Ford and Mercury defect petition DP15002
Loss of headlamp/exterior lighting. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened this defect petition about the exterior lighting on 6 model years (2003–2005). Opened Apr 1, 2015, closed Aug 11, 2015 after 4 months without a recall. closed
What NHTSA says
Source: Office of Defects Investigation, as filedIn a letter dated October 2, 2014 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) was initially petitioned by the North Carolina Consumers Council, Inc. requesting a defect investigation of an alleged defect condition resulting in headlight and/or exterior lighting failure on 2003-2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis vehicles. ODI analyzed Vehicle Owner Questionnaire (VOQ) complaints received from consumers and identified a total of 605 reports (for all submission dates) alleging headlight failure. The complaints indicate failures of both low beam headlights typically while driving, a defect condition that was evaluated under a prior ODI investigation (PE08066).Most consumer VOQs indicate that the headlights failed suddenly and without warning leaving the driver with no forward lighting, however some report the headlights flickered or dimmed prior to turning off. In some cases drivers were able to turn the headlights back on after a period of time while others reported the headlights would not come back on at all. Consumers noted they were able to hold the flash to pass lever on the steering column mounted stalk to activate the high beams however this is only effective as long as the lever is actuated. ODI identified 4 VOQ reports alleging minor crash or loss of control incidents due to headlight failures. Drivers indicated running off of the road due to a lack of headlights and one driver reportedly struck a deer. No injuries were indicated in the VOQ crashes. In response to ODI's April 7, 2015 Information Request letter, Ford provided data indicating it has received 3,092 complaints of failed headlights related to the Lighting Control Module (LCM), a device that controls the headlights and other lighting functions. This number includes the complaints Ford reviewed and classified as headlight failure due specifically to the LCM. Within Ford's complaints, there are 11 reports alleging a crash occurred. These drivers reported hitting objects, including other vehicles after the headlights failed causing damage to the affected vehicles. One driver was injured when their car struck an unseen object in the road, jerking the steering wheel from their hands and injuring their shoulder. In total 15 crash allegations were identified, all of which have occurred since ODI's prior evaluation of this issue. This petition has been granted. Preliminary Evaluation PE15-028 has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SarchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.
A Defect Petition is a petition from a member of the public asking NHTSA to open a defect investigation; the agency grants or denies it and publishes the reasons. The summary is the agency’s own text from its investigation file, unedited; the opening and closing resumes with the full reasoning are on NHTSA’s site under this number.
What this means for an owner
Source: and what happens nextAn investigation is not a finding that a defect exists, and it puts no duty on anyone. NHTSA opens a Preliminary Evaluation when complaints and other reports suggest a condition worth asking the manufacturer about; it upgrades to an Engineering Analysis when the answers warrant testing; it closes either when it recommends a recall, when the manufacturer recalls on its own, or when no defect trend is found. The agency’s own goals are about four months for a petition, eight for a Preliminary Evaluation or a Recall Query and eighteen for an Engineering Analysis; many run longer.
This one closed without a recall. That means NHTSA found no defect trend it chose to act on at the time, or the manufacturer addressed the condition another way (a service campaign or a bulletin, which have their own pages). A closed file can be reopened if new reports arrive.
Model years it names
Source: as NHTSA filed themAlso named: 2003 Ford Crown Victoria; 2004 Ford Crown Victoria; 2005 Ford Crown Victoria; 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis; 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis; 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis.
A vehicle page’s investigation list carries the same action; a name here is the scope NHTSA opened, not a list of affected VINs.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationIs DP15002 a recall?
No. A defect petition is NHTSA asking questions, not a recall. A safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number and a duty to repair for free; this one closed without one. Whether one particular vehicle has an open recall is a VIN question at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is DP15002 still open?
No. It closed on Aug 11, 2015 without a recall.
Which vehicles does DP15002 cover?
NHTSA opened it on 6 model years: 2003 Ford Crown Victoria, 2004 Ford Crown Victoria, 2005 Ford Crown Victoria, 2003 Mercury Grand Marquis, 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis, 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis. That is the scope of the inquiry, not a list of affected vehicles; a recall, if one follows, defines its own population by VIN.