NHTSA Complaint #10424566 — 2008 SMART FORTWO COUPE

DRIVING ON CA70 SOUTH TOWARDS PLUMAS LAKE BLVD. EXIT, BRAKING LIGHTLY FROM 55 MPH TO 35MPH TO EXIT THE FREEWAY CAUSED ABS AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP)((ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL)) EXCLAMATION LIGHTS TO LIGHT UP WHICH DENOTED THE ABS AND ESP DISABLED. WHEN COMING TO A STOP AT THE STOP SIGN, THE SMART WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED TO RESET THE ABS AND ESP FOR SAFETY ONLY TO FIND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE AND WAS LOCKED INTO PARK. THIS CREATED A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE THE CAR WAS UNABLE TO BE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL TO MOVE THE CAR INTO THE SHOULDER AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH CARS EXITING THE FREEWAY (HAZARD LIGHTS WERE ON). TO GET OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION, AN ONLINE FORUM THAT DISCUSSES THE SMART CAR (WWW.SMARTCARSOFAMERICA.COM) SHOWED THAT IF THE SHIFTER IS STUCK INTO PARK TO CHECK AND SEE IF THE BRAKE LIGHTS IN THE REAR WERE WORKING. THE BRAKE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS WERE CHECKED AND THERE WAS NO LIGHT EMITTING FROM THEM. THE SITE STATED THAT IF THERE WAS NO BRAKE LIGHT THEN THAT POINTED THE PROBLEM TO THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH WHICH IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE SMART FORTWO NA451 MODELS. A REMEDY WAS RECOMMENDED TO GET OUT OF PARK BY RAPIDLY PRESSING AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET THE LIGHT TO COME ON WHICH WOULD DISABLE THE PARKING LOCK ON THE SHIFTER. THAT WORKED AND GOT ME OUT OF A DANGEROUS POSITION ON THE ROADWAY WHERE THERE WAS NOT SUFFICIENT TIME TO CONTACT THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL OR A TOW TRUCK TO GET ME OFF THE ROAD. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND A RECALL TO BE DRAFTED TO REPLACE THE BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH ON ALL SMART NA451 MODELS AS THEY CAN BE DEFECTIVE. *TR