NHTSA Complaint #10214897 — 2005 BUICK LACROSSE

AFTER OWNING THE CAR FOR EST 2 YRS, I NOTICED THE INFO CNTR BEGAN TO NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE ILLUMINATION IN THE INFO CNTR & RADIO AREA WILL INTERMITTENTLY NOT LIGHT UP. THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHERE THIS W/B LIT & THEN GO OUT AS I DRIVE, OR VICE VERSA. W/ THE CAR BEING UNDER WARRANTY, I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP LAST SUMMER, THEY WERE UNABLE TO RECREATE THE PROB. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM (CASE #71-567506079) ON 10/23/07. THEY INDICATED THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY POTENTIAL PROBS WITH THE INFO CNTR. 7/07, I BEGAN KEEPING TRACK WHEN THE PROB OCCURRED. W/ MY WARRANTY ABT TO EXPIRE, I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 1/4/08, ALONG WITH DOCUMENTATION OF WHEN THE PROB OCCURRED. AGAIN, THEY COULD NOT RECREATE PROB & GAVE ME A STATEMENT FROM GM THAT PROVIDED A POSSIBLE DIAGNOSIS. "CONDITION" CUSTOMER COMMENT OF I/P DIFFICULT TO SEE AT DUSK OR DAWN. RECOMMENDATION: CAUSE: "THE AMBIENT LIGHT SENSOR MAY SENSE THAT IT IS SUFFICIENTLY DARK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS THAT THE BCM WILL ACTIVATE THE AUTOMATIC HEADLAMPS. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, NORMAL I/P DIMMING OCCURS, CAUSING THE CUSTOMER CONCERN." CORRECTION: "THIS IS NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE AND THERE IS NO CORRECTION FOR THIS CONCERN. ENGINEERING IS EVALUATING THIS FEATURE BUT IT IS UNCLEAR AT THIS TIME IF ANY CHANGE WILL BE POSSIBLE." TO THIS I ASK: 1) WHY DID THIS "CONCERN" ONLY RECENTLY DEVELOP? I DID NOT HAVE THIS "CONCERN" IN THE 1ST YR I OWNED THE CAR. 2) PER MY DOC THE "CONCERN" (22 INSTANCES FROM 7/27/07 TO 12/24/07) OCCURRED UNDER THESE CONDITIONS: 41% CLOUDY/OVERCAST, 14% DUSK/DAWN AND 45% SUNNY, THEREBY REPUTING THE "NORMAL OPERATION AT DUSK/DAWN". 3) WHY IS IT THE ILLUMINATION MAY NOT BE ON WHEN I START THE CAR, BUT 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT COMES ON, OR VICE VERSA? 4) HOW IS IT WHEN I SPOKE TO THE REP BACK IN OCT THEY WERE UNAWARE OF ANY "CONCERNS", YET, IN DEC THEIR "ENGINEERS ARE EVALUATING THE FEATURE"? TO THIS DATE, THE "CONCERN" HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED AND 3 MORE OCCURRENCES HAVE COME ABOUT. *TR