NHTSA Complaint #10014244 — 2003 LEXUS RX300

NOT MY VEHICLE, BUT ON OTHER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. NUMEROUS TIME I HAVE HAPPENED UPON A NEWER LEXUS RX 300 (2002 OR 2003 MODEL??) WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS, TRAVELING ALONG PUBLIC ROADWAYS WELL AFTER DARK. IN A RECENT INCIDENT, I WAS ON A MULTI-LANE FREEWAY AND HAD A CHANCE TO PULL ALONG SIDE A LEXUS RX 300 WITH NO TAIL LIGHTS, GLANCING OVER AT THE DRIVER COMPARTMENT OF THE RX 300, I NOTED THAT THE DASH/INSTRUMENT LIGHTS WERE ON! AND, THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DLRS) WERE PROVIDING SOME FORWARD ILLUMINATION FOR THE VEHICLE. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE RX 300 VEHICLES ALWAYS HAVE THEIR INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATED, THUS WITH THE COMBINATION OF THE DLRS, IT SEEMS THAT THE DRIVERS OF LEXUS RX300 SUV'S FREQUENTLY FORGET TO TURN THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON. THERE IS AN "AUTO" FEATURE, BUT IF NOT USED, THE VEHICLE IS VERY PRONE LEAVING THE DRIVER WITH A FALSE SENSE THAT THE LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON- WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS. I CAN NOT THINK OF ANY OTHER VEHICLE THAT ILLUMINATES THE DASH WITHOUT AT LEAST TURNING ON THE TAIL/PARKING LAMPS. I FEEL THIS IS A DEFECT IN THIS VEHICLE DESIGN THAT COULD NEEDLESSLY LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. *NLM