1998 Chevrolet Lumina headlight problems

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THIS PROBLEM EXISTS BWHEN THE VEHICLE IS SATIONARY AND IN TRANSIT. IT APPEARS TO BE INTERMITTEN AS WELL. MY BRAKE LIGHTS WORK WHEN I AM BRAKING, BUT THEY SEEM TO INTERMITTENLY BE FAILING WHEN I USE MY DIRECTIONAL SWITCH (4 WAY). I HAVE BEEN ADVISED ON 3 OCCASSIONS, TWICE BY SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING. BUT THEY DO WORK EXCEPT WHEN THE DIRECTIONALS ARE ON. AFTER SOME RESEARCH WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT REPLACING THE 4 WAY SWITCH WILL RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. MAY I NOTE THAT I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS DEVICE FAIL IN ANY OF MY VEHICLES EVER. THAT REGARDLESS OF THE GES AND MAKES OF MY VEHICLCES THE MANUFACTURERS HAVE HAD THE GOOD SENSE TO MAKE CERTAIN THE 4 WAY SWITCH WAS RELIABLE. MIGHT I ADD LINKING BRAKING WITH THE SWITCH MIGHT BE CONSIDER IRRESPONSIBLE OF THE ENGINEERS. HAS THE 1998 CHEVY LUMINA 4WAY SWITCH BEEN RECALLED!?

NHTSA complaint #11316828 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WE BOUGHT THE CAR USED. AT TIME OF PURCHASE BRAKE LIGHTS APPEARED TO WORK. SAME EVENING, THE TWO REAR/SIDE BRAKE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK (THE THIRD/MIDDLE LIGHT WORKS). WE DID SOME TROUBLE SHOOTING, REPLACED BULBS, CHECKED FOR SHORTS. IN OUR RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THIS IS IN FACT A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG GM SEDANS AND IS CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWITCH CONTACTS COMMONLY FAIL WHEN THE SWITCH BEGINS TO LOOSEN/DISINTIGRATE. THIS CAUSES A VARIETY OF ISSUES AMONG THE SYSTEMS THAT PASS THROUGH THAT SWITCH. BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE IS ONE SUCH ISSUE, AND OBVIOUSLY A SAFETY ISSUES. YES, I KNOW IT'S AN OLD CAR AND YES I EXPECT TO HAVE TO MAKE REPAIRS TO IT, BUT I DO NOT EXPECT OUR STUDENT DRIVER TO SUDDENLY BE WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY MANUFACTURE OF THIS COMPONENT. A SMALL AMOUNT OF RESEARCH MAKES IT APPARENT THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON, VERY WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. IT'S EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND BEYOND MOST PEOPLE'S DIY ABILITIES, BESIDES WHICH I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY GM HASN'T BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE. I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S NO RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #10971179 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND THE TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WAS BROKEN IN THE STEERING COLUMN AND THAT IS CAUSED THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS TO MALFUNCTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 10/27/10. *LJ UPDATED 2/28/11 *CN UPDATED 03/03/11

NHTSA complaint #10340980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

THE MULTI PURPOSE SWITCH (TURN SIGNAL) ON MY 1998 CHEVY LUMINA DOESN'T WORK EVERYTIME A USE THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH MY BRAKE LIGHTS GO OUT AND I HAVE TO WIGGLE THE SWITCH UNTIL MY BRAKE LIGHT COME BACK ON. I SWITCHED THE LEVER BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES.

NHTSA complaint #10262687 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

THE TWO MAIN BRAKE LIGHTS NO LONGER COME ON WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE 3RD BRAKE LIGHT IN REAR WINDOW STILL WORKS. BOTH BULBS WERE CHECKED AND EVEN REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. THE TURN SIGNALS FLASH AT A HIGH SPEED, UNLESS THE TURN SIGNAL LEVER IS MANIPULATED WITH A SLIGHT PULL/PUSH. CHECKED SEVERAL INTERNET SITES ON THE PROBLEM, AND IT SEEMS IT MAY BE THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL SWITCH. NOT SURE IF THIS IS A MAJOR FIX WITH SPECIALIZED TOOLS IF THE PROBLEM IS IN THE STEERING COLUMN.

NHTSA complaint #10157909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

1998 CHEVROLET LUMINA - BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE (CENTER LIGHT IS OK, BOTH TAILLIGHTS DON'T WORK). VERY COMMON, ACCORDING TO WEB SEARCHES OF THE PROBLEM. RELATED TO TURN SIGNAL AND/OR EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH (IF THESE ARE PHYSICALLY 'JIGGLED' BRAKE LIGHTS TEMPORARILY WORK).

NHTSA complaint #10106536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH

BOTH REAR BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE FAILED AND ONLY THE CENTER HIGH MOUNTED LIGHTS ARE WORKING. I REPLACED THE BULBS BUT TAHT DID NOT HELP SO I DID A LITTLE TROUBLESHOOTING AND FOUND THAT THE BULBS WORKED AS THEY LIT UP WHEN I USED THE SIGNAL LIGHTS, HAZARD LIGHTS, AND HEAD LIGHTS. I NEXT TRIED REPLACING THE TURN SIGNAL/HARZARD FLASHER BUT THIS DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A FAULTY TURN SIGNAL LEVER AND THAT IF THIS PART WAS WIGGLED THE LIGHTS WOULD WORK AGAIN. I CHECKED THIS ON THE CAR AND FLIPPED THE HIGH BEAMS ON AND OFF A COUPLE OF TIMES VIA THE TURN SIGNAL STALK AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS STARTED TO WORK AGAIN. I FIND THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS THAT A CRITICAL PIECE OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT RELIES ON SOMETHING AS TRIVIAL AS A TURN SIGNAL STALK. I HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT GENERAL MOTORS HAS ISSUAD A RECALL CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM BUT THAT IT WAS VERY NARROWLY CONFINED AND DID NOT INCLUDE THIS VEHICLE DESPITE THE FACT THAT MANY PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10098253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF .

NHTSA complaint #10057984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:FLASHER UNIT

NO SUMMARY

NHTSA complaint #734895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.