NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE10-022: Loss of Headlight Illumination
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE10-022 on July 12, 2010 and closed it on September 13, 2011. NHTSA's investigations file lists 4 models from 2 makes for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE10-022 (also written PE10022)
- 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 September 13, 2011
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Electrical System; Exterior Lighting — Headlights; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Switch
- Vehicles and equipment
- 4 models from 2 makes, including the Chrysler Town And Country and Chrysler Voyager
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 PE10-022.
To date, ODI has interviewed several complainants who confirmed that the headlights fully extinguish, and remain extinguished, on an intermittent basis.
In most cases this occurred while the vehicle was in motion.
The occurrences do not show a repeatable pattern, and the problem occurs at a low frequency, typically one or more weeks between failures.
For this reason most complainants have not attempted diagnosis or repair of the problem, so the cause is unknown, and the problem continues to occur.
In the cases where repairs have been attempted, which consisted mainly of headlight switch and body control module replacements, mixed success is reported.
In interviews complainants advised ODI that they can usually toggle the headlight switch, or turn on the high beams by actuating the column stalk (pulling it upward), when the headlights unexpectedly turn off.
Complainants report that toggling the switch is usually effective, and the high beams have always been available when the column is used.
During the course of the interviews ODI was able to obtain a few suspect headlamp switches for further evaluation.
No verifiable crashes or injuries have been identified in the vehicle owner complaints (VOQs).
Chrysler notes that its complaints also include allegations of dimming or flickering of the headlights in addition to loss of headlamps, and that their analysis of available data indicates a declining trend occurring in the field.
Chrysler data reports two alleged crash incidents; one where a consumers vehicle lost forward lighting and struck a deer, and one where a consumer alleged their lighting stopped working, causing them to depart the roadway and drive into a ditch.
A minor injury is alleged in this second incident.
Both incidents occurred several years ago, and neither allegation has been confirmed by ODI.ODI is upgrading this investigation to an Engineering Analysis (EA11-010) to continue its analysis of the alleged defect and its consequences, which will include additional analysis of consumer reports, their frequency and trend, and Chrysler's technical information for the headlight system and its components.
Additionally testing will be conducted to evaluate possible root cause(s) of the alleged defect, and will include analysis of suspect components collected from the field, and/or assessment of subject vehicles that have reportedly experienced the condition.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE10-022. 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.
Chrysler
All Chrysler recallsDodge
All Dodge recallsWhat 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.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE10-022
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.