NHTSA Complaint #10557973 — 2004 CADILLAC XLR

PARKED IN A PARKING LOT & PLACED IT IN PARK. UPON RETURNING I STARTED THE CAR & PLACED IT IN DRIVE. I TOOK FOOT OFF BRAKE & CAR MOVED REARWARD. PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL & CAR MOVED REARWARD. I TRIED ALL GEARS INCLUDING PARK & CAR MOVED REARWARD, TURNED CAR OFF. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART BECAUSE IT WAS NOT IN PARK. BECAUSE CAR WAS NOT IN PARK ALL ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES WOULD NOT TURN OFF & BATTERY WENT DEAD, DOORS OR WINDOWS WOULD NOT OPEN BECAUSE ALL ARE OPERATED ELECTRICALLY. FORTUNATELY THE BATTERY DIED ON ROUTE TO DEALERSHIP ON TOW TRUCK. THE SHIFT CABLE WAS FOUND TO BE BROKE. I LOOKED ON THE WEB SITE XLR NET & THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM AND APPEARS IN SEVERAL FORUMS. IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR BEHIND ME I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HIT IT. ONE GUY ON THE FORUM PARKED HIS CAR PUT IN PARK & WHEN HE TURNED BACK THE CAR WAS ROLLING DOWN A HILL. SINCE THERE WAS LITTLE CHANGE IN XLR DESIGN OVER THE YEARS I WOULD SUSPECT ALL MODEL YEARS THROUGH 2009 ARE AFFECTED.A VERY UNSAFE CONDITION! THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED ON A LOW MILEAGE WELL MAINTAINED VEHICLE. *TR