NHTSA Complaint #10651894 — 2008 TOYOTA AVALON

I WAS DRIVING ON A VERY DARK TWO-LANE STATE HIGHWAY USING MY HIGH BEAMS WHILE CAUTIOUSLY WATCHING FOR DEER. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY HIGH BEAMS WENT TO LOW BEAMS. THE SWITCH WORKED AND THE DASH BOARD LIGHT SHOWED THAT THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ON BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY WERE NOT ON. WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK THE LIGHTS IN A WELL LIGHT AREA I COULD SEE THAT BOTH BULBS SHATTERED IN THE HOUSING ASSEMBLY. THERE ARE SMALL FRAGMENTS OF GLASS SPEWED EVERYWHERE INSIDE THE CASING. EARLIER THIS YEAR TOYOTA SENT A LETTER STATING A WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE ENHANCEMENT APPLIES FOR 72,000 MILES OR 5 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF FIRST USE, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. MY CAR IS NOW 6 YEARS SO THE WARRANTY WILL NOT APPLY. I SELDOM DRIVE IN THE LATE EVENING AND I SELDOM USE MY HIGH BEAMS. I BELIEVE THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD IF I WOULD HAVE USED THE HIGH BEAMS MORE FREQUENTLY. THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY COSTLY OUT-OF-POCKET REPAIR THAT OBVIOUSLY IS A SAFETY FEATURE THAT TOYOTA SHOULD PAY FOR GIVEN THE FACT THAT THEY ARE AWARE THE HIGH BEAM/DRL BULBS CAN BECOME INOPERATIVE. *TR