Headlight/Dashboard Light Behavior

[xplorer7]

I have a 2010 base model Versa. The instrument panel back lighting is always illuminated when the car is on, so there is no (easy) way to tell whether the headlights are turned on or not a night, especially at dusk or in city driving conditions. After a year and a half of cursing Nissan's design, I finally checked the owner's manual which says on page 2-20, "When turning the switch to the =><= position, the front parking, tail, license plate, and instrument panel lights come on." Of course the instrument panel lights are already on in my car, so contrary to the manual, they do not come on. So I took the car to the dealer, who said that was the designed behavior, and the service manager showed me a car on the lot that behaved exactly like mine. Apparently it is not a serious issue for the vast majority of owners who do not have the base model because the headlights are automatic. To my surprise, the service manager told me I was the first person to ever ask about this!!!

So why does the owner's manual directly contradict the actual operation? I believe this is a serious safety hazard for base model Nissans, and I find it bizarre that Nissan would not have done anything about this between 2010 and 2012 to mitigate liability.

I am also surprised that my Internet search did not turn up this complaint at all. Are base models that uncommon? Is there an obvious way to tell if the headlights are on that I am not aware of? (The radio panel does not count--it is subtle and not located anywhere near the important instrument panel that you monitor while driving.) Do you in the community know of a good solution? What about add-ons or modifications? Is it expensive to make the dashboard lights operate with the headlights the way they should or to install a sensor that alerts you when it's getting dark and the headlights are not turned on or possibly to do an after market upgrade to automatic headlights?

[Francesco]

I have a US 2009 Versa sedan. The only way other than operating the light switch is to adjust the lamp dimmer; if the lights are off the lamp dimmer for the dash lights has not impact, whereas, if the lights are on the dimmer will dim the dash lights.

Francesco 2009 Versa S sedan MT-6 with 27K miles