NHTSA Complaint #10863230 — 2008 DODGE CALIBER

MY 2008 DODGE CALIBER PASSENGER HEAD LIGHT ONLY WORKS ON "HIGH BEAM" WHILE BOTH STATIONARY AND IN MOTION. REPLACING THE BULB DOES NOT FIX THE ISSUE. IT IS DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE TIPM BOX. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND HAS RECEIVED RECOGNITION EVEN IN THE NEWS MORE THAN ONCE. (HTTP://WWW.ABC15.COM/NEWS/LET-JOE-KNOW/LET-JOE-KNOW-HOW-A-BURNED-OUT-HEADLIGHT-COULD-COST-900). THIS ISSUE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF A REAL AS IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AMONG SEVERAL DODGE CALIBERS ACROSS MULTIPLE YEARS. IT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS WIRING RELATED AND EFFECTS LIGHTING WHICH IS A KEY SAFETY CONCERN TO BOTH MYSELF AND OTHERS WHILE DRIVING ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE TIPM BOX IS NOT AN ITEM THAT SHOULD REQUIRE REPAIR UNDER ORDINARY WARE OF THE EQUIPMENT. OCCASIONALLY THE LIGHT MAY FLICKER BACK ON AND THEN OFF AGAIN MAKING THE SITUATION EVEN MORE UNPREDICTABLE AND DANGEROUS. THIS ISSUE IS ALSO NOT THAT DIFFERENT FROM RECALLS ALREADY ISSUED BY FORD FOR SIMILAR LIGHTING PROBLEMS WHERE THE LOSS OF HEADLIGHTS HAS RESULTED IN ACCIDENTS (HTTP://WWW.REUTERS.COM/ARTICLE/US-AUTOS-FORD-RECALL-IDUSKBN0U51TT20151222). I HAVE ASKED DODGE TO CORRECT THIS ISSUES BUT THEY HAVE REFUSED AS THEY CLAIM THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES THAT COVER THIS REPAIR ON MY VEHICLE AND THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL AS OF YET DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THE ESTIMATED REPAIR FOR A HEADLIGHT NOT WORKING WITH THIS PROBLEM AVERAGES BETWEEN $800 TO $1000 WHICH IS ALSO QUITE EXTREME AND AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THE GENERAL AMERICAN FOR WHAT SHOULD BE A SIMPLE HEADLIGHT PROBLEM. PLEASE TAKE THIS ISSUE WITH DODGE HEADLIGHTS NOT PROPERLY FUNCTIONING INTO CONSIDERATION FOR A REQUIRED RECALL TO HOLD DODGE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFETY CONCERN THAT IT POSES TO ALL WHO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AND DRIVE ON THE ROADS WHERE THIS VEHICLE IS PRESENT.