NHTSA Complaint #10937043 — 2017 DODGE DURANGO

NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED YET BUT I BELIEVE ONE WILL. THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A ROTARY TRANSMISSION SELECTOR FOR DRIVE BY WIRE TRANSMISSION AND HAS AN AUTO ENGINE STOP START FEATURE. THIS START STOP FEATURE CAN BE DISABLED AFTER THE VEHICLE IS STARTED, BUT CANNOT BE SET BY DEFAULT TO DISABLE THIS FEATURE. I UNDERSTAND THE FUEL SAVING ISSUE, HOWEVER BUT MANY OF US HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR MANY YEARS AND WE DO A LOT OF THINGS UNCONSCIOUSLY BECAUSE THESE ACTIVITIES ARE SO COMMON TO US. WHEN THIS FEATURE IS ACTIVATED AND YOU COME INTO YOUR DRIVE WAY, YOUR GARAGE OR A PARKING SPACE AND FULLY COME TO A STOP, THE ENGINE TURNS OFF AND ALL GOES QUIET. SUBCONSCIOUSLY BECAUSE OF A LIFETIME OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE, YOU THINK THE CAR IS OFF, YOUR TRAVEL IS OVER AND YOU ARE READY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. YOU START TO OPEN THE DOOR AND RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY RESTARTS AND MOVES FORWARD. IF A CHILD OR SOMEONE ELSE OR A BUILDING WALL IS IT FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAPPEN. PLEASE RETHINK THIS. IT IS NOT AN INTUITIVE PROCESS WHEN WE HAVE YEARS OR DECADES OF A DIFFERENT DRIVING EXPERIENCE. WE THINK THE CAR IS OFF, SAFE TO EXIT. WE NEED A WAY TO DEFAULT DISABLE THIS FEATURE RATHER THAN DEFAULT ENABLE. I KNOW THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION REGARDING DEATH OR INJURY WITH REGARD TO THE TRANSMISSION ON THESE VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY A CLAIM THAT VEHICLE COULD MOVE WITH SELECTOR PUT IN THE PARK POSITION. I WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS WERE RESULT OF DRIVERS THINKING THE VEHICLE WAS OFF AND THEN IT MOVED. IT MAY BE EMBARRASSING AND NOT BE ADMITTED TO. *TR