NHTSA Complaint #10680365 — 2014 NISSAN ALTIMA

[XXX] JANUARY 31, 2015 DEAR SIR: I BOUGHT MY NISSAN, 2014 ALTIMA, IN MAY 2014. I HAVE SCIATIC NERVE PAIN THAT ORIGINATES FROM MY LOWER BACK AND RUNS DOWN MY LEGS SOMETIMES CAUSING ME TO FIDGET IN MY SEAT WHILE DRIVING. ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE TRYING TO GET COMFORTABLE IN THE DRIVER SEAT, THE OUTSIDE OF MY KNEE HAS INADVERTENTLY COME IN CONTACT WITH THE OVERDRIVE OFF SWITCH LOCATED ON THE INSIDE POTION OF THE SHIFT HANDLE ON THE CENTER CONSOLE. WHEN THE OVERDRIVE OFF BUTTON IS ENGAGED, I EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN LOSS IN POWER AND THE ENGINE SEEMS TO CONVULSE AND SHUDDER. I IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER, USUALLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, TO TRY TO GET OUT OF THIS MODE. LUCKILY, THIS HAS NOT HAPPENED TO ME WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY, BUT RATHER AT ABOUT 35 MPH IN HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. I FIND IT TO BE AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHICH LUCKILY HAS NOT LED TO ANY TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO NEED OR ANY SITUATION WHERE I WOULD EVER USE THIS SYSTEM AND THEREFORE SEE NO REASON TO EQUIP THE CAR WITH THIS FEATURE. EVERY TIME I DO THIS, I FEEL I AM DOING DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE OR PERHAPS LEADING TO SOME HUGE EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL DOWN THE ROAD. AT THE VERY LEAST, THE BUTTON SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED IN A POSITION WHERE IT CANNOT BE INADVERTENTLY PUSHED. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED IN A SPOT WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE TO INTENTIONALLY ACCESS IT. I FIND IT TO BE A SAFETY HAZARD AND A CONCERN FOR DOING EXPENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR