NHTSA Complaint #10855336 — 2016 TOYOTA RAV4 HV

IN THE TOYOTA RAV 4 HYBRID, THE "POWER" (IGNITION" BUTTON IS ABOUT 2.25" FROM THE AC BUTTON. (SEE ATTACHED PHOTO). WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING LESS THAN 10 MPH YOU CAN PUSH THE BUTTON AND THE ENGINE WILL TURN OFF, STEERING WHEEL LOCK UP, AND THE CAR KEEPS ROLLING. THIS HAPPENED TO ME. I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT, AS THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I WANTED TO TURN OFF THE AC, AND I ACCIDENTALLY PUSHED THE WRONG BUTTON (BECAUSE THEY WERE CLOSE TOGETHER), AND THE WHOLE ENGINE TURNED OFF, WHILE I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION. LUCKILY, THE STREETS WERE EMPTY SO NOTHING HAPPENED. THIS WOULD NOT BE AS MUCH OF AN ISSUE IF THE TWO BUTTONS WERE NOT CLOSE TOGETHER, BUT SINCE THEY ARE SO CLOSE TOGETHER, THE IGNITION BUTTON SHOULD NOT TURN OFF SO EASILY, TURNING OFF WITH A PUSH WITHOUT A FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, IN DRIVE AND WITHOUT THE PARKING BRAKE ON. I TESTED IT OUT WHILE IN REVERSE AND BACKING OUT OF MY PARKING SPACE AT WORK, AND THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE CAR KEPT GOING. IT DOES NOT HAPPEN AT HIGHER SPEEDS, BUT I THINK IT IS STILL DANGEROUS. I CONTACTED TOYOTA ABOUT THIS, BUT THEY SAID THAT THIS IS THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. THEY CLAIM, "IF YOU HOLD THE POWER BUTTON FOR A NUMBER OF SECONDS WHILE DRIVING IT WILL TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THIS TECHNIQUE MAY SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AS A VERY LAST RESORT IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION IF ALL OTHER EFFORTS TO STOP THE VEHICLE FAIL." THE ONLY PROBLEM IS THAT I DID NOT HAVE TO HOLD THE BUTTON DOWN FOR A FEW SECONDS, AND IT TURNED OFF. I MERELY PUSHED IT, AS I WOULD TO TURN OFF THE AC, AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. MAYBE AT HIGHER SPEEDS YOU NEED TO HOLD IT DOWN FOR A WHILE, BUT AT LOW SPEEDS A LIGHT PUSH CAN SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN.