NHTSA Complaint #11413564 — 2020 NISSAN SENTRA

DURING THE DAY WHEN RAINING OR SNOWING & WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE USED, HEADLIGHTS ARE SUPPOSED TO COME ON AUTOMATICALLY AFTER SEVERAL WIPERS SWISHES. I'M HAVING TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON MANUALLY (STATE LAW LIGHTS MUST BE ON WHEN WIPERS ON). THERE'S NO CONSUMER NOTE THAT SAYS 2020 SENTRA IS EXEMPTED FROM THIS. I BELIEVE THEY PUT WRONG MODULE IN ALL NEW MODELS & IT DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY, SO INSTEAD OF A RECALL THEY JUST TELL EVERYONE THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT PARTICULAR FEATURE. MOST DRIVERS WON'T REALIZE THEY DON'T HAVE IT. IT WAS PERFECT STORM OF EVENTS FOR ME TO DISCOVER. IT HAS TO BE DAYLIGHT, RAINING OR SNOWING AND THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME ON THE HIGHWAY WAS MY SPOUSE, WHO NOTICED MY HEADLIGHTS WERE NOT ON. TOOK ME A WHILE TO FIGURE IT OUT. VERY DIFFICULT TO LOOK DOWN WHILE DRIVING IN STORM & MANUALLY TURN HEADLIGHTS TO APPROPRIATE HEADLIGHT MODE, NOT A SIMPLE SWITCH. THERE'S 3-4 MODES (AUTO, HEADLIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS, OFF AND FOG LIGHTS). THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH 'INTELLIGENT AUTO HEADLIGHTS' (STATED IN CAR BROCHURE, ALSO ON NISSAN WEBSITE). ACCORDING TO NISSAN WEBSITE, WITH 'AUTO INTELLIGENT HEADLIGHTS' HEADLIGHTS ARE SUPPOSED TO TURN ON AUTOMATICALLY WHEN FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS USED DUE TO RAIN. I ALSO RECEIVED CONFIRMATION OF THIS VIA TWITTER FROM NISSAN. THE FACTORY REP, LOOKED AT IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND CONCLUDED IT DOESN'T HAVE IT, AND HE THINKS IT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY, EVEN WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THE WEBSITE AND BROCHURE SAY OTHERWISE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AS THIS CAR NORMALLY RUNS IN AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHT MODE. WHEN DRIVING IN A RAIN OR SNOW STORM DURING THE DAY, THE DRIVER HAS TO REMEMBER THE LIGHTS WILL NOT COME ON AUTOMATICALLY AND THEY WILL NEED TO BE TURNED ON MANUALLY WHILE DRIVING IN A STORM. DRIVER ALSO HAS TO REMEMBER TO SHUT THEM OFF, AND THERE IS NO WARNING SYSTEM THAT LETS YOU KNOW LIGHTS ARE STILL ON AND IN MANUAL MODE.