2007 ALFA GOLD — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

COMPLAINT ABOUT BLINDINGLY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS I AM A NIGHT TIME TRUCK DRIVER,STARTING AT 11 PM FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK. I HAVE OVER 20 YEARS SAFE DRIVING. I RUN A REGULAR ROUTE FROM LONG ISLAND NY TO CLEVAND OH 3 TIMES A WEEK PULLING DOUBLE TRAILERS ACROSS ROUTE 80 ALL OF IT AT NIGHT. MY BIGGEST SAFTY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE BRIGHTNESS OF HEAD LIGHTS OF ONCOMMING AND OVERTAKING CARS AND TRUCKS. ITS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFLY HANDLE A 80,000 LB VEHICLE WHILE BEING BLINDED BY STUNNINGLY BRIGHT LIGHTS AND THEIR EVIL TWIN,FOG LIGHTS. WHO DETERMINED THAT EVERY VEHICLE FROM THE SMALLEST HONDA TO THE LARGEST SEMI NEEDS ENOUGH CANDLEPOWER TO LOOK LIKE A747 COMING IN FOR A LANDING? I UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH LIGHTING WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL A ON A WINDING , DARK COUNTRY ROAD , BUT THEY HAVE NO PLACE ON A MODERN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHERE EVEN AT THE LONLEIST HOURS YOU ARE NEVER MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED YARDS FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE TO SAVE MY EYESIGHT FROM THE WELDING TORCH BRIGTNESS OF MOST CARS AND TRUCKS I AM FORSED TO POINT MY MIRRORS DOWN AND NOT KEEP THEM WHERE THEY BELONG. I ALSO KEEP MY 2 SUNVISORS (DRIVERS SIDE AND FRONT) DOWN ALL NIGHT THIS LIMITS MY ABILITY TO SAFLY SEE ALL AROUD ME AT ALL TIMES LIKE I DO DURING RARE DAYTIME DRIVING.I AM SURE I AM NOT ALONE AMONG TRUCK DRIVERS WHO ARE DRIVING HALF BLINDED BY UNNESSACERRY AND EXCESSIVE CANDLEPOWER. THIS COULD BE FIXED BY REGULATING THE MAXIMUM (AND RESONABLE) BRIGHTNESS NEEDED CARS AND TRUCK HEADLIGHTS AND FOGLIGHTS DIDNT USED TO BE SO STUNNINGLY BRIGHT, WHY THE SUDDEN NEED FOR SUCH BRIGHTNESS? JUST BECAUSE MANUFACTUERS CAN MAKE SUCH HEADLIGHTS (AND AT A BIG PROFIT I UNDERSTAND) IS NO RESON TO MAKE OUR HIGHWAYS MORE DEADLY EVERY NIGHT. HOPING TO GET SOME RELIEF FROM THIS SAFTY HAZARD, PAUL HOWE *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 ALFA GOLD (NA). WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REAR WINLAND TIRES, SIZE 235/85/R16 (NA) BLEW OUT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. HE CHANGED THE TIRES AND LATER NOTIFIED THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE AREA TO DEAL WITH THE FAILURE. THE PASSENGER SIDE WALL OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED AND THE DRIVER SIDE LOWER PANEL SKIRT WAS REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. NO OTHER VEHICLE INFORMATION WAS AVAILABLE.