NHTSA Complaint #10522926 — 2009 TOYOTA TACOMA

THE PLASTIC HOUSING/PLASTIC LENS COVERING THE AMBER DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND THE CLEAR FOG LIGHTS ARE BURNED, MELTED, CRACKED AND BROKEN. THIS IS NOT DUE TO ANY FRONT END COLLISION BUT DUE TO THE EXTREME HEAT GENERATED BY THE ORIGINAL FACTORY-INSTALLED LIGHT BULBS. THE LIGHTS ARE GENERATING SO MUCH HEAT THAT THEY ARE MELTING, BURNING AND CRACKING THE PLASTIC HOUSING WHICH THEN BREAKS UNDER DRIVING STRESS. COMPOUNDING THE PROBLEM IS THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO TURN OFF THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. EITHER THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS MUST BE ON OR THE HEADLIGHTS MUST BE ON. THEREFORE, THE LIGHTS CONTINUE TO BURN THE PLASTIC HOUSING. TOYOTA WILL NOT COMPLETELY COVER THE COST TO REPAIR AND REPLACE THESE DEFECTIVE LIGHT SYSTEMS STATING THAT THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE IS ONE YEAR OUT OF THE 3 YEARS MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY THIS PROBLEM DID NOT OCCUR OVERNIGHT BUT IS THE RESULT OF 4 YEARS OF USE. THE LENS HAVE BEEN PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE OVER TIME. BECAUSE THE LENS ARE BURNED, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT A FIRE COULD OCCUR. *TR