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2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA — EXTERIOR LIGHTING

crash · 713830 · 2009-03-27

Vehicle

Make
CHEVROLET
Model
IMPALA
Year
2002
Manufacturer
General Motors, LLC
Component
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
Miles at failure
85,000
Speed
55 mph

Severity

Deaths
0
Injured
0
Fire
No
Crash
Yes
Police report
No
Medical attention
No
Vehicle towed
No

Narrative

ON MARCH 19, 2008 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 5AM AND TURNING ON MY HIGHBEAMS. A CAR WAS COMING OVER THE HILL SO I TURNED OFF MY HIGHBEAMS AND MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. IN A PANIC I HIT THE BRAKES AND ENDED UP PUTTING MY CAR IN THE DITCH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DITCH BUT I WAS PRETTY SHOOK UP. AFTER JIGGLING MY DIMMER SWITCH I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HEADLIGHTS AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT NEEDED REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST $450. I FOUND AN AFTER MARKET ONE ONLINE AND PUT IT IN MYSELF FOR $350. I NOTICED MY LIGHTS FLICKERING BEFORE THIS EVENT BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. USUALLY IT WAS 1 OR 2 TIMES A WEEK FOR TWO WEEKS WHEN THE SWITCH FINALLY WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL DIMMER SWITCHES DUE TO THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON A VEHICLE WHEN TRAVELING IN THE DARK. IN MY CASE I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING BAD ROAD CONDITIONS. *TR

Source

Authoritative
NHTSA ODI Flat-File Downloads
ODI Number
10263236
Machine
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