NHTSA Complaint #11390053 — 2021 TOYOTA 4RUNNER

WHILE DRIVING IN A SNOWSTORM ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT ON 1/25/2021, TWO IMPORTANT SAFETY SYSTEMS FAILED DUE TO ICE AND SNOW BUILDUP ON THE VEHICLE. FAILURE 1: THE PRE COLLISION SYSTEM (PCS) WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING TEMPORARY FAILURE OF THE PCS SYSTEM (SEE PHOTO 1). THIS WAS DUE TO ICE AND SNOW BUILDUP ON THE FORWARD SENSOR, LOCATED ON THE FRONT GRILLE (SEE PHOTO 2). PROBLEM COULD ONLY BE RECTIFIED BY STOPPING AND PHYSICALLY REMOVING THE ICE BUILDUP, AS REFERENCED IN THE TOYOTA OWNER'S MANUAL, PAGE 252. I RECOMMEND THE SENSOR BE RELOCATED IN FRONT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR HIGH ON THE WINDSHIELD, WHERE WINDSHIELD DEFROST AND THE ANGLE OF THE GLASS WILL REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE BUILDUP. IN THE SHORT TERM, PERHAPS A PLASTIC AIR DEFLECTOR OR SHIELD CAN BE FABRICATED WHICH WILL KEEP ICE FROM INTERFERING WITH THE SENSOR. FAILURE 2: HEADLIGHT HIGH BEAM FAILURE. THE DESIGN OF THE HEADLIGHT COVER FACILITATES ICE BUILDUP OVER THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE (SEE PHOTO 3). SINCE THE HIGH BEAM BULB IS INBOARD AND AFT OF THE LOW BEAM BULB, IT CANNOT PENETRATE THE ICE BUILDUP AT ALL, AND MAKES THE HIGH BEAMS COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE. WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE: OUTSIDE AIR TEMP: 30 TO 32 DEGREES; NIGHT; HEAVY SNOW; ALTITUDE: 3,000 TO 6,563 FEET.