NHTSA Complaint #10496411 — 2012 BUICK REGAL

ON DECEMBER 12, 2012 , SHORTLY AFTER SUNSET, MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON A RURAL ROAD AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I WAS IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. I REACHED OVER TO SWITCH THE RADIO FROM SIRIUS TO FM, BUT INADVERTENTLY HIT THE ENGINE ON/OFF BUTTON, LOCATED ABOUT 2 CM FROM THE RADIO BUTTON. WHEN I HIT THE BUTTON, THE ENGINE WENT OFF, WE LOST ALL INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL LIGHTS, AND THE CAR SLOWED DRAMATICALLY. IT WAS TERRIFYING. WE MANAGED TO PULL THE CAR TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. HAD WE BEEN ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, A MAJOR COLLISION AND PILE-UP LIKELY WOULD HAVE FOLLOWED. WHEN WE REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO THE DEALERSHIP, IT INITIALLY CLAIMED THE CAR'S INTERNAL CONTROLS WOULD PREVENT THE ENGINE FROM TURNING OFF WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING BUT SUBSEQUENT DEALER TESTS DISCLOSED EVEN A SLIGHT TOUCH OF THE POWER BUTTON SHUT OFF ALL POWER. I REPORTED IT TO BUICK AND BUICK ASKED THE DEALER TO RECONFIRM THE TESTS, WHICH IT DID. THE DEALERSHIP SEEMED VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY PROBLEM BUT SAID BUICK NEEDED TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. BUICK SAID THE CAR OPERATED AS DESIGNED AND THERE WAS NOTHING MORE IT COULD DO. I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH BUICK'S RESPONSE; NOR SHOULD THIS AGENCY. AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE, I WAS GIVEN NO WARNING ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING HAZARD. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVERS' MANUAL CONTAINS MANY HIGHLIGHTED WARNINGS, IT ONLY MENTIONS THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN PASSING. QUOTING 9-18 OF THE DRIVERS' MANUAL: "DO NOT TURN OFF THE ENGINE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS MOVING. THIS WILL CAUSE A LOSS POWER ASSIST IN THE BRAKE AND STEERING SYSTEMS AND DISABLE THE AIRBAG." NOTHING ELSE WAS SAID. THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE PRIMARY CONTROL FOR RADIO CHANNEL SELECTION TO THE POWER BUTTON, AND THE POTENTIALLY LETHAL CONSEQUENCES OF INADVERTENTLY HITTING THE POWER BUTTON IS AN INHERENTLY DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW. THE LACK OF EXPLICIT WARNINGS EXACERBATES THIS ALREADY SERIOUS PROBLEM. *TR