NHTSA Complaint #10561946 — 2009 JEEP COMMANDER

I WAS DRIVING OUR 2009 JEEP COMMANDER ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT. THE LIGHTS WERE ON DIM, AND THEY ADJUSTED DOWN WHICH GAVE ONLY ABOUT 20 FEET OF VISIBILITY TO THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO CAR APPROACHING, AND THE AUTO ADJUSTING FEATURE WAS NOT EVEN TURNED ON. I WAS DRIVING 55 MILES AN HOUR WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I FOUND OUT THAT THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A SELF ADJUSTING LIGHT SYSTEM WHEN USING THE BRIGHTS. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT USING THE BRIGHTS, BUT HAD ON THE DIM LIGHTS. THE LIGHTS ADJUSTED TO THE POINT THAT I COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD. IF I HAD NOT KNOWN THE TERRAIN OF THE ROAD, I COULD HAVE EASILY DRIVEN OFF THE ROAD. THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO MY WIFE A COUPLE OF TIMES. SINCE WE WERE THE SECOND OWNER OF THE VEHICLE, THE WARRANTY ON THIS FEATURE WAS ONLY 90 DAYS. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED JUST AFTER THE WARRANTY RAN OUT, AND WHEN WE SPOKE TO THE LOCAL DEALER, THEY ACTED AS IF THEY HAD NOT DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE. TO REPAIR THE SENSOR THAT CONTROLS THE LIGHTS WILL COST SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE REMEDY PRESENTED BY THE DEALER WAS TO REMOVED THE BUMPER, AND UNPLUG THE SENSOR. THIS IS AN UNACCEPTABLE CURE AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHICH JEEP IS AWARE OF, AND APPARENTLY THEY WILL ONLY MAKE THE REPAIR IF THE VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY. THE CAR ONLY HAD 57,500 MILES ON IT WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. ACCORDING TO THE JEEPFORUM.COM, THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I FIND IT AN UNACCEPTABLE ANSWER TO HAVE LIGHTS THAT SUDDENLY ANGLE DOWN WHEN DRIVING, MAKING FOR A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND APPARENTLY HAS NOT CORRECTED THE LIGHTING PROBLEM. *TR