NHTSA Complaint #10820927 — 2015 DODGE DART

SATURDAY JANUARY 9 2016 - HERTZ RENTAL CAR - DAYTIME LIGHT FOGGY CONDITIONS. VEHICLE HAD BEEN RUNNING SINCE 09:35 EDT WITH NO SIMILAR INCIDENT. INCIDENT 1 - DRIVING INTERSTATE 79 NB IN A DESCENDING RIGHT RIGHT TURN WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET TO MAINTAIN SPEED LIMIT. APPLIED BRAKES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE CURVE DUE TO SLOWER TRAFFIC. ALL ELECTRICAL INCLUDING ENGINE QUIT OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 13:35 EDT. WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF ROADWAY WITHOUT TURN SIGNALS (ALSO INOP). A SHORT INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS IN THE "OFF" POSITION. VEHICLE READILY RESTARTED WITH TRANSMISSION IN "PARK" POSITION (NOT "NEUTRAL"). INCIDENT 2 - AT APPROXIMATELY 17:25 EDT I EXITED INTERSTATE 376 EB ONTO A UPWARDLY INCLINED SURFACE ROAD WAITING AT A STOP SIGN, ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENGINE QUIT OPERATING. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DISCOVERED TO BE IN THE "OFF" POSITION AGAIN. VEHICLE RESTARTED WITH NO TROUBLE, WITH TRANSMISSION IN "PARK" POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO ITS VACATION DESTINATION IN BEAVER COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA AND THEN RETURNED TO ITS ORIGIN AT THE RALEIGH-DURHAM AIRPORT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT ON FRIDAY EVENING 15 JANUARY 2016. MY INVESTIGATION SUGGESTS THE COMBINATION OF THE RENTAL COMPANY TIGHTLY TYING THE TWO VEHICLE KEYS TOGETHER AND THE LOW CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE DRIVER'S KNEE AND THE VERY LIGHT FORCES NEEDED TO TURN THE KEY AND THE LACK OF A POSITIVE "DETENT" WHEN THE KEY IS IN ANY POSITION SEEMS TO ENCOURAGE THE DRIVER FROM ACCIDENTALLY APPLYING ENOUGH FORCE ON THE UNUSED AND HANGING KEY TO TURN THE IGNITION TO THE "OFF" POSITION. SUBSEQUENTLY I CONSCIOUSLY AVOIDED MOVING MY KNEE ANYWHERE NEAR THE LOWER DASH PANEL AND DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER OCCURRENCE OF THE TWO INCIDENTS. . THIS SEEMS TO BE SIMILAR TO NHTSA ID# 10806589.