NHTSA Complaint #10428628 — 2011 BUICK LACROSSE

THIS VEHICLE HAS THE PUSH BUTTON KEYLESS START. PAGE 10-89 OF THE OWNER MANUAL DESCRIBES THE METHOD TO MOVE THE TRANSMISSION LEVER FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF TOWING THE VEHICLE OR MOVING IT WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE (IF THE CAR BATTERY IS DEAD OR THE ENGINE WILL NOT START FOR ANY OTHER REASON), SUCH AS ONTO A TOW TRUCK FOR TRANSPORT TO A SERVICE CENTER. THE MANUAL SAYS TO SET THE PARKING BRAKE (THIS CANNOT BE DONE IF THE CAR BATTERY IS DEAD BECAUSE THE PARKING BRAKE IS ELECTRICALLY OPERATED), SELECT THE ACCESSORY MODE (BY PUSHING THE START BUTTON TO SHOW AN AMBER LIGHT AS DESCRIBED ON PAGE 9-20), THEN SQUEEZE THE SMALL LEVER ON THE FRONT OF THE TRANSMISSION LEVER, AND MOVE IT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL. THIS DOES NOT WORK. THE LEVER CANNOT BE MOVED OUT OF PARK. APPLYING THE FOOT BRAKE DOES NOT HELP. I TOOK THE CAR TO LIBERTY BUICK IN PEORIA, AZ, AND DESCRIBED THE PROBLEM TO SALESMEN AND SERVICE ADVISORS. NONE OF THEM COULD MAKE IT WORK OR EXPLAIN WHY. THIS PROCEDURE WAS TRIED WITH ANOTHER LACROSSE WITH THE KEYLESS START FEATURE AND IT ALSO DID NOT WORK, VERIFYING THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH ALL LACROSSE KEYLESS START VEHICLES. THIS PROCEDURE WORKS WITH A "KEYED START" VEHICLE IF THE KEY IS TURNED TO THE 'ON' POSITION (NOT THE 'ACCESSORY' POSITION AS STATED IN THE MANUAL). APPARENTLY, INSUFFICIENT TESTING WAS DONE ON THIS FEATURE AND IT WAS NOT CORRECTLY PROGRAMMED INTO THE ELECTRONIC SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE. THE INTERLOCK BETWEEN THE ENGINE, BRAKE, AND TRANSMISSION LEVER IS NOT RELEASED IN THE ACCESSORY MODE AND THERE IS NO 'ON' POSITION FOR THE KEYLESS IGNITION WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE. THIS MEANS THAT IF MY CAR IS IN MY GARAGE OR ON A ROAD AND THE BATTERY IS DEAD OR THE ENGINE WILL NOT START, I WILL BE UNABLE TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE GARAGE OR OUT OF TRAFFIC OR ONTO A TOW TRUCK.