NHTSA Complaint #10397688 — 2011 TOYOTA SIENNA

FAILURE OF DRIVER'S CABIN LAMP OVERRIDE SWITCH TO EXTINGUISH CABIN READING LIGHTS OBSCURED DRIVER'S VISION AT NIGHT DURING HIGH-SPEED MERGE MANEUVER: I WAS ATTEMPTING A HIGH-SPEED HIGHWAY MERGE, AT NIGHT, ENTERING ROUTE 29 FROM THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHEN MY THREE-YEAR-OLD SON DISCOVERED THAT HE WAS NOW TALL ENOUGH TO OPERATE HIS OVERHEAD PERSONAL READING LIGHT. MY VISION OF MERGING TRAFFIC TO THE RIGHT WAS SUDDENLY OBSCURED BY THE UNEXPECTED OPERATION OF THE CABIN READING LAMP, AND THE SITUATION WAS COMPOUNDED BY MY INABILITY TO QUICKLY OVERRIDE THE LAMP FROM THE DRIVER'S POSITION, IN THE MANNER AS DIRECTED ON PAGE 526 OF THE OWNER'S MANUAL. THE READING LIGHT ABOVE MY SON'S HEAD STAYED ON. ACCORDING TO THE SIENNA 2011 OWNER'S MANUAL ON PAGE 526, THE DOOR LIGHT BUTTON, ABOVE THE DRIVER'S HEAD, ALSO SERVES AS AN OVERRIDE FOR ALL THE PERSONAL CABIN READING LIGHTS WHEN THE "DOOR" FUNCTION IS DISABLED: PAGE 526: "REAR ON/OFF: REAR PERSONAL/INTERIOR LIGHTS TURN ON [UPON ACTIVATION OF THE ILLUSTRATED INDIVIDUAL READING LAMP BUTTONS AT EACH SEATING POSITION] WHEN THE PERSONAL/INTERIOR MAIN SWITCH IS IN DOOR POSITION." THE DUAL FUNCTIONALITY OF THE DOOR LIGHT BUTTON IS CONFIRMED; ON PAGE 525 OF THE MANUAL, THE OTHER WELL-KNOWN PURPOSE OF THE DOOR BUTTON IS SEPARATELY AND INDEPENDENTLY DESCRIBED TO ACTIVATE AUTOMATIC CABIN ILLUMINATION WHEN ENTERING/EXITING THE VEHICLE: PAGE 525: "DOOR POSITION: THE PERSONAL/INTERIOR LIGHTS AND REAR INTERIOR LIGHT COME ON WHEN A DOOR IS OPENED. THEY TURN OFF WHEN THE DOORS ARE CLOSED." THEREFORE, THE REFERENCE TO THE DOOR BUTTON ON PAGE 526 IS FOR THE SEPARATE OVERRIDE FEATURE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I RECOMMEND TOYOTA RECALL THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, TO CORRECT THE FUNCTIONING OF THE CABIN LAMP OVERRIDE SWITCH AS THIS IS AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY FEATURE OF THE VEHICLE FOR NIGHTTIME DRIVING WITH PASSENGERS.