NHTSA Complaint #11383939 — 2021 BMW X3

BRIGHTNESS ADJUSTMENT FOR CONTROL DISPLAY SCREEN (BACKUP CAMERA, NAVIGATION,MESSAGES ETC) HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM MENU. DRIVER HAS NO WAY TO ADJUST DAYTIME BRIGHTNESS ANYMORE. BMW REPLACED IT WITH A INTERIOR BRIGHTNESS SENSOR IN THE UPPER LEFT CORNER OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ABOVE THE GAS GAUGE. THE DANGER INCURS BECAUSE THE SCREEN KEEPS CHANGING BRIGHTNESS IN THE DAYTIME BASED UPON LIGHT ENTERING THE AUTO AND HITTING THE LIGHT SENSOR. THIS HAPPENS COMING OUT OF A GARAGE, TREE LINED STREET, CLOUDY DAY ETC. THE DANGER IS THAT YOU CANNOT OBSERVE THINGS CLEARLY USING THE BACK-UP CAMERA, AND USING NAVIGATION DURING THE DAYTIME YOU CANNOT MAKE OUT DIRECTIONS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS ETC BECAUSE THE SCREEN TURNS A DULL WHITE OR ALMOST GRAY AT TIMES. THIS FORCES YOU TO STAR AT THE SCREEN OR GET CLOSER OR ASK YOUR PASSENGER TO READ THE SCREEN. THE BRIGHT WHITE LETTERS AND NUMBERS GOES DULL AND UNREADABLE. DEALERS AND SERVICE MANAGERS HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE BUT NO SOLUTION. FORUMS IN EUROPE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM THAT BMW IS AWARE OF WITH NO INTENT ON CORRECTING. IT WAS ALSO A PROBLEM ON MY 2019 BMW 530 BUT I HAD THE CAR CODED TO PUT THE DAYTIME ADJUSTMENT BACK ON THE MENU FOR DRIVER ADJUSTMENT. COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET ALSO FOR 2020 BMW X5 AND NO ONE HAS A RESOLUTION. I GLUED A SMALL LED TO MY DASH THAT WILL FOOL THE SENSOR AND BRIGHTEN MY SCREEN BUT IT IS NOT PRACTICAL TO LEAVE THIS LIGHT ON AT ALL TIMES. BMW NORTH AMERICA ACKNOWLEDGES MY ISSUE ALSO WITH NO SOLUTION. DEALERS HAVE VERIFIED THIS WITH OTHER NEW CARS ON THEIR LOTS BUT ALSO WITH NO SOLUTION. SOMETIMES THEY BLAME TINT TO APPEASE YOU BUT NONE OF MY CARS OR OWNER COMPLAINTS HAD ANY TINT ON THEIR WINDOWS OR POLARIZED GLASSES.