NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Recall Query RQ06-004: BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH FAILURE
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Recall Query RQ06-004 on February 28, 2006 and closed it on August 7, 2006. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Volkswagen Beetle and Jetta for it and links recall 06V-183 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- RQ06-004 (also written RQ06004)
- Investigation type
- Recall Query An investigation into whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or whether its remedy works, run much like a Preliminary Evaluation.
- Status
- Closed August 7, 2006
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
- Components
- Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights; Exterior Lighting — Brake Lights — Switch
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 06V-183: BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MALFUNCTION, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- Volkswagen Beetle and Jetta
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Recall Query RQ06-004.
BY LETTERS DATED MAY 24, 2006 AND AUGUST 4, 2006, VOLKSWAGEN (VW) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO 06V-183) INVOLVING MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998-2002 VOLKSWAGEN NEW BEETLE AND 1999-2002 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH CRUISE CONTROL.VOLKSWAGEN?S RECALL COVERS 646,246 VEHICLES.PREVIOUSLY, VW RECALLED THESE VEHICLES TO REPLACE A DEFECTIVE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH (RECALLS 03V-265 AND 04V-096) THAT WAS UNIQUE TO VEHICLES WITH CRUISE CONTROL.VOLKSWAGEN REPORTS THAT THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH MAY MALFUNCTION IF IT WAS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY DURING RECALLS 03V-265 AND 04V-096.
VOLKSWAGEN WILL INSTALL A NEW DESIGN BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH.BASED ON VOLKSWAGEN'S SAFETY RECALL ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Recall Query RQ06-004. 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.
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.
Volkswagen VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for RQ06-004
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.