NHTSA Complaint #10554173 — 2014 PORSCHE CAYMAN

AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP LIGHT I INTENDED TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR BUT WHEN STARTING TO MOVE, THE CAR WAS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE GEAR AND ALMOST HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. THIS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES IN DIFFERENT A FEW OCCASIONS. I AM WELL TRAINED WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND MY PREVIOUS 300,000 MILES OF DRIVING WERE ON SIMILAR CARS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION FROM DIFFERENT VENDORS. A LARGE NUMBER OF 981 OWNERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION REPORTED SIMILAR EXPERIENCE AS CAN BE SEEN IN THIS PORSCHE 981 FORUM HTTP://WWW.PLANET-9.COM/981-CHAT/90509-ACCIDENTALLY-SELECTED-REVERSE-STOPLIGHT.HTML THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF TWO DESIGN ISSUES WITH THIS CAR MODE: 1. THERE IS NO MECHANICAL BLOCK THAT PREVENTS SHIFTING INTO THE REVERSE GEAR WHEN INTENDING TO SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR (E.G. BY REQUIRING TO PRESS THE STICK SHIFT DOWN TO ENGAGE THE REVERSE GEAR) 2. THE CAR HAS AN ELECTRONIC GEAR INDICATOR BUT IT STAYS BLANK WHEN THE CAR STOPS AND DISPLAYS THE ENGAGED GEAR ONLY WHEN THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE AND ACHIEVED A CERTAIN SPEED, WHICH IS TOO LATE. THIS COMPLAINTS APPLIES TO 2014 PORSCHE 981 BOXSTER, BOXSTER S, CAYMAN AND CAYMAN S WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION ONLY. *TR