NHTSA Complaint #10263236 — 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

ON MARCH 19, 2008 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 5AM AND TURNING ON MY HIGHBEAMS. A CAR WAS COMING OVER THE HILL SO I TURNED OFF MY HIGHBEAMS AND MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. IN A PANIC I HIT THE BRAKES AND ENDED UP PUTTING MY CAR IN THE DITCH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DITCH BUT I WAS PRETTY SHOOK UP. AFTER JIGGLING MY DIMMER SWITCH I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HEADLIGHTS AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT NEEDED REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST $450. I FOUND AN AFTER MARKET ONE ONLINE AND PUT IT IN MYSELF FOR $350. I NOTICED MY LIGHTS FLICKERING BEFORE THIS EVENT BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. USUALLY IT WAS 1 OR 2 TIMES A WEEK FOR TWO WEEKS WHEN THE SWITCH FINALLY WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL DIMMER SWITCHES DUE TO THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON A VEHICLE WHEN TRAVELING IN THE DARK. IN MY CASE I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING BAD ROAD CONDITIONS. *TR