NHTSA Complaint #10374191 — 2008 HONDA CIVIC

I DO NOT OFTEN DRIVE A NIGHT BUT IN RECENT MONTHS, WHEN I DID DRIVE AT NIGHT, I HAD SIGNIFICANT DIFFICULTY SEEING THE HIGHWAY. I THOUGHT "WELL, IT MUST BE MY AGE" SO I DECIDED TO BUY GE NIGHTHAWK BULBS TO REPLACE THE OEM (SYLVANIA DOT G0708 USA)BULBS. I BOUGHT THE NIGHTHAWK BULBS BECAUSE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE 30% GREATER LIGHT. TODAY (12/29/2010) I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE OEM BULBS AND INSTALL THE GE NIGHTHAWK BULBS. WHEN I REMOVED THE OEM LOW BEAM BULBS I NOTICED THERE WAS A TAN COATING INSIDE THE BULB THAT EXTENDED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BULB TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE THE TIP OF THE BULB BEYOND MIDWAY AS THEY BULB IS INSTALLED. THERE WAS ALSO SOME OF THE TAN SUBSTANCE AT THE BASE OF THE BULB. FROM THE AMOUNT OF COATING INSIDE THE BULB I AM GUESSING LIGHT VOLUME WOULD HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY 40% OR MORE. WHEN I REMOVED THE HIGH BEAM BULBS THEY WERE PERFECTLY CLEAR; AS THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN. THERE IS NO WAY THE LOW BEAM BULBS SHOULD HAVE BEEN THAT CLOUDED GIVEN THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR AND THE LITTLE DRIVING I DO AT NIGHT. I HAVE SAVED THE BULBS AND I WILL SEND THEM TO YOU SHOULD YOU WANT TO TEST THEIR LIGHT OUTPUT. I CAN ALSO SEND A SCANNED IMAGE IF A BULB WHICH APPROXIMATES THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM. HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AT NIGHT IN HONDA CIVIC CARS, AT RISK, BECAUSE OF POOR LIGHT OUTPUT FROM THE LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS? IF IT WERE ONLY ONE IT IS ONE TOO MANY.