.
ON JUNE 16, 2005, THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) OPENED A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED STOP LAMP (BRAKE) SWITCH FAILURES IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2004 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SERIES II VEHICLES.ODI SENT A LETTER TO THE MANUFACTURER ON JUNE 24, 2005 REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THESE AND OTHER LAND ROVER VEHICLES.ANALYSIS OF MANUFACTURER DATA SHOWS A HIGH FAILURE FREQUENCY FOR STOP LAMP SWITCHES ON SUBJECT VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APPROXIMATELY DECEMBER 2, 2003 THROUGH MAY 13, 2004.
ALL 8,763 SUBJECT VEHICLES BUILT DURING THIS PERIOD WERE EQUIPPED WITH A SELF-ADJUSTING STOP LAMP SWITCH SUPPLIED BY METHODE ELECTRONICS MALTA, LTD. (METHODE).
IN SEPTEMBER 2003, METHODE MOVED THE PRODUCTION OF AN INTERNAL SWITCH COMPONENT, KNOWN AS THE SLIDER MECHANISM, FROM A VALIDATED PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDING TOOL (?CAVITY 1?) TO ANOTHER TOOL (?CAVITY 2?) THAT HAD NOT BEEN USED BEFORE TO PRODUCE PARTS FOR LAND ROVER.SLIDERS FROM CAVITY 2 MAY BE CHARACTERIZED BY POOR FILL AND LACK OF DEFINITION IN THE SLIDER TEETH.CONSEQUENTLY, THE SLIDER IS UNABLE TO RESTRAIN IMPROPER MOVEMENT OF THE PLUNGER DURING NORMAL BRAKE PEDAL OPERATION.THIS CAUSES THE SWITCH TO FALL OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, THUS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE EFFORT REQUIRED TO ENERGIZE THE SWITCH AND ILLUMINATE THE STOP LAMPS.THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOM DESCRIBED BY COMPLAINANTS AND DOCUMENTED IN WARRANTY CLAIM RECORDS IS STOP LAMPS THAT REMAIN CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED.DOCUMENTS PROVIDED BY THE MANUFACTURER INDICATE THAT CERTAIN MY 2002 THROUGH 2005 LAND ROVER FREELANDER VEHICLES USE A SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR STOP LAMP SWITCH THAT ALSO SUFFERS FROM A HIGH FAILURE FREQUENCY.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA05-016) TO FURTHER STUDY THE FREQUENCY, SCOPE AND SAFETY CONSEQUENCES OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-034. 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.
Land Rover
Land Rover Discovery II
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.
Land Rover VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-034
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.