HEAD LIGHT LENSES DEGRADING DUE TO WEATHER / UV EXPOSURE. LIGHT TRANSMISSION REDUCED BY AT LEAST 3 DB; PROBABLY 6 DB; POSSIBLY AS MUCH AS 10 DB. NIGHT VISIBILITY SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. CHRYSLER CORPORATION WILL NOT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM; CHRYSLER SAFETY COMPLAINT FILE # 7864868. VEHICLE CURRENTLY IS UNDER RECALL FOR WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT PROBLEM. I CONSIDER LACK OF NIGHT VISIBILITY TO BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM. VEHICLE DOES NOT CURRENTLY MEET MINIMUM MANDATED LIGHTING STANDARDS OWING TO LENS DEGRADATION. SINCE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON THESE CARS IS A TWO-PIECE UNIT, CONSISTING OF A LAMP AND A "BUCKET" CONTAINING THE LENS, NORMAL REPLACEMENT OF LAMPS DOES NOT CORRECT PROBLEM, AS WOULD BE THE CASE WITH SEALED BEAM LIGHTS. THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY IS QUITE EXPENSIVE, AND WILL NOT BE REPLACED BY CHRYSLER. THIS MEANS THAT THERE IS A HIGH COST ITEM THAT MUST BE REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE PERIODICALLY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN SAFETY. THE PLASTIC LENS ASSEMBLY WILL DEGRADE AGAIN WITHIN THE EXPECTED LIFE OFTHE VEHICLE. FURTHERMORE, THE FALURE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, IN THAT IT SNEAKS UP ON ONE... IT TAKES A CONSIDERABLE DEGRADATION OF LIGHT TO BE NOTICED, BECAUSE THE FAILURE IS SO GRADUAL. THIS IS WHY I WAS APROXIMATE IN DATING THE FAILURE ON THE FIRST PART OF THIS FORM... THE FAILURE WAS SO GRADUAL THAT I AM NOT SURE OF THE TIME FRAME, WITHIN 6 MONTHS OR SO, OF WHEN THE LIGHT OUTPUT FELL BELOW MINIMUM LEGAL STANDARDS. I FEEL THAT THE NHTSA SHOULD REQUIRE CHRYSLER TO RETROFIT ALL SIMILAR HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES WITH NEW ASSEMBLIES BUILT WITH GLASS LENSES AT CHRYSLER'S EXPENSE. IF THIS IS NOT DONE, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME (IT MAY HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED) THAT SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED IN A NIGHT TIME ACCIDENT DUE TO FAULTY ILLUMINATION. THANK YOU, JAMES K. THORUSEN. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 734580
- Incident
- Jan 1, 2000