NHTSA Complaint #11498844 — 2010 SUBARU OUTBACK

This is not about my car, but instead many different cars. When a cars lights are set to it's parking lights or running lights position, often located on the turn signal stalk, at night it appears to the driver that their headlights are on, when in fact only the "parking lights are on in front. This is a problem, but not what I'm reporting. When in the parking light position (at night), it appears the headlights are on because there's some light out front AND the instrument cluster is lit up as well. Here's the defect in design, the brake lights are NOT on, completely dark at the rear of the vehicle, so drivers are driving on the highway thinking their headlights and brakes lights are on, when they're not. When the parking light position is active, it should include the brake lights. Can't imagine how many rear-enders are because of this design flaw. *The rotating light switch on turn signal stalks often get unknowingly rotated out of Auto or the headlight position when the turn signal is repeatedly used.