NHTSA Complaint #10563861 — 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY

RECENTLY I EXPERIENCED TWO EVENTS WHICH STARTED ME THINKING ABOUT ONE SAFETY FEATURE OF THE NEW AUTOMOBILE IGNITION SYSTEMS. I HAVE A 2012 TOYOTA CAMRY WHICH HAS AN IGNITION KEY (?) WHICH DOES NOT HAVE TO BE INSERTED INTO AN IGNITION KEYHOLE FOR STARTING THE ENGINE. ONE HAS TO PUSH THE START/STOP BUTTON WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO START THE ENGINE, AND JUST HAVE TO PUSH THE START/STOP BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE. (THIS IS NOW STANDARD FOR MOST NEW VEHICLES.). ON TWO RECENT OCCASIONS I PARKED MY CAR AND WALKED AWAY WITHOUT PUSHING THE START/STOP BUTTON. I DID NOT REALIZE WHAT I DID FOR TWO REASONS: (1) THE ENGINE RUNS EXTREMELY QUIETLY, (2) MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WAS NOT REQUIRED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE BY TURNING THE IGNITION KEY WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING ALMOST SUBCONSCIOUSLY. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I DID NOT COME BACK UNTIL ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LATER TO DISCOVER THAT THE ENGINE WAS NOT TURNED OFF. THE SAFETY ISSUE ARISES FROM THE FOLLOWING SCENARIO. SUPPOSE I CAME BACK HOME AT NIGHT, PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE UNDER THE HOUSE, GONE INSIDE THE HOUSE AND RETIRED FOR THE NIGHT. THE PRESENCE OF THE KEY IN MY POCKET DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE CAR IS NOT IDLING. THIS IS THE BIG CHANGE BROUGHT ON BY THE NEW IGNITION KEYS. THE ENGINE RUNNING IN THE GARAGE CAN CREATE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING SITUATION FOR THE INHABITANTS OF THE HOUSE. A SIMPLE SOLUTION TO THIS POSSIBLE CARBON MONOXIDE BUILD-UP PROBLEM WOULD BE TO INSTALL AN AUTOMATIC ENGINE SHUT-OFF FEATURE IN THE CAR AFTER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME (~20-30 MINUTES) THAT THE ENGINE HAS BEEN IDLING. WHEN I CONTACTED TOYOTA THEY SAID THAT SUCH A FEATURE DOES NOT EXIST IN MY MODEL OF THE CAR. I HOPE YOU WILL STUDY THIS POSSIBLE SAFETY PROBLEM AND COME UP WITH A FEASIBLE SOLUTION. *TR