NHTSA Complaint #764754 — 2003 TOYOTA MATRIX

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS DESIGNED TO APPEAR "BLACKED OUT" WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT RUNNING. THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED TRHOUGH THE USE A DARK PLASTIC COVER. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STARTED THE INSTRUMENTS BECOME VISABLE VIA BACK LIGHTING. ON A SUNNY DAY THE LIGHTING IS JUST ADEQUATE TO READ THE INSTRUMENTS. A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE OCCURS WHEN THE LIGHT SENSOR (LOCATED NEXT TO THE A-PILLER ) TURNS THE LIGHTS ON IN SUNNY DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. I HAVE OBSERVED THIS UP TO THREE HOURS AFTER SUNRISE AND THREE HOURS BEFORE SUNSET WHEN THE SUN IS TO MY LEFT, LEFT REAR, LEFT FRONT, OR BACK. WHEN THIS UNDEFEATABLE AUTOMATED SYSTEM TURNS ON THE LIGHTS IT DIMS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING TO THE NIGHTTIME SETTING, RENDERING THE INSTRUMENTS ILLEGABLE. THIS CREATES A SITUATION WHICH DISTRACTS THE DRIVERS ATTENTION FOR AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF TIME, CREATING A POTENTIALLY LETHAL SITUATION SHOULD IT OCCUR UPON ENTERING A SCHOOL ZONE OR OTHER PEDESTRIAN AREA THAT DICTATES A REDUCTION IN SPEED.*AK