NHTSA Complaint #10176542 — 2006 TOYOTA RAV4

MY 2006 RAV4 HAS DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS (DRL) ALONG WITH THE OPTITRON DASH (LCD DASH THAT IS LIT WHENEVER THE CAR IS RUNNING - AS OPPOSED TO THE DASHBOARD BEING LIT ONLY WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON). ON THE RAV4 TOYOTA ONLY PROVIDES A SMALL ICON TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. WITH THE OPTITRON DASH AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS I AM ABLE TO GET INTO MY CAR AT NIGHT, SEE THE LIGHTED DASH AND LIGHT COMING FROM THE HEADLIGHTS AND ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVE THAT MY FULL NIGHTTIME HEADLIGHTS ARE ON (INSTEAD OF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS). THE PROBLEM WITH THIS SETUP IS MY TAIL LIGHTS ARE NOT ON. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS RUNNING W/O TAIL LIGHTS AT NIGHT COULD CAUSE REAR-END COLLISIONS. RATHER THAN PROVIDE RAV4 OWNERS WITH A SMALL DASHBOARD INDICATOR SHOWING WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE LIT, TOYOTA SHOULD INCLUDE; EITHER AN INDICATOR THAT SHOWS WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT ON, OR INCLUDE AUTO-ON HEADLIGHTS FOR VEHICLES WITH DRL AND OPTITRON DASHBOARDS. *NM