NHTSA Complaint #10895528 — 2016 LEXUS RX350

2016 RX350 IS A NEW PLATFORM. THE PASSENGER SIDE CAR PASSING INDICATOR DOES NOT ALWAYS INDICATE A CAR IN THE "BLIND SPOT". AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR A FEW MONTHS, I NOTIFIED MY LOCAL LEXUS DEALER. MY SALESMAN AND I DROVE MY VEHICLE FOR A TEST RUN AND THE PROBLEM CONSISTENTLY AROSE. THE SALESMAN SAID THAT THIS WAS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR HIM IN A LEXUS VEHICLE WITH THIS FEATURE. LEXUS HAD A TEAM INSPECT THE VEHICLE. LEXUS SAID THAT THE LACK OF THE PASSING INDICATOR TO SEE ALL VEHICLES IN THE BLIND SPOT WAS NORMAL FOR THE 2016 LEXUS RX 350. I HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FOR 8 MONTHS. I FIRST NOTICED THE APPARENT MALFUNCTION DRIVING BACK TO PA FROM FL. I BELIEVE THAT THE CAR PASSING INDICATOR SYSTEM USES RELATIVE DIFFERENCES OF SPEED BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR BEING PASSED TO ACTIVATE THE FEATURE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE INDICATOR LIGHT WILL NOT GO ON WHILE I PASS A CAR A MUCH GREATER SPEED THAN THE CAR BEING PASSED. I WOULD GUESS THE DIFFERENCE MAY BE 20 MPH OR SO. HOWEVER, IF I PASS A CAR SLOWLY OR AT A LOW DIFFERENCE OF SPEED, THE CAR PASSING INDICATOR LIGHT FUNCTIONS AS ONE WOULD EXPECT. OF INTEREST IS THAT MY WIFE HAS A 2013 LEXUS RS350 WITH A CAR PASSING INDICATOR SYSTEM AND HER CAR WILL ALWAYS INDICATE A CAR IN THE BLIND SPOT REGARDLESS OF HOW FAST THE RS350 PASSES ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE LACK OF INDICATING A VEHICLE IN THE RIGHT BLIND SPOT AT ALL TIMES IN MY VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS. THIS SAFETY FEATURE HAS POOR DESIGN. THE 2016 WAS JUST INTRODUCED IN LATE 2015. LEXUS KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND CALLS IT A NORMAL FUNCTION. I HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED AN ADEQUATE EXPLANATION FROM LEXUS WHY THE CAR PASSING INDICATOR SYSTEM IN THE 2016 RX350 WAS DESIGNED THIS WAY PURPOSELY. I BELIEVE THAT THIS ISSUE IS A SERIOUS FLAW. I HAVE ENCLOSED TWO DOCUMENTS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM LEXUS. I DID NOT ASK FOR PROTECTION UNDER THE LEMON LAW.