I thot that the Prius IV & V are supposed to have lighted footwells in the front passenger compartment? My new Prius IV has none... has anyone else noticed this on recent cars?
Have you looked for the lighting when it is very dark? The reason that I ask is that I have a Prius V, and I do have the lighting, but I did not see it for the first few weeks. Then, on a drive home through the country (no street lights for miles), I could see the lights on my feet, and have been aware of them ever since then. They are not as bright as when you open the door, but they are there, and glow a nice orangey-red color.
eglmainz, I thought I was the only one who completely missed seeing the footlights for the first few weeks. One day I read a thread on the subject, ran out to my car to see for myself and sure enough, I had footlights. You are right to say that checking them is much easier at night. The glow is soft, but definitely there.
That's exactly it. I didn't see it either at first -- even though I knew it was there from seeing it in Detroit. I guess I just didn't "notice" it, really. The fact is it is a nice feature if you drop something but don't want to turn on the interior lights at night. It also provides an interesting interior lighting, along the same lines as the light shining down on the gear shift knob.
I know i have lights under the doors... but they don't light up the footwells... when i drive at night, the footwells are completely dark...
Jon, Look under the dash as they are small LED's with an Amber color glow. They could have been customized to off at the dealer, since it is customizable I found out for the IV and V. They are certainly not bright at all, just go to a very dark area with the car in Drive and look and see if you see it. If not, check under the front dash as they are about centered in the footwell areas, and if you see the little small LED, check with your dealer as they may have been customized to OFF. Thanks! Keep us posted what you find
Another thread with discussion about footwell lighting as well: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii-2010-prius-main-forum/65776-footwell-lighting.html