NHTSA Investigation PE10037

Low Beam Headlights

In their Defect Information Report (DIR) of December 15, 2010, American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (Honda) notified NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall of model year 2007 and 2008 Honda Fit vehicles to repair the headlights.The recall will remedy a defect in the low beam headlight circuit that can cause a total outage of the low beam headlights.Honda's DIR states: Due to a variation in the assembly sequence when installing the wiring harness for the combination switch that controls the headlights, the wires for the low beam headlight circuit can be pulled tighter than the wiring for the other functions controlled by the combination switch.After repeated use of the headlight switch, the electrical connector terminal for the low beam headlight circuit can become worn as a result of this tension, which can result in low conductivity and cause an accumulation of copper oxide in the area of the contacts.In some cases the poor conductivity may cause the terminal ends to melt within the wiring harness connector.If this occurs, the low beam headlights can become inoperative, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda dealer's will inspect the combination switch and wiring harness and remedy the defect free of charge.Please see safety recall file 10V624 for recall details

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.