NHTSA Complaint #11140422 — 2018 TOYOTA TACOMA

TOYOTA HAS AN ISSUE WHERE THERE SERVICE TECHNITIANS, DEALERS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES CANNOT TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NHTSA MANDATED SEAT BELT INDICATORS AND OPTIONAL INDICATORS. I HAVE REPORTED AN ISSUE WHERE THE SEAT WILL NOT SLIDE CORRECTLY AND THAT THE SEAT BELT SENSOR AND OPTIONAL ALERT SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE MALFUNCTIONING. THE OPTIONAL SEAT BELT INDICATOR MALFUNCTIONS AND CAUSES A PROLONGED AUDIO DISTRACTION TO THE DRIVER THAT INTERFERES WITH THE ROLL THAT OTHER SAFETY FEATURES SUCH AS REVERSE SENSORS, ETC. CANNOT BE DISTINGUISHED. TOYOTA ALLOWS THE DEALER TO TURN OFF THE DISTRACTING OPTIONAL CHIMES, BUT THE DISCRETION IS LEFT TO THE DEALER AND NOT THE DRIVER WHICH POSES RISK TO PEDESTRIANS, DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS. THE MAJOR PROBLEM IS THAT THE FAILURE TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MANDATORY ALERT SYSTEM AND THE OPTIONAL ALERT SYSTEM MEANS THAT DEALERS ARE IGNORING CUSTOMER REQUESTS TO MUTE THE OPTIONAL ALARM INCREASING THE RISK OF DISTRACTION TO AN UNACCEPTABLE LEVEL.