NHTSA Complaint #10158041 — 2007 CHEVROLET TAHOE

WHEN VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR LAMP CONTROL IS IN THE "AUTO" POSITION DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS, MOST OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES (SPEEDOMETER, RPM, GAS, BATTERY, TEMPERATURE, OIL) ARE NOT ILLUMINATED AND CANNOT BE READ WITHOUT TAKING ONE'S EYES OFF THE ROAD AND FOCUSING ON THE GAUGE IN QUESTION, CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. VARIOUS FEATURES OF THE VEHICLE ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED SO THAT ONE DOES NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE EYES FROM THE ROAD (E.G., RADIO CONTROLS ON STEERING WHEEL); THIS GOES COMPLETELY AGAINST THIS OBJECTIVE. ONE CAN BYPASS THIS PROBLEM BY SWITCHING THE EXTERIOR LAMP CONTROL FROM "AUTO" TO THE PARKING LAMP POSITION: THIS ILLUMINATES THE GAUGES BUT CUTS OUT THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS. AN IMPROPERLY DESIGNED LIGHT SENSOR SEEMS TO BE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. WHEN THIS PROBLEM WAS BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE DEALER, HIS SERVICE PEOPLE DETERMINED AFTER CHECKING THAT THIS WAS NORMAL OPERATION AND THERE WAS NO DEFECT. *NM