NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE05-051: BRAKE LAMP FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE05-051 on September 22, 2005 and closed it on December 2, 2005. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Mercedes Benz SLK230 and SLK for it and links recall 05V-505 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE05-051 (also written PE05051)
- 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 2, 2005
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC
- Component
- Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 05V-505: REAR LAMP MODULES, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Mercedes Benz SLK230 and SLK
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-051.
IN ITS LETTER DATED OCTOBER 28, 2005, MERCEDES-BENZ USA STATED THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL TO REMEDY DEFECTIVE BRAKE LAMP ASSEMBLIES IN MODEL YEAR 1998 THROUGH 2004 MERCEDES BENZ SLK VEHICLES.THE BASE OF THE BRAKE LAMP SOCKET CAN BE SUBJECT TO THERMAL DEFORMATION OVER TIME.THIS DEFORMATION CAN CAUSE MOVEMENT IN THE SOCKET-TO-BULB CONNECTION, WHICH MAY LEAD TO A LOOSENING OF THE ELECTRICAL CONTACTS IN THE SOCKET, AND FAILURE OF THE BULB TO ILLUMINATE.ALL REAR LAMP MODULES (WHICH CONTAIN BRAKE, TURN SIGNAL, TAIL AND BACKUP LAMPS) WILL BE REPLACED WITH REDESIGNED REAR LAMP MODULES WITH A MORE HEAT RESISTANT MATERIAL AND ENHANCED SOCKET HOLDER DESIGN TO WITHSTAND THE HEAT INSIDE THE REAR LAMP MODULE.SEE NHTSA RECALL NO. 05V505 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE05-051. 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.
Mercedes Benz VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE05-051
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.