Hot take: New F-150 tail lights aren't worth anything to other drivers in heavy rain.

"Metal-maro" (metal-maro) 07/26/2017 at 20:59 • Filed to: F-150, Ford, Hazard, Rain

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We had heavy rainstorms roll through town during the rush-hour drive home. I was following a brand new F-150 with the “outlined” tail lights (the ones with the built in sensors).

These lights are not bright enough to mark the back of a truck during heavy rain. Apparently others have noticed too. Here is an image from an F-150 forum.

There isn’t much lit up to begin with. The larger portion of the tail lights only come on with the brakes.

This is a safety hazard. Ford are you listening?

wafflesnfalafel > Metal-maro 07/26/2017 at 21:02

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interesting - lame. I like those, “warning - may blind small children” LED units that buses and emergency vehicles use...

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Metal-maro 07/26/2017 at 21:14

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I think Ford tried to shove the tail lights as far to the side to make the tailgate opening as wide as possible and made a *huge* design error. How that got past safety regulations is a very good question.

Wobbles the Mind > Metal-maro 07/26/2017 at 21:30

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THANK YOU!!! Not many people understood I was being serious when I mentioned this. I’m 100% with you, this needs to be fixed!

http://oppositelock.kinja.com/ford-safety-issue-you-cant-see-the-f150-from-behind-1792880508

I think Ford figured it out and the 2018 trucks have twice the lighting (and probably more reflectivity) now from directly behind.

Compared to...

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Metal-maro 07/26/2017 at 22:33

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The trucks without the blind spot monitors are fine too. Interesting that adding a safety feature would just make you hard to see at night.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > wafflesnfalafel 07/26/2017 at 22:34

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Wait, are we talking about head lights? Because the ones on the current Corolla are awful and blind me every time I see one.

bhtooefr > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 07/26/2017 at 23:48

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I think wafflesnfalafel is talking about really bright LED tail light units.

In the case of the Corolla, the problem is that to get the high beam where Toyota wanted it on the Koito Bi-LED units that they use, they had to aim everything too high. 2016 and very early 2017 Priuses have the same problem, and you fix it by lowering the aim, and just giving up a bit of high beam reach (it’s still fine).

And, newer cars have newer headlight assemblies that solve the aim problem, too, at least.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Metal-maro 07/27/2017 at 10:05

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I’ve noticed this also. Not that I was going to buy a fancy F150 with LED lights anyway, but I’m happy with my non-fancy lights wherein that that outer strip serves no function and the single bulb acts as tail, brake and turn signal.