WHILE DRIVING ON RURAL ROADS WITH NO STREET LIGHTS, THE AUTOMATIC HIGH BEAM SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS WHEN PASSING ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHO DO NOT DIM THEIR HEADLIGHTS OR WHO HAVE THOSE HEADLIGHTS THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL (LIKE FORD). NORMAL LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS DO NOT CAUSE THE SYSTEM TO MALFUNCTION. I BELIEVE THIS MALFUNCTION TO BE RELATED TO THE CAMERA SENSOR LOCATED ON THE WINDSHIELD AND WHEN THE GLARE OF THE EXCESSIVELY BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS HIT THAT SENSOR, IT CRASHES THE AUTO SYSTEM. THE SYMBOL ON THE DASH THAT INDICATES THAT THE SYSTEM IS WORKING NORMAL CUTS OFF FOR APPROXIMATELY 25-30 SECONDS, DURING WHICH TIME THE HIGH BEAMS WILL NOT ENGAGE. AFTER THAT 30 SECOND DELAY, THE SYSTEM REBOOTS, THE LIGHT ON THE DASH COMES BACK ON AND THE HIGH BEAMS RE-ENGAGE. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS ALL MANNER OF WILDLIFE CROSS THAT ROAD AT NIGHT AND WITHOUT BRIGHT LIGHTS, MY REACTION TIME IS CUT IN HALF. I HAVE TALKED TO THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR IN MAY OF 2019 TELLING THEM THERE IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE SYSTEM, AND WAS INITIALLY INFORMED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY. I OWNED A 2017 PRIUS PRIME ADVANCED (ONE YEAR OLDER THAN THIS ONE) AND IT NEVER MALFUNCTIONED, SO I KNOW THIS IS A MALFUNCTION IN THE SYSTEM. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER IN DEPTH ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS ISSUE, HE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE AND NOT NORMAL FUNCTIONALITY. THEY HAVE KEPT MY CAR SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO RECREATE THE FAILURE, BUT UNLESS THEY DRIVE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE (SUPER DARK) AND COME ACROSS SOMEONE WITH "TOO-BRIGHT" HEADLIGHTS, IT IS UNLIKELY THEY WILL ACCOMPLISH A FAILURE. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT TOYOTA DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE SINCE DONE THE RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE AT LEAST 2017, AND OCCURS ON VARIOUS TOYOTA MODELS (PRIUS, AVALON, RAV4, ETC...). I HAVE VIDEO OF THE FAILURE.
NHTSA ODI 11390461