NHTSA Complaint #10439668 — 2007 TOYOTA PRIUS

NO ONE INJURED. MINOR PROBLEM, BUT TOYOTA REFUSES SUGGESTIONS "FOR LEGAL REASONS", SO I HAVE TO REPORT IT TO YOU, AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL RELAY TO TOYOTA. GOOD CAR, GOOD DASH LIGHTING SYSTEM, NICE RHEOSTAT TO DIM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS AT NIGHT, TO ASSIST IN NIGHT ROAD VISIBILITY. THE PROBLEM IS THAT AS YOU DIM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS, THE LIGHTED SYMBOL FOR THE EMERGENCY FLASHER LIGHT SWITCH GOES COMPLETELY DARK BEFORE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DO. SO, ON A DARK NIGHT, YOU DIM THE LIGHTS TO MAKE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS JUST BRIGHT ENOUGH TO READ, WITHOUT EXCESS REFLECTION OR DISTRACTION, AND THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH BECOMES INVISIBLE BECAUSE ITS LIGHT WENT COMPLETELY OUT BEFORE THE OTHER INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS DID. THIS INCREASES DISTRACTION AND REDUCES REACTION TIME WHEN YOU NEED TO FIND AND TURN ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHER LIGHT SWITCH. I DOUBT THIS PROBLEM IS LIMITED TO JUST MY CAR. THE SIMPLE SOLUTION (EVERYTHING SEEMS SIMPLE TO THE GUY NOT DOING THE WORK) WOULD BE TO DESIGN AND WIRE THE DASH PANEL LIGHTS SO THAT THE EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH LIGHT STAYS A LITTLE BRIGHTER THAN ALL THE OTHER LIGHTS, AS THEY ALL DIM. THAT WAY, THE SWITCH YOU MIGHT MOST NEED IN A HURRY WILL BE VISIBLE, EVEN IF YOU HAVE DIMMED YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS. QUICKER TURN-ON OF THE EMERGENCY FLASHER ALERTS FOLLOWING DRIVERS SOONER, INCREASING THEIR SAFETY, AND MINE. THANKS FOR WORKING TO KEEP US ALL SAFER ON THE ROAD, AND TO IMPROVE THE VEHICLES WE DRIVE. *TR