NHTSA Complaint #10399879 — 2010 FORD F-150

I PURCHASED A 2010 FORD F-150 IN AUGUST 2010. I RECENTLY BECAME AWARE OF A LIGHTING ISSUE ON THE DASHBOARD CONTROL PANEL CLUSTER. WHILE DRIVING INTO WORK ONE MORNING AT APPROXIMATELY 6:30AM, I NOTICED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING HAD GONE OFF . IT WAS JUST SLIGHTLY AFTER SUNRISE AND WAS STILL QUITE DARK OUTSIDE. AFTER THE PROBLEM RECURRING SEVERAL MORE TIMES, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND AFTER A BRIEF 20 MINUTES OR SO WAS TOLD THE CLUSTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET IF ANY OTHER CONSUMERS OF THIS MODEL TRUCK WERE HAVING SIMILAR PROBLEMS, THAT I HAD AN EXPLANATION FOR THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY FORD ENGINEERED A LIGHT SENSOR THAT SITS ON THE DASHBOARD AND TURNS OFF THE DASHBOARD INSTRUMENT LIGHTING WHEN THE SENSOR DETECTS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF EXTERNAL LIGHT. THERE IS NO WAY TO PROPERLY OVERRIDE THE SENSOR TO MY KNOWLEDGE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT SOMETIMES WILL SHUT OFF LIGHTING WHEN THERE ARE STILL VERY LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS OUTSIDE. IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, I WAS DRIVING IN LOW LIGHT AND THE SENSOR HAD DEACTIVATED MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTING AND I COULDN'T READ MY INSTRUMENTS UNLESS I TOOK MY EYE OFF THE ROAD AND DUCKED MY HEAD DOWN ALMOST AGAINST THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. APPARENTLY, OTHER CONSUMERS ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM AND SOME HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY WERE TOLD BY FORD THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING AS DESIGNED AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO CHANGE IT. ONE CONSUMER WENT ON TO SAY THEY HAD FABRICATED A PIECE OF ELECTRICAL TAPE THAT, WHEN PLACED OVER THE SENSOR WOULD DEACTIVATE IT. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN. THE DRIVER SHOULD BE ABLE TO TURN ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS WHENEVER HE OR SHE FEELS THE NEED TO. DRIVING IN ALMOST NEAR DARKNESS WITHOUT THE ABILITY TO TURN ON THE LIGHTS IS RIDICULOUS. I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF THEIR LIGHT SENSOR VEHICLES RECALLED AND THE SENSORS REMOVED. *TR