NHTSA Complaint #10954093 — 2015 FORD C-MAX

1. ON TAKING A TRIP FROM PANAMA CITY BEACH, FL TO INDIANAPOLIS, IN THIS CMAX WAS PARKED & LOCKED IN THE NORTHWEST FLORIDA BEACHES PARKING LOT AT APPROXIMATELY 9 AM CST 2. AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30 PM EST A TELEPHONE CALL WAS RECEIVED FROM THE AIRPORT POLICE INFORMING ME THAT THE CMAX WAS IN THE PARKING LOT RUNNING WITH THE LIGHTS ON AND I WAS ASKED TO GO TO THE PARKING LOT AND TURN THE AUTOMOBILE OFF. AFTER I INFORMED THE OFFICER THAT I WAS IN INDIANA AND COULD NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST, I PROCEEDED TO MAKE NUMEROUS TELEPHONE CALLS; FORD MOTOR COMPANY, GARY SMITH FORD AND OTHERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO HAVE THE CMAX TURNED OFF BUT WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT BE DONE. I THEN RETURNED OFFICER'S CALL AND ASKED THAT THEY GO TO THE PARKING LOT, BREAK THE DRIVERS WINDOW, AND PRESS THE START/STOP BUTTON TO TURN THE CMAX OFF. THE OFFICER CALLED ME BACK TO INFORM ME THAT WHEN THEY WENT TO THE LOT, THE CMAX WAS NOT RUNNING AND THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. 3. UPON RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT ON 2/8 I HAD TO USE THE KEY TO ACCESS THE CMAX SINCE THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AND THE GAS TANK WAS EMPTY. 4. A JUMPER BATTERY WAS USED AND FUEL WAS ADDED TO ENABLE THE CMAX TO RUN. 5. THIS VEHICLE HAS NUMEROUS INDICATORS, AUDIBLE AND VISUAL TO ALERT THE DRIVER IF EXITING THE VEHICLE WHILE THE CAR IS IN THE RUN MODE. THE EXIT FROM THE CMAX ON 2/2 WAS NORMAL. NOTHING WAS ON. THE LOCKING INDICATION WAS NORMAL AND NO LIGHTS WERE ON ( I KEEP THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IN THE POSITION WHERE IF THE VEHICLE IS IN THE RUN MODE, THE LIGHTS ARE ON ). THIS PROBLEM HAD TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A SIGNAL FROM AN AIRCRAFT OR A RADIO, RADAR WITH ENOUGH POWER TO BROADCAST SOME DISTANCE. 6. MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THIS TYPE IGNITION SYSTEM CAN BE TURNED ON ACCIDENTALLY, IT COULD ALSO BE TURNED OFF ACCIDENTALLY AND THAT COULD BE DISASTROUS IF THE VEHICLE TURNED OFF WHILE IN MOTION CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL.