NHTSA Complaint #10505067 — 2013 TOYOTA AVALON

IN THE 2013 TOYOTA AVALON, DRIVER VISIBILITY IS DANGEROUSLY DISTORTED WHEN LOOKING THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AT APPROACHING CARS (ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT), DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE NEW 2013 ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THE REAR GLASS MATERIAL, REAR GLASS CONTOUR AND ANGLE, TINTING, AND DEFROST STRIPS. ALL LIGHTS (ESPECIALLY VEHICLE HEADLIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, ETC.) OBSERVED THROUGH THE REAR GLASS HAVE LONG, BRIGHT, VERTICAL LINES RADIATING AT THE TOP AND BOTTOM FROM THE MAIN LIGHT SOURCE VIEWED THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. THESE VERTICAL LINES SHINING FROM ALL OF THE NUMEROUS LIGHT SOURCES OBSCURE THE REAR VIEW VISION, CAUSING CONFUSION FOR THE DRIVER IN MANY WAYS: 1) NOT BEING ABLE TO CORRECTLY JUDGE REAR CAR DISTANCE, 2) NOT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TYPES OF VEHICLES IN THE REAR, 3) NOT BEING ABLE TO CHANGE LANES SAFELY BECAUSE OF DISTORTIONS THROUGH THE REAR GLASS PANEL, 4) NOT BEING ABLE TO JUDGE HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE APPROACHING AND/OR PASSING, AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, 5) CAUSING THE DRIVER TO STARE LONGER THROUGH THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISCERN WHAT IS TAKING PLACE BEHIND WHICH TAKES THE DRIVER'S EYE OFF OF THE FRONT VISION FOR TOO LONG. ALTHOUGH THE BRIGHT VERTICAL LINES CAN BE SEEN MORE DISTINCTLY AT DUSK AND NIGHT, THEY ARE ALSO OBSERVABLE DURING THE DAYTIME IF THE VEHICLES COMING FROM BEHIND HAVE FRONT LIGHTS ON, AND/OR THE SUN SHINES ON THE CHROME. THESE RADIATING VERTICAL LINES TAKE ON THE COLOR OF THE MAIN LIGHT SOURCE SEEN FROM BEHIND SO THE DRIVER MAY OBSERVE WHITE, YELLOW, RED, GREEN, ETC. COLORS. THIS CAUSES CONFUSION WHEN TRYING TO JUDGE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH APPROACHING VEHICLES FROM BEHIND. ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT, THESE MANY-COLORED VERTICAL LINES RADIATING UP AND DOWN FROM THE VARIOUS TYPES OF HEADLIGHTS, STREET LIGHTS, ETC. CAUSE A CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THE DRIVER.