NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-013: Loss of Low Beam Headlights
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-013 on May 6, 2013 and closed it on August 26, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Chevrolet Corvette and Corvette Z06 for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-013 (also written PE13013)
- 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 August 26, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- General Motors, LLC
- Components
- Exterior Lighting; Exterior Lighting — Headlights
- Vehicles and equipment
- Chevrolet Corvette and Corvette Z06
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 PE13-013.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 30 reports from consumers alleging that, after driving for a short time (5 to 30 minutes), both low beam headlights stopped working simultaneously and without warning. The low beam headlights remained inoperative for the remainder of the drive cycle, however no other lighting is affected.
General Motors (GM) provided information in response to ODI's information request letter explaining that the loss of headlights is caused by a fractured low beam circuit wire in the underhood bussed electrical center (UBEC), a device that is similar to a fuse box. The UBEC is located in a high heat area near the engine, and the low beam circuit wire routing within the UBEC makes it susceptible to cyclical stress caused by thermal expansion.
The investigation covers model years 2005-2007 Corvettes however ODI also has received four VOQs alleging the same condition in model year 2008 Corvettes. ODI is upgrading the investigation to an Engineering Analysis to further examine the consequences, frequency and scope of this problem. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification (ODI) numbers.
For MY 2005-2007: 10400308, 10415603, 10415867, 10416531, 10421639, 10424391, 10424543, 10445971, 10451733, 10454919, 10460674, 10460750, 10463546, 10466342, 10466857, 10468128, 10469057, 10470616, 10471595, 10474350, 10474368, 10475257, 10486597, 10491670, 10496592, 10496788, 10498100, 10502059, 10505606, 10508507, 10510052, 10511467, 10511517, 10511576, 10511696, 10511699, 10511789, 10511837, 10511994, 10512072, 10512093, 10512154, 10512292, 10512341, 10513422, 10514802, 10514978, 10515162, 10515311, 10515821, 10519426, 10519879, 10520155, 10521036, 10521585, 10522260, 10523064, 10523190, 10525646, 10531602, 10531631, 10532439, 10533227, 10533251, 10533339For MY 2008: 10512856, 10514576, 10523059, 10532221
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-013. 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.
Chevrolet VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE13-013
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.