NHTSA Complaint #10993877 — 2003 LEXUS GX470

THE HEADLIGHT LENS COVERS SLOWLY BECAME FOGGED OVER TIME CAUSING GRADUALLY DECREASING LIGHT OUTPUT. THE MANUFACTURER WANTS TO CHARGE TO POLISH OUT THE FOGGED LENS BUT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF THE MANUFACTURER DID DUE DILIGENCE IN ENGINEERING AND DESIGN DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS SELECTION. THIS SAFETY FLAW SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SINCE THE MANUFACTURER IS PROVIDING MATERIALS INFERIOR TO PAST PROVEN STABLE MATERIALS (GLASS AND OTHER AVAILABLE PLASTICS THAT DON'T DEGRADE HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE FOR WELL OVER 70 YEARS). SERVICE CENTERS DO NOT OFFER INSPECTIONS TO MEASURE WHEN THE LIGHT OUTPUT DROPS BELOW FEDERAL SAFETY SPECIFICATIONS AND GLASS LENSES OF THE PAST NEVER SUFFERED THIS PROBLEM. MATERIALS THAT DON'T DEGRADE HAVE BEEN IN USE FOR MANY YEARS AND MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO ADOPT LOWER PERFORMING MATERIALS FOR SAFETY CRITICAL SYSTEM COMPONENTS. INCOMPETENT MATERIALS ENGINEERING SHOULD BE PUNISHED BY REQUIRING THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THESE LENSES AT NO CHARGE REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. IT IS NOT CLEAR WHEN THE LIGHT OUTPUT WAS OR WILL BE BELOW THE FEDERAL STANDARDS FOR VEHICLE SAFETY WHICH IS PART OF THE PROBLEM ! THIS IS WHY THE DATE OF OCCURRENCE IS UNCERTAIN AND TODAYS DATE IS USED.