NHTSA Investigation PE08059

TURN SIGNAL MALFUNCTION

ODI HAS CLOSED THIS INVESTIGATION BASED ON A REVIEW OF THE COMPLAINTS, OTHER FIELD DATA AND TECHNICAL DATA SUBMITTED BY CHRYSLER TO THE AGENCY.CHRYSLER REPORTS THAT THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IS HARD WIRED INTO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (IC) AND THE CLUSTER DECIDES WHICH DIRECTION HAS BEEN SELECTED BASED ON AN ELECTRICAL SIGNAL FROM THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH.THE IC SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE VEHICLE'S TOTALLY INTEGRATED POWER MODULE (TIPM) AND THE TIPM RESPONDS BY CONTROLLING THE VOLTAGE AND FLASH RATE OF THE EXTERIOR TURN SIGNAL LAMPS AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATOR.CHRYSLER'S TESTING FOUND THAT IMPROPER LEVELS OF RESISTANCE WITHIN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MAY RESULT IN THE IC SELECTING THE WRONG DIRECTION.COMPLAINANTS SAY THAT WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL IS USED, THE VEHICLE MAY SIGNAL THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS OFTEN INTERMITTENT.THIS WOULD BE EVIDENT FROM THE TURN INDICATOR LAMPS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS WELL AS THE EXTERIOR TURN SIGNAL LAMPS.EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT SIGNALS MAY BE AFFECTED. DEALERS ARE CORRECTING THIS BY REPLACING MULTIFUNCTION SWITCHES ON THE STEERING COLUMN.NEITHER ODI NOR CHRYSLER HAS RECEIVED ANY REPORT OF A CRASH RELATED TO THE SUBJECT CONDITION. CHRYSLER WILL IMPLEMENT AN EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLE POPULATION.NOTIFICATION TO VEHICLE OWNERS IS TO BEGIN IN MAY 2009.THIS ACTION IS CONSISTENT WITH THAT TAKEN IN OTHER INVESTIGATIONS INVOLVING TURN SIGNAL FAILURES AT SIMILAR RATES.FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED AT THIS TIME.ACCORDINGLY THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.