NHTSA Complaint #10640094 — 2015 LINCOLN MKC

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE BUTTON STYLE GEARS. TWICE NOW, MY THUMB ACCIDENTALLY DEPRESSED THE N BUTTON AND THE ENGINE START/STOP BUTTON. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO COAST BOTH TIMES AND I HAD TO THINK FAST TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK INTO DRIVE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND NO ONE WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO HIT ME. THE REASON FOR THIS, IS THAT WHEN USING THE SCREEN ON THE DASHBOARD, IT'S NORMAL TO USE YOUR THUMB TO BALANCE YOUR HAND, WHILE YOUR INDEX FINGER DEPRESSES OPTIONS ON THE SCREEN. THE THUMB NATURALLY GOES TO WHERE THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTONS ARE. I VISITED THE DEALERSHIP TWICE ON THIS ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AND IT WAS THE WAY THE CAR WAS DESIGNED. IT IS SOMETHING I HAD HAVE TO GET USED TO, THEY SAID. THEY ALSO SAID A FEW PEOPLE COMPLAINED TO THEM ABOUT THIS. THEY SAID THAT CARS ARE DESIGNED TO TURN OFF WHILE IN DRIVE FOR SAFETY REASONS. IF THIS IS TRUE, THEN WHY WOULD LINCOLN PUT THE "ENGINE START/STOP " BUTTON SO CLOSE TO WHERE IT CAN BE ACCIDENTALLY DEPRESSED. I QUESTIONED THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE ENGINE START/STOP? BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED AND MY WORST FEARS WERE CONFIRMED. KEY SAFETY FEATURES, SUCH AS AIR BAGS, AMONGST OTHER FEATURES ARE TURNED OFF, WHEN THE VEHICLES ENGINE IS OFF. SO IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE I AM DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, NOT ONLY WOULD I LIKELY GET HIT FROM BEHIND, BUT I WOULD BE COMPLETELY VULNERABLE WITHOUT AIR BAGS. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ADVISED ME TO CALL LINCOLN CUSTOMER SERVICE WHICH I DID ON 8/11/14. I REPORTED THE INCIDENT AND ALSO TOLD THEM I WOULD FOLLOW UP WITH A LETTER. NO ONE TO DATE HAS CONTACTED ME FROM LINCOLN.