NHTSA Complaint #10259802 — 2007 HONDA ODYSSEY

MY COMPLAINT REGARDING MY HONDA ODYSSEY MAY BE MORE OF A MANUFACTURER OVERSIGHT THAT MAY NOT POSE AN IMMEDIATE HARM TO ITS OCCUPANTS/OTHER DRIVERS, BUT RATHER POTENTIAL HARM TO ITS OCCUPANTS OTHER DRIVERS. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE LIGHTS. THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS ARE ON CONTINUOUSLY, BUT THE HEADLIGHTS ONLY GO ON MANUALLY. WHILE THIS IS FINE DURING THE DAY, IT POSES THE POTENTIAL HARM AT NIGHT WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS GO ON AND THEY HEADLIGHTS DO NOT. I LIVE IN A CITY AND A FEW TIMES AT NIGHT WHILE LEAVING A VERY LIT AREA, I HAVE FAILED TO TURN ON MY HEADLIGHTS BECAUSE WITH THE DASHLIGHTS ON I HAVE FORGOTTEN. WHILE THESE OCCURRENCES WERE MY ERROR, I FEEL THAT WITH CAR LIGHTING IT NEEDS TO BE ALL OR NOTHING. WHILE THE MANUFACTURERS MAY SEE THIS FEATURE AS A CONVENIENCE I SEE IT AS A HAZARD. IF THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON ALL OF THE TIME, THEN THE HEADLIGHTS SHOULD BE ON. DRIVING WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS ON AT NIGHT IS HAZARDOUS TO ALL AROUND AND AS I SAID, I LIVE IN A CITY WHERE IT IS BRIGHTLY LIT AND MANY TIMES THE STREETS ARE SO BRIGHT MY HEADLIGHTS DO NOT MAKE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE FOR MY LIGHTING BUT RATHER JUST MAKE ME NOTICEABLE TO OTHERS. I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND RECTIFIED. I KNOW THAT OTHER CARS HAVE AN AUTO FUNCTION, WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS CAN BE LEFT ON ALL OF THE TIME TO GO ON WHEN IT GETS DARK AND THIS WOULD BE A SAFER FEATURE THAN HAVING THEM MANUALLY OPERATED WHEN THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ON ALL OF THE TIME. OR THEY CAN MAKE IT SO THAT THE DASH LIGHTS GO ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED ON. LIKE I SAID, WITH LIGHTS IS NEEDS TO BE ALL OR NOTHING (ALL MANUAL OR ALL AUTOMATIC, NOT HALF AND HALF). IT IS JUST TOO CONFUSING AND IN MY CASE, LIKELY TO BE FORGOTTEN. WHILE THIS ISSUE MAY NOT HAVE CAUSED HARM YET, I DO BELIEVE THAT IT HAS SUFFICIENT POTENTIAL TO CAUSE HARM AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. THIS IS A FAILURE ON THE MANUFACTURERS PART TO SAVE MONEY, BUT IT HAS MADE A MINI VAN (WHICH IS KNOWN FOR SAFETY) TO FEEL UNSAFE. ESTIMATED DATE. *TR