NHTSA Complaint #10676231 — 2012 DODGE DART

I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR IN 1ST GEAR TO GO THE SHIFTER WENT ALL THE WAY TO REVERSE, I DID NOT PULL THE REVERSE SLIDE SELECTOR (NOT SURE WHAT IT IS OFFICIALLY CALLED, NORMALLY YOU HAVE TO PULL UP ON IT TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS REVERSE GEAR). I WAS LUCKY TO REALIZE IT BEFORE I STARTED LETTING OUT THE CLUTCH AS THERE WAS A CAR BEHIND ME. I WAS ABLE TO FIND FIRST GEAR AND START MOVING, I.E. GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE CARS BEHIND ME. THEN AS I WAS DOWN SHIFTING AT THE NEXT LIGHT I COULDN'T FIND 2ND OR FIRST GEAR, HOWEVER IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE, AGAIN, WITHOUT PULLING UP THE SLIDE SELECTOR THAT SHOULD STOP THE SHIFTER FROM GOING ALL THE WAY OVER. I GOT THE CAR HOME AND POPPED THE BOOT OFF THE GEAR SHIFT AND THERE IS A CABLE HANGING FREE, IT APPEARS TO BE WHAT SHOULD BE CONTROLLING THE REVERSE GEAR SELECTOR. THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, HAD I LET THE CLUTCH OUT I WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR BEHIND ME. IF YOU ARE DRIVING THE CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND ATTEMPT TO DOWNSHIFT THE CAR AND END UP IN REVERSE YOU COULD EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT, OR WORSE, KILL SOMEONE. I INTEND TO NOTIFY MY DEALER ON MONDAY, HOWEVER AS THE CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY THEY ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *TR