NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE09-003: STOP LAMP SWITCH FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE09-003 on January 14, 2009 and closed it on April 24, 2009. NHTSA's investigations file lists 8 Hyundai models for it and links recall 09V-122 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE09-003 (also written PE09003)
- 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 April 24, 2009
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Hyundai Motor America
- Components
- Electronic Stability Control; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch; Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Lever and Linkage — Column Shift; Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Lever and Linkage — Floor Shift; Power Train — Manual Transmission — Column Shift Assembly; Power Train — Manual Transmission — Floor Shift Assembly; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip; Service Brakes, Hydraulic — Pedals and Linkages; Vehicle Speed Control — Cruise Control
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 09V-122: STOP LAMP SWITCH ASSEMBLY, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 8 Hyundai models, including the Tucson and Accent
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-003.
BY LETTER DATED APRIL 15, 2009, HYUNDAI NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WILL CONDUCT A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 09V122) TO REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCHES ON MANY OF ITS MODEL YEAR 2005-2008 VEHICLES.SEE RECALL 09V122 FOR A COMPLETE LIST. THE AGENCY OPENED ITS INVESTIGATION BASED ON FIVE COMPLAINTS OF STOP LAMP FAILURE ACROSS SEVERAL 2007 HYUNDAI MODELS. THE AGENCY ALSO RECEIVED EARLY WARNING (EWR) REPORTS ON THIS ISSUE.MOST OF THOSE FAILURES WERE TRACED TO THE IMPROPER OPERATION OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH THAT CONTROLS STOP LAMP ILLUMINATION.A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE LIGHTS NOT TO LIGHT DURING BRAKING, OR ALTERNATIVELY, IT CAN CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO STAY LIT EVEN WHEN A DRIVER TAKES THE FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. FAILURE OF THE STOP LAMPS TO ILLUMINATE PROPERLY CREATES THE HAZARD OF REAR END COLLISIONS WHEN DRIVERS FOLLOWING THE SUBJECT VEHICLE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE VEHICLE IS SLOWING OR STOPPING. HYUNDAI REPORTED ONE CRASH INCIDENT (A FRONTAL IMPACT), WITHOUT INJURY, THAT WAS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THIS DEFECT.THE AGENCY REVIEWED THE INCIDENT AND CANNOT CONCLUDE THAT IT IS RELATED TO THIS DEFECT. THERE ARE OTHER POTENTIAL PROBLEMS RELATED TO FAILURE OF THE STOP LAMP SWITCH: FAILURE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL TO DISENGAGE, INTERFERENCE WITH PROPER FUNCTIONING OF ANTILOCK BRAKES AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND INABILITY TO MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER OUT OF PARK POSITION.BASED ON THE ABOVE SAFETY RECALL, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE09-003. 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.
Hyundai VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE09-003
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.