NHTSA Complaint #10870084 — 2015 BUICK REGAL

BACK-UP LIGHTS - VISIBILITY LIGHTED BY BACK-UP LIGHTS IS TERRIBLE. THE BACK-UP LIGHTS ARE VERY DIM AND DIRECTED UPWARDS INSTEAD OF BACK ONTO THE PAVEMENT AS THEY SHOULD BE. THE STOP LIGHTS ACTUALLY GIVE MORE LIGHT THAN THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. THE FIRST MONTH I HAD THE VEHICLE I HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE THE VEHICLES IN BACK OF ME. I CAN ACTUALLY SEE BETTER SHINING A FLASHLIGHT BEHIND ME THAN I CAN TO SEE WITH THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP REQUESTING BRIGHTER BULBS TO BE INSTALLED INSSTEAD OF THE ONES THAT ARE IN THERE, AND THE DEALER SHOP MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT DO IT BECAUSE THE SPACE INSIDE THE BACK-UP LIGHTS WOULD NOT ALLOW ENOUGH VENTILATION. AFTER INSPECTION, SHE AGREED THAT THEY WERE DIM BUT THAT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS A "DESIGN FLAW". THE HOLE IN THE BODY MADE FOR THE BACK-UP LIGHTS IS TOO SMALL. GENERAL MOTORS NEED TO CORRECT THIS BEFORE SOMEBODY EITHER GETS RUN OVER OR RAN INTO AND SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED. IF THEY CANNOT CORRECT THE DEFECT THEN THEY NEED TO BE FORCED TO INSTALL SENSORS TO DETECT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE BEHIND YOU. I COMPLAINED TO GENERAL MOTORS CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY THEY SAID THAT THEY SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN DECATUR, IL WHERE I TOOK IT, AND THAT THEY SAID THE LIGHTS WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED. REALLY? THEY WERE DESIGNED TO BE TOO DIM? THEY REFUSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO SAID IF I ADDED AN ADDITIONAL BACK-UP LIGHT THAT IT WOULD VOID THE WARRANTY. THIS IS A CATCH-22 SITUATION THAT IS DESTINED FOR A BAD COLLISION OR WORSE AND SOMEBODY IS INJURED OR KILLED. SEVERAL TIMES I ALMOST RAN INTO ANOTHER CAR BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH LIGHT TO SEE THEM. THE BRAKE LIGHTS ACTUALLY GAVE MORE LIGHT THEN THE BACK-UP LIGHTS. EACH SEVERAL TIMES I WAS BACKING UP IN A PARKING AREA AND THERE WAS A CAR RIGHT BEHIND ME. LUCKILY MY WIFE LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO HELP ME.