NHTSA Complaint #10463976 — 2009 FORD FLEX

THIS FORD MODEL, AND A FEW OTHERS, INCLUDES A LAYER OF ACOUSTIC GLASS IN THE WINDSHIELD. THIS MATERIAL IS A SCREEN PATTERN DISPLAYING A DEFINITE BROWNISH COLOR CAST. A FAIR ESTIMATE IS A REDUCTION OF 15 PERCENT IN FORWARD OVERALL VISIBILITY. PLUS CHANGES IN COLOR DEFINITION AND CONTRAST, WHICH FROM AN EXTREME EXPERIENCE, CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A GRAY SKY, A GRAY TRUCK AND GRAY PAVEMENT MERGING IN MORNING DISTANCE TO BECOME A SERIOUS HAZARD AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS. IT BECOMES A SITUATION OF TOTAL POTENTIAL DISASTER IN A FOG OR SMOG SITUATION. ALL THE ABOVE COMMENTS ARE BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE AVAILABLE TO DEMONSTRATE COLOR SHIFT AND LOSS OF VISIBILITY. NEITHER FORD, NOR CARLITE (MAKER OF THE WINDSHIELD) OFFER A "NO ACOUSTIC" GLASS REPLACEMENT. LOCAL AUTOMOTIVE GLASS SERVICE REPORTS A "NO ACOUSTIC GLASS" REPLACEMENT IS IN THE PRE-PRODUCTION PHASE. LOCAL FORD DEALER REPORTS "NO RECALL" ON THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. FORD MOTOR COMPANY CLAIMS "NOT OUR PROBLEM....CONTACT WINDSHIELD MAKER (CARLITE)." YOUR GUIDANCE WILL BE APPRECIATED. *JS