2006 Toyota Avalon

I AM USING THIS METHOD TO ALERT THE INDUSTRY TO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH ALL AUTOMOBILES WITH DRIVING LIGHTS. IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS- DUSK, FOG, RAIN, SNOW, ETC., THE DRIVING LIGHTS INCREASE THE VEHICLE'S VISIBILITY TO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, THE REAR LIGHTS DO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN ONLY THE DRIVING LIGHTS ARE TURNED. THIS LACK OF TAIL LIGHTS MAKES IT VERY DANGEROUS FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE FOLLOWING A VEHICLE WITH DRIVING LIGHTS ONLY ILLUMINATED. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH MANY DRIVERS WHO FEEL VERY SAFE IN LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TURNED ON THEIR DRIVING LIGHTS- UNAWARE THAT THEIR REAR LIGHTS ARE NOT ILLUMINATED, MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE THE AUTOMOBILE FROM THE REAR.. I FEEL THAT THE REAR LIGHTS SHOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE DRIVING LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON, INCREASING THE AUTOMOBILE'S VISIBILITY TO BOTH ONCOMING AND FOLLOWING TRAFFIC. *TR

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OF 2006 TOYOTA AVALON AND HEADLIGHT WENT OFF DURING THE EMERGENCY STOP (NOTE: THE TOYOTA AVALON HAS NOT GONE THROUGH THE RECALL REPAIR BUT RECALL REPAIR HAS BEEN SCHEDULED) I WAS DRIVING ON 101S NEAR MOUNTAIN VIEW DURING EVENING COMMUTE HOUR. I WAS TAPPING THE GAS PEDAL AS 101S WAS IN STOP-AND-GO TRAFFIC CONDITION. I FELT THE AVALON WENT FASTER THAN I WAS EXPECTING AND I DID NOT DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL MORE THAN LIGHT TAPPING. THE AVALON WAS AT 40MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN THE CAR IMMEDIATELY. I MANAGED TO STOP MY CAR IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH A FULLY STOPPED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I NOTICED MY AUTO HEADLIGHT WAS OFF WHEN I WAS IN COMPLETE STOP. I QUICKLY TURNED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH FROM AUTO POSITION TO ON AND THE HEADLIGHT DID NOT GO ON. I TURNED THE SWITCH TO OFF POSITION AND ON POSITION. THEN, THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. *TR

(1) TIME IS APPROXIMATELY 11:30 PM, JANUARY 16, 2007. I AM DRIVING SOUTHBOUND IN OUTSIDE LANE ON DIVIDED INTERSTATE HIGHWAY APPROXIMATELY 400' BEHIND VEHICLE AHEAD, HEADLIGHTS ON DIM. WEATHER IS CLEAR, ROADS ARE CLEAR, HOWEVER, AREA HAD RECENT ICE AND SLEET BUT MOST HAS BEEN SNOW PLOWED TO THE ROAD SHOULDERS. TRAFFIC IS LIGHT, WITH VEHICLES AHEAD AND TO THE REAR. SPEED IS APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND I AM WATCHING THE ROAD CLOSELY. PASSENGER IN VEHICLE IS WITNESS. (2) I AM IMMEDIATELY UPON A CHUNK OF ICE ABOUT THE SIZE OF A BASKETBALL THAT APPEARED TO HAVE FALLEN FROM THE VEHICLE AHEAD. THERE WAS NO SWERVE BY THE VEHICLE AHEAD TO INDICATE AN ATTEMPT TO DODGE AN OBJECT IN THE ROAD. THE ICE IS SLIDING ON THE ROAD MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE TRAFFIC. I HIT THE ICE WITH MY VEHICLE JUST UNDER THE BUMPER AND INSIDE THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL. THE OBJECT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED BY MY VEHICLES HEADLIGHTS IN TIME FOR ME TO BRAKE OR MANEUVER AROUND IT. THE IMPACT BROKE MY FRONT BUMPER COWLING, UNDER ENGINE SHIELD AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL MUD GUARD. (3) THE VEHICLE IS MOBILE AND NO PARTS LEFT THE VEHICLE AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. A FULL INSPECTION HAS NOT YET BEEN CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE IF THERE ARE OTHER DAMAGES. NO ESTIMATE OF COST HAS BEEN SECURED ALTHOUGH MY ESTIMATION IS THEY WILL APPROACH $2500. HAVING HAD THIS EXPERIENCE, I QUESTION THE INTEGRITY OF THE HEADLIGHTS ABILITY TO ILLUMINATE AN OBJECT AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE WHILE HEADLIGHTS ARE ON DIM. THIS IS A NEW 2006 MODEL FULL SIZE CAR HID HEADLIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHTS APPEAR TO DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF LIGHTING THE ROADWAY AT A DISTANCE THAT APPEARS TO BE ABOUT 150'. THIS ILLUMINATED DISTANCE IS A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE (LONGER) FROM A SECOND VEHICLE THAT I HAVE ALTHOUGH THE SECOND VEHICLE IS A PICKUP ABOUT 8 YEARS OLDER WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF HEADLIGHT. *JB

2006 TOYOTA AVALON LIMITED HEADLIGHTS HAVE VERY POOR ILLUMINATION BEYOND 2 CAR LENGTHS AHEAD OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THERE IS A VERY DISTINCTIVE LINE WHERE THE HEADLIGHTS PROJECT AHEAD OF THE CAR AND FROM THERE IT'S VERY DARK AHEAD. ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR, AT 60 MPH TRYING TO DODGE A DEAR IN THE ROAD THAT WASN'T VISIBLE DUE TO SUCH A POOR HEADLIGHT ILLUMINATION. IT'S A DRIVING SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO TOYOTA TO GET THE HEADLIGHTS ADJUSTED/ALIGNED & THEY SAID THEY WERE PROPERLY ADJUSTED AT THE FACTORY & NO PROBLEMS NOTED! *JB