NHTSA Complaint #11180171 — 2017 LAND ROVER RANGE ROVER EVOQUE

I WAS DRIVING ON THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY IN NEW YORK DURING RUSH HOUR. DRIVING APPROX 10MPH AT A STEADY PACE AND HAD BEEN IN THE CAR FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY 2017 EVOQUE STALLED OUT WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL. I CAME TO A STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAFFIC LANE, AS THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OFF THE ROAD. ONCE I SHIFTED THE SHIFT KNOB INTO PARK, THE KNOB DISAPPEARED INTO THE CENTER CONSOLE AS PICTURED. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE CAR WITH NO LUCK AND NO ERROR INDICATION ON THE DASH. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE SHIFT KNOB WOULD NOT POP UP UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE SHIFT KNOB REMAINED DOWN. ONCE THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, THE DRIVER AND I COULD NOT SHIFT THE CAR OUT OF PARK TO NEUTRAL TO GET THE 2017 EVOQUE ON THE FLATBED. THE CAR HAD TO BE DRAGGED ONTO THE FLATBED IN PARK DUE TO THE INACCESSIBLE SHIFTER AND FAILED ENGINE/POWERTRAIN. THERE IS NO AVAILABLE ACCESSIBLE OVERRIDE TO UNLOCK OR RELEASE THIS SHIFTER. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD, NOT ONLY FOR THE POWERTRAIN STOPPING WITHOUT WARNING, BUT THE SHIFT KNOB DESCENDING INTO THE CENTER CONSOLE AND NOT ALLOWING THE GEAR TO BE CHANGED.