NHTSA Complaint #10465699 — 2012 BUICK LACROSSE

I PARKED THE VEHICLE IN PARKING BAY AT A GAS STATION AND WENT INSIDE. I WAS IN THERE APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES AND A GENTLEMAN GAME INTO THE BUILDING AND ASKED DID ANYONE IN THERE OWN A BUICK LACROSSE. I SAID IT WAS MINE, HE TOLD ME IT HAD ROLLED OUT OF THE PARKING BAY TOWARDS HIS MERCEDES, HE HAD STOPPED MY VEHICLE. I SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND I HAD TURNED THE ENGINE OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE SO THERE WAS NO BRAKING EFFECT. WHERE I HAD PARKED THE PAVEMENT WAS A VERY GENTLE SLOPE SO I DID NOT NOTICE ANY MOVEMENT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN I ALIGHTED FROM IT. THIS MODEL HAS REMOTE WIRELESS KEY SO YOU DO NOT INSERT ANY KEY TO EITHER START OR STOP THE ENGINE. TO START YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE KEY WITHIN THE VEHICLE BE IN EITHER PARK OR NEUTRAL AND DEPRESS THE FOOT BRAKE AND THEN PRESS THE START BUTTON. WHAT I HAVE FOUND IS WHEN TURNING OFF THE ENGINE THE VEHICLE CAN BE IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING, DRIVE, REVERSE, NEUTRAL OR PARK. SO IF YOU HAPPEN TO BE IN ANYTHING BUT PARK AND THEN TURN OFF THE MOTOR THEN THE VEHICLE IS FREE TO ROLL AWAY WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF IT HITTING SOMETHING OR WORSE STILL HITTING A PERSON. WITH ALL AUTOMATIC VEHICLES I HAVE PREVIOUSLY OWNED YOU NEEDED TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE YOU COULD REMOVE YOUR KEY AND AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE YOU KNEW IT WAS EFFECTIVELY BRAKED AND WAS NOT GOING TO ROLL AWAY. I BELIEVE THIS MATTER NEEDS ADDRESSING BEFORE IT DOES RESULT IN A POSSIBLE FATALITY. TO ALLEVIATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THE VEHICLE MOVING EITHER THE ENGINE/TRANSMISSION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE ALTERED SO THAT YOU MUST PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE TURNING OFF THE ENGINE OR AT THE VERY LEAST THERE SHOULD BE EITHER AN AUDIBLE ALARM OR VISUAL ALARM TO ALERT THE DRIVER THAT THE DRIVER HAS NOT LEFT THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE CONDITION. AFTER CONTACTING THE DEALER IT WAS DETERMINED THIS ANOMALY APPLIED TO ALL OF THESE VEHICLES. *TR