NHTSA Complaint #10443927 — 2011 TOYOTA PRIUS

STARTING ON/ABOUT 12 OCTOBER 2011, ANY POINT SOURCE OF LIGHT (I.E., TRAFFIC SIGNAL, HEADLIGHT, TAILLIGHT) VIEWED THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD CREATES AN OPTICAL EFFECT OF MULTIPLE IMAGES, SOMEWHAT LIKE VIEWING THE LIGHT THROUGH A PRISM. THE EFFECT TYPICALLY MANIFESTS AS A QUINTUPLE IMAGE WHEN THE LIGHT IS VIEWED FROM A DISTANCE -- TWO FALSE IMAGES EACH ABOVE AND BELOW THE ACTUAL LIGHT. AS THE LIGHT SOURCE IS APPROACHED, THE IMAGES CONVERGE ON THE CENTER (ACTUAL) LIGHT SOURCE, GOING FROM FIVE TO THREE (ONE FALSE ABOVE AND BELOW) TO EVENTUALLY NEARLY ONE IMAGE WHEN AT A STOP LINE. THIS EFFECT HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY OCCURRING SINCE OCTOBER 2011, AND IT OCCURS WITH ALL SOURCES OF LIGHT. RED AND YELLOW COLORS ARE THE MOST VISIBLE/PRONOUNCED, BUT IT IS ALSO SEEN WITH GREEN OR OTHER COLORS OF LIGHT. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS DRIVABLE, THE PRISMATIC EFFECT IS VERY DISTRACTING, ESPECIALLY IN AN URBAN/SUBURBAN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE ARE MANY TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND OTHER VEHICLES IN THE AREA. *TR