NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE98-063: HEADLIGHT SWITCH
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE98-063 on December 3, 1998 and closed it on May 10, 1999. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique for it and links recall 99V-103 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE98-063 (also written PE98063)
- 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 May 10, 1999
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Ford Motor Company
- Component
- Exterior Lighting
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 99V-103: FORD/HEADLIGHT SWITCH/WIRING HARNESS, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE98-063.
ODI OPENED THE PRELIMINARY EVALUATION ON DECEMBER 3, 1989 BASED ON FIVE CONSUMER COMPLAINTS, ALL OF WHICH MENTIONED CONCERNS CENTERED ON THE DASHBOARD-MOUNTED HEADLIGHT SWITCH.THESE CONCERNS INCLUDED AN ALLEGATION OF THE SWITCH CATCHING FIRE, AN ALLEGATION OF HEADLIGHT LOSS, AND THREE ALLEGATIONS OF INSTRUMENT PANEL AND TAIL LIGHT OUTAGES.THREE OF THE REPORTS SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH AND ITS ASSOCIATED WIRING AS HAVING BEEN HEAT DAMAGED.FORD INVESTIGATIONS HAVE FOUND THAT OVERHEATING OF AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL AT THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH CONNECTOR CAUSES LOSS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND TAIL LIGHTS.FORD WILL REMEDY THIS CONDITION IN 1996-1998 MODEL CONTOUR AND MYSTIQUE VEHICLES BUILT AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM APRIL 20, 1995 THROUGH AUGUST 12, 1998 AND AT THE CAUTITLAN, MEXICO ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM JUNE 13, 1995 THROUGH AUGUST 24, 1998 UNDER RECALL 99V-103.
THE REMEDY INVOLVES REPLACEMENT OF THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH CONNECTOR AND IF NECESSARY, THE SWITCH ITSELF.THIS PRELIMINARY EVALUATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE98-063. 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.
Ford
Ford Contour
Mercury
Mercury Mystique
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 PE98-063
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.