NHTSA Complaint #11185930 — 2018 TOYOTA RAV4

REPEATEDLY, WHILE IN MOTION, WITH THE HEADLIGHTS IN THE "AUTO" MODE, AND THE "AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM FEATURE ENABLED (WHICH SWITCHES THE HEADLIGHTS FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM AUTOMATICALLY BASED ON THE PRESENCE OF ONCOMING HEADLIGHTS/TAIL LIGHTS AHEAD/AMBIENT LIGHT LEVELS) THE AUTO HIGHBEAM FEATURE WILL DISABLE ITSELF, GENERALLY TIED TO THE PASSING OF A CAR WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS. WHEN THIS FEATURE DISABLES ITSELF IT PREVENTS ALL USE OF HIGHBEAMS. THE ONLY WAY TO GET HIGHBEAMS WHILE THE FEATURE IS "DISABLED" (EVEN IN COMPLETE DARKNESS) IS TO "ROTATE" THE STALK CONTROL AWAY FROM "AUTO HEADLIGHT" TO "MANUAL HEADLIGHT". THE FEATURE EVENTUALLY RE-ENABLES ITSELF, BUT USUALLY TAKES A NUMBER OF MINUTES, LEAVING ME WITHOUT THE SAFETY OF HIGHBEAMS FOR THAT PERIOD, UNLESS I GO THROUGH THE CUMBERSOME ACT OF TURNING HEADLAMPS TO "MANUAL". THIS IS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS DURING MY COMMUTE WHERE I DRIVE A NUMBER OF MILES ON UNLIT STATE ROADS. I RELY ON HIGHBEAMS TO ALERT ME TO THE PRESENCE OF DEER AND OTHER ANIMALS CROSSING THE ROAD WHICH OCCURS ROUTINELY. NOT HAVING HIGHBEAMS FOR A NUMBER OF MILES EXPOSES ME TO THE RISK OF NOT SEEING THESE HAZARDS IN TIME TO REACT PROPERLY. IN ADDITION, HAVING TO DIVERT MY ATTENTION TO WHETHER THIS FEATURE HAS DISABLED ITSELF AND TAKING MANUAL ACTION TO CIRCUMVENT THE ISSUE IS A DISTRACTION WHILE MY FOCUS SHOULD BE ON POSSIBLE HAZARDS. I HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO TOYOTA. CASE NUMBER [XXX] HAS BEEN ASSIGNED. A TOYOTA CASE MANAGER CONTACTED ME AND STATED THAT SHE EXPERIENCES THE VERY SAME ISSUE WITH HER 2018 RAV4 BUT THERE ARE NO FIXES IDENTIFIED BY TOYOTA FOR THE ISSUE, SO THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING SHE OR THE DEALER CAN DO. I STRONGLY FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT THERE IS A RISK THAT AN ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR, POSSIBLY THE STRIKING OF A PEDESTRIAN, DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY OR DISTRACTION TRYING TO OVERRIDE THE FEATURE WHILE DRIVING. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT