NHTSA Complaint #10586073 — 2007 LEXUS IS 250

I WAS DRIVING SOUTH IN MY CAR DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, AND THE GLARE FROM MY DASHBOARD WAS SO BAD I WASN'T ABLE TO SEE A CAR APPX 30 FEET IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, BUT DUE TO LEXUS USING DEFECTIVE MATERIALS FOR THEIR DASHBOARD, IT HAS MELTED AND BECOME SHINY ENOUGH TO BE A REAL DANGER AS THE GLARE FULLY IMPEDES VIEW WHILE DRIVING IN SUNLIGHT. AS THE PASSENGER AIRBAG IS ALSO CONTAINED IN THE DASH, I HAVE HEARD OF A DANGER OF IT BEING TRIGGERED AS WELL DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I CONTACTED BOTH LEXUS CUSTOMER SUPPORT AS WELL AS MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALERSHIP. I FOUND ONLINE THAT THERE WAS PURPORTEDLY A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT WAS ISSUED TO BY LEXUS (I OBTAINED A COPY ONLINE) TO DEALERS IN 2011 INFORMING THEM OF THE MATERIAL PROBLEM AND AVAILABILITY OF REPLACEMENT PARTS (AFFECTED BOTH DASH AND DOOR PANELS), BUT BULLETIN THIS WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO OWNERS (I.E. NO RECALL), SO I WAS NEVER MADE AWARE AND WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AT THE TIME THE BULLETIN WAS ISSUED AS IT WAS ONLY EFFECTIVE 48 MONTHS FROM IN-SERVICE DATE EVEN THOUGH MY MODEL YEAR WAS INCLUDED IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE MOST THEY WERE WILLING TO COVER WAS 50% OF THE REPLACEMENT PART COST. MY RESPONSIBILITY WOULD HAVE BEEN $2800 TO FULLY RE-MEDIATE THE ISSUES (DASH AND DOORS), WHICH I DECLINED AS I FEEL LEXUS SHOULD BE FULLY ACCOUNTABLE AS THE PROBLEM IS ADMITTEDLY DUE TO FAULTY MATERIAL USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF CERTAIN YEARS/VINS OF THEIR VEHICLES. THIS ALSO IMPACTS MY RESALE VALUE EVEN THOUGH THAT ALONE IS NOT SAFETY-RELATED, IT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS WELL. I TOOK CELL PHONE VIDEO OF THE GLARE FROM MY DASH THAT IMPEDED VIEW AND HAVE THAT AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. *TR