NHTSA Complaint #10254635 — 2008 HONDA FIT

2008 HONDA FIT SPORT - DASH LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME, NOT JUST WHEN HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON AS IS TYPICAL OF EVERY OTHER CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. THIS DESIGN HAS CAUSED ME ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO DRIVE FOR MILES AT NIGHT THINKING THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WERE ON. TWICE NOW, A CAR HAS PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT SEE MY APPROACHING VEHICLE IN THE DARKNESS. HAD THERE BEEN AN ACCIDENT I WOULD HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE. IF THE DASH LIGHTS WERE LINKED TO THE HEADLIGHTS I WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE ALERTED THAT MY HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON AT NIGHT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT AND CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND REMEDIED BY HONDA MOTOR CO. I FURTHER BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL IN ORDER TO FIX THIS SAFETY RELATED ISSUE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOME UNFORTUNATE HONDA FIT DRIVER IS INVOLVED IN A VEHICULAR ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF WHAT I FEEL IS A SAFETY DESIGN FAULT. I HAVE NOT NOTIFIED HONDA MOTOR CO. OF THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IN PAST I HAVE MADE SUGGESTIONS OF IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE FIT AND HONDA REPLIED WITH A LETTER FROM THEIR LEGAL DEPARTMENT INFORMING ME THAT THEY DO NOT / WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY SUGGESTIONS FROM ANYONE WHO IS NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THEIR COMPANY. I INTEND TO INFORM CONSUMER REPORTS OF THIS ISSUE IN THE HOPE THAT THEY MAY COMMENT ABOUT IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR READERS, MANY OF WHOM MAY HAVE PURCHASED A HONDA FIT BASED ON CR'S VEHICLE REVIEWS / RECOMMENDATIONS. *TR