NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE06-054: INOPERABLE TAIL LIGHTS
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE06-054 on November 16, 2006 and closed it on February 7, 2007. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Volvo VHD and VN for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE06-054 (also written PE06054)
- 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 February 7, 2007
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volvo Trucks North America
- Components
- Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal
- Vehicles and equipment
- Volvo VHD and VN
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 PE06-054.
try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.
ODI OPENED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN AND EWR DATA. EWR WARRANTY DATA IS AGGREGATE DATA AND INDIVIDUAL REPORTS ARE NOT SUBMITTED.VOLVO REVIEWED THEIR WARRANTY DATA AND DETERMINED THAT ONLY 63 OF THE EWR WARRANTY CLAIMS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT VEHICLES DISPLAYED SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH THE TSB.VOLVO ALSO NOTED IN THEIR IR RESPONSE THAT THE TAIL LIGHT CONFIGURATION IS USED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON TRACTORS THAT ARE NORMALLY ATTACHED TO SEMI TRAILERS.THEREFORE, THE TRACTOR LIGHTS ARE NORMALLY NOT THE REAR MOST LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE.IN A NORMAL APPLICATION, EVEN IF ONE TAIL LIGHT ON THE TRACTOR WAS OUT, THE TAIL LIGHT ON THE TRAILER WOULD CONTINUE TO ILLUMINATE AND PROVIDE OTHER DRIVERS OF THE INTENTIONS OF THE SEMI TRAILER DRIVER.PURSUANT TO 49 CFR 396.11 & 13, A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE OPERATOR IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM A PRE-TRIP AND POST-TRIP INSPECTION, WHICH INCLUDES CHECKING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE TAIL LIGHTS.GIVEN THE ABOVE INFORMATION, ODI HAS NOT IDENTIFIED A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND AT THIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE06-054. 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.
Volvo VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE06-054
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.