NHTSA Complaint #10499536 — 2013 FORD EXPLORER

VEHICLE PURCHASED LATE NOVEMBER 2012,LATE DECEMBER 2012 AUTO HIGHBEAMS STARTED WORKING ERRATICALLY OR NOT AT ALL, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WHEN THIS ISSUE STARTED WAS ABOUT 50DEGREES, FORD CLAIMS THAT ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL DECREASE THIS OPERATION, SUCH AS FOG, DIRTY WINDSHIELD, SNOW OR OTHER OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAMERA THAT OPERATES THE SYSTEM. UNDERSTANDABLE, BUT WINDSHIELD CLEAR NO OBSTRUCTIONS, YOU CAN SEE ON COMING TRAFFIC 3/4 TO A MILE AWAY OR FURTHER, LITES FAIL TO DIM OR GO BACK TO HIGHBEAM MODE AUTOMATICALLY. FORD NOW CLAIMS AFTER INSTALLING A NEW CAMERA THAT THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMP IS TO COLD FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK, YET WHEN A FORD MECHANIC TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AT FORDS REQUEST HE FOUND THE SYSTEM, DIDN'T OPERATE, WOULD WORK FOR 2 OR 3 TIMES AS SUPPOSED TO, THAT THEN QUIT WORKING THIS WAS AT 20 DEGREE OUTSIDE TEMP. IN DRIVING THE CAR 20 TO 30 MILES THE SYSTEM WOULD OPERATE AND THE STOP WORKING AT WILL. FORD CANNOT FURNISH OR CLAIMS THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OPERATING TEMP RANGE OF THE SYSTEM IS. AT NO TIME DURING THESE FAILURES WAS THERE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS TO THE CAMERA, WEATHER WAS CLEAR AND VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP 3-4 TIMES AND STILL NOT FIXED, THE SUGGESTION FROM FORD IS THAT I WAIT FOR THE WEATHER TO WARM UP AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. NOTHING IN THE LITERATURE STATES ANYTHING ABOUT TEMPERATURE, ONLY ADVERSE CONDITIONS OR CAMERA OBSTRUCTION . I CAN NOT BELIEVE I AM THE ONLY PERSON IN NORTH AMERICA THAT HAS THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE OPTION, I HAVE SPOKEN TO OTHER OWNERS WITH VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THIS OPTION, AND THEY HAD NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS. TO THIS DATE I DO NOT BELIEVE TEMP IS THE PROBLEM AS IT HAS WORKED IN TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO AT WILL. ANY INFORMATION OR ASSISTANCE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. *TR