NHTSA Complaint #11269277 — 2018 TESLA MODEL 3

PROBLEM: REAR TAIL LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATED, EVEN THOUGH THE STANDARDIZED HEADLIGHT SYMBOL/INDICATOR WAS DEPICTED ON THE VEHICLE INSTRUMENT SCREEN. THIS SYMBOL IS UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD TO INDICATE BOTH HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS. INCIDENT: WHILE DRIVING ON A DARK AND UNLIT ROAD, I ENCOUNTERED DEBRIS BLOCKING THE ROAD. IN ORDER TO PASS THROUGH, I EXITED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT TURNING IT OFF AND LEFT THE DRIVER'S DOOR UNLATCHED TO ENSURE THE VEHICLE DID NOT INADVERTENTLY POWER DOWN. I EXPECTED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS AND TAIL LIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINTED TO, BOTH, LIGHT THE ROAD AHEAD AS WELL AS ILLUMINATE THE REAR FOR SAFETY AND VISIBILITY. AFTER MOVING THE DEBRIS FROM THE ROAD, I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DARK AND NOT VISIBLE FROM THE REAR. HOWEVER, THE INTERIOR INSTRUMENT PANEL SIMULTANEOUSLY DEPICTED THE STANDARDIZED HEADLIGHT SYMBOL, WITH NO WARNING THAT THE REAR LIGHTS WERE INDEPENDENTLY TURNED OFF. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD, AS THE DRIVER/OWNER HAS NO INDICATION THAT THE REAR TAIL LIGHTS TURN OFF. ASIDE FROM MANUALLY GOING INTO HEADLIGHT SETTINGS IN THE VEHICLE CONFIGURATION MENU, THERE IS NO EASILY ACCESSIBLE WAY TO KEEP ALL LIGHTING ACTIVE WHILE THE DRIVER IS NOT IN THE VEHICLE.