NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE06-028: HEADLIGHT FAILURE

Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE06-028 on July 28, 2006 and closed it on November 22, 2006, the day it opened Engineering Analysis EA06-019, which this investigation's summary cites. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2002–2003 Dodge Neon for it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number: PE06-028 (also written PE06028)
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 November 22, 2006
Opened: July 28, 2006
Closed: November 22, 2006
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer: Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
Components: Exterior Lighting — Fog Lights; Exterior Lighting — Fog Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Headlights; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Switch
Vehicles and equipment: 2002–2003 Dodge Neon

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 PE06-028.

ODI HAS REVIEWED COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS STATING THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE HEADLIGHT FUNCTION WHILE OPERATING THEIR VEHICLE.THE REPORTS INDICATE THAT A LOSS OF BOTH HIGH AND LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS IS THE RESULT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLES MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH AND CONNECTING WIRING HARNESS.CONSUMERSNOTICED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN AREA (WHERE THESE PARTS ARE LOCATED) IS HEATING UP.IN SOME CASES, SMOKE WOULD COME OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AREA AND THE PLASTIC TRIM WOULD BEGIN TO MELT.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS (EA06-019) TO FURTHER STUDY THIS ISSUE.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE06-028. 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.

Dodge

Dodge Neon
- 2002, 2003

All Dodge 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.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE06-028

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.