NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-036: Partial Loss of Exterior Lights
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-036 on November 4, 2013 and closed it on February 28, 2014. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2009–2011 Volkswagen Tiguan for it and links recall 13V-569 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-036 (also written PE13036)
- 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 28, 2014
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components
- Electrical System; Electrical System — Wiring — Fuses and Circuit Breakers; Exterior Lighting; Exterior Lighting — Back Up Lights; Exterior Lighting — Back Up Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Fog Lights; Exterior Lighting — Fog Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights; Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Hazard Flashing Warning Lights — Unit; Exterior Lighting — Headlights; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Concealment Devices; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — High/Low Beam Dimmer Switch; Exterior Lighting — Headlights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights; Exterior Lighting — Tail Lights — Switch; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal — Flasher Unit; Exterior Lighting — Turn Signal — Switch
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 13V-569: Partial Loss of Exterior Lights, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2009–2011 Volkswagen Tiguan
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-036.
Volkswagen Group of America (VW) is conducting a safety recall of approximately 62,155 model year (MY) 2009-2011 Volkswagen Tiguan vehicles to address a partial loss of the exterior lighting (see NHTSA recall 13V-569 for more information).
These vehicles' exterior lighting system is protected by two separate fuses contained in a fuse box located in the engine compartment.
According to VW, high thermal cycling and soft-coated fuse coating material used at the F16 (also referred to as SB16) location causes movement between the fuse blade and socket, resulting in abrasions on the fuse coating material.
This increases resistance and results in overheating of the fuse and disruption of electrical current flow to roughly half of the vehicle's exterior lighting circuits. Examples include loss of one of each of the following: low beam headlight, high beam headlight, brake light, and turn signal light involving the front and rear of the vehicle.
VW has stated that the subject F16 fuse in the Tiguan model was used in several other Volkswagen models.
According to VW, the temperature of the vehicle's engine and the fuse box varies by vehicle model.
ODI found that the complaint and warranty rates for the MY 2009-2010 Tiguan are more than four times greater than that of MY 2009-2010 Volkswagen Jetta sedans.
ODI is aware of VW's plan to take a service action of some, but not all, of the other vehicle models.
The action will cover MY 2009-2010 Jetta sedan and MY 2009 GTI vehicles.
ODI will monitor complaints to NHTSA on all other Volkswagen models equipped with the same subject fuse and take further action if warranted.
The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed online at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the following identification numbers: 10362206, 10471503, 10490408, 10501271, 10504495, 10508638, 10512642, 10520573, 10521147, 10522909, 10523748, 10526032, 10534679, 10538004, 10538410, 10543629, 10544805, 10545540, 10547334, 10547530, 10547775, 10549584, 10550140, 10550903, 10551486, 10551503, 10551538, 10551776, 10551816, 10551848, 10551853, 10552153, 10552322, 10552740, 10552811, 10552866, 10553122, 10553299, 10554352, 10554441, 10554443, 10554730, 10554890, 10555047, 10555080, 10555527, 10555540, 10555988, 10556475, 10558014, 10559441, 10559447, 10561642, 10562693.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-036. 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.
Volkswagen
All Volkswagen 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.
Volkswagen VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE13-036
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.