GoKawiilDrivers who’ve been blinded by the lights, it’s not just your imagination. There are cars on the road with headlights that are so bright they’re illegal.
Two years after Tesla informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that low-beam headlights on some Tesla EVs exceed brightness limits, the company’s move to make those headlights street-legal has failed. The NHTSA denied Tesla’s petition to avoid a recall, meaning the company will need to issue a fix for nearly 20,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles from 2017 to 2023 for a problem the company called “inconsequential.”
A representative for Tesla didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tesla argued in its petition that because the bright lighting in question falls outside of the field of vision of oncoming drivers, “noncompliance is inconsequential as it relates to motor vehicle safety.”
In its response, NHTSA associate administrator for enforcement Eileen Sullivan wrote, “NHTSA disagrees with Tesla’s conclusion that there is no increased risk of glare for surrounding traffic or the driver of the subject vehicle in any driving conditions.”
The agency argued, citing public comment, that the headlights can still produce glare that could affect other drivers.
The group referenced a similar decision it made in 2022 involving GM Terrain vehicles.
For Tesla owners, the NHTSA ruling means the company must provide a free fix for the affected cars.
Additional steps are possible
The NHTSA isn’t commenting on pending legislation, including its denial of Tesla’s petition, but in an email to CNET, a spokesperson said that the organization is assessing studies about LED-headlamp glare and may take additional steps based on what it finds.
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