NHTSA Complaint #11025444 — 2017 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

ISSUE ON ZERO INTENSITY OF THE INSTRUMENTS GAUGE ILLUMINATION DURING THE DAYTIME I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE DIMMED INSTRUMENT GAUGES ON MY 2017 JETTA AND CONFIRMED THIS IS DUE TO THE AUTOMATIC ILLUMINATION ADJUSTMENT FEATURE OF THE MODEL. THIS REPORT COVERS ONLY FOR THE SPECIFIC VIN, HOWEVER, THE ISSUE IS CAUSED BY THE DESIGN, ANY MODEL YEAR JETTA AND THE SAME DESIGN ARCHITECTURE MODELS FROM VW WILL HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ISSUE UNDER BRIGHT SUNLIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON THE REGULAR STREET, BUT A BIT OF SHADY AREA BY NEARBY TREE OR BUILDING. EVEN I'M USING THE SUNGLASSES DUE TO THE REFLECTION OF SUN LIGHT OR DIRECTION OF THE CAR FACING TO AT THAT TIME. MY 2017 JETTA HAS LIGHT SENSOR IN BETWEEN A BIT OFFSET POSITION OF TACHOMETER LETTER "7" AND "8", THAT IS ABOUT 1/4 INCH OR 5 MM DIAMETER IN SIZE, AND THIS SENSOR CONTROLS THE ILLUMINATION OF BOTH TACHOMETER AND SPEED GAUGE. (GRAPHIC LCD DISPLAY AND NEEDLES KEEPS THE FULL BRIGHTNESS.) IT WILL BE DARK IF SURROUNDING IS DARK AND BECOMES BRIGHT IF SURROUNDING IS BRIGHTER. THIS CONTROLS TOO MUCH AND BECOMES ZERO INTENSITY IS NOT ACCEPTABLE ACCORDING TO THE REGULATION "S5.3.2 BRIGHTNESS OF ILLUMINATION OF CONTROLS AND INDICATORS" UNDER "49 CFR 571.101 - STANDARD NO. 101; CONTROLS AND DISPLAYS." I DID CONTACT WITH VW OF AMERICA TO INFORM THIS ISSUE, BUT CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE CANNOT DO ANYTHING BEYOND DIAGNOSTIC RESULT AT DEALER THAT THEY ARE INSISTED THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS SPEC. IT IS VERY SIMPLE TO REPLICATE THE SAME ISSUE AT ANY LOCATION, WITHOUT DRIVING AND WITHOUT TURN ON THE ENGINE. IT JUST SIMPLY COVERING THE LIGHT SENSOR AREA BY THE PALM OR ANY CLOTH TO IMITATE THE DARKNESS WHILE IGNITION IS ON. IT IS EVEN DARKER THAN ILLUMINATION WHILE HEADLIGHT ON AT THAT TIME FOR EXPERIMENT. AGAIN, THIS IS UNDER THE DAYLIGHT.