NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE20-004: Loss of headlights
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE20-004 on April 7, 2020 and closed it on October 30, 2020. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2018 Suzuki GSX250R for it and links recall 20V-612 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE20-004 (also written PE20004)
- 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 October 30, 2020
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Suzuki Motor USA, LLC
- Component
- Exterior Lighting — Headlights
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 20V-612: Low and/or High Beam may Fail, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2018 Suzuki GSX250R
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-004.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) on April 17th, 2020 to investigate Early Warning Reporting (EWR) reports submitted by Suzuki alleging loss of headlights on model year (MY) 2018 Suzuki GSX 250R motorcycles.
On May 29, 2020, ODI learned, through the Suzuki response to an ODI Information Request (IR) letter, that they were aware of two complaints, multiple field reports, thirty-six warranty claims and one goodwill claim describing headlight failures on the subject motorcycles. Within the field reports, ODI discovered there were many failures involving both the low and high beams on the same motorcycle, resulting in a complete loss of vehicle lighting. All reported failures occurred on MY 2018 bikes equipped with headlight assembly part number 35100-20K30. Additionally, Suzuki made ODI aware of a design change effective February 27, 2018 on MY 2019 motorcycles that resulted in a headlight assembly part number change to 35100-20K31. This design change was made to improve serviceability of the headlamp bulb. According to Suzuki, the holding part of the bulb spring had a structure that allowed the bulb spring to become displaced from its proper mounting position when the bulb spring was removed from the holding claw to replace the bulb. Analysis of headlamp failure data showed that no MY 2019 motorcycles, or bikes manufactured with the updated headlight assembly, experienced a headlight failure. The original headlight assembly was withdrawn from production and the redesigned headlight was made available as a service replacement part in September 2018. The modified headlight can be interchanged with earlier production assemblies.
Discussions between ODI and Suzuki resulted in the manufacturer recalling MY 2018 Suzuki GSX 250R motorcycles for a sudden loss of headlamp illumination. This sudden failure could reduce operator visibility and/or conspicuity, increasing the risk of a crash.
This Preliminary Evaluation has been closed due to the recall issued by the manufacturer (NHTSA Recall 20V-612).
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE20-004. 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.
Suzuki
Suzuki GSX250R
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.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE20-004
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.