NHTSA Complaint #11374318 — 2021 HYUNDAI PALISADE

THE DESIGN OF THE SHIFTING MECHANISM IS BACKWARDS SO THAT DRIVERS MEANING TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE (AND GO FORWARD) WILL EASILY CONFUSE THE BUTTONS AND PUT THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE (SENDING THE VEHICLE BACKWARDS). THINKING ABOUT A SHIFT KNOB ON A STANDARD VEHICLE, ONE THINKS OF THE KNOB IN "REVERSE" AS BEING BACK TOWARDS THE REAR WINDSHIELD. SAME WITH A MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR: TO GO FORWARD YOU SELECT THE POSITION IN THE FRONT, AND TO GO BACK, YOU SELECT THE POSITION IN THE BACK. THE CONFUSION HAPPENED TO ME OFTEN ENOUGH THAT I ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BUTTONS CAREFULLY BEFORE GOING FORWARD TO MAKE SURE"D" HAS LIT UP. MY HUSBAND, WHO USUALLY DRIVES ANOTHER CAR, DROVE THIS VEHICLE AND PRESSED "" BY ACCIDENT TWICE AND THE CAR OBVIOUSLY WENT BACKWARDS WHEN HE MEANT TO GO FORWARDS. EVERYONE I ASK HAS AGREED WITH US THAT THE NATURAL (AND THEREFORE MOST SAFE) ORIENTATION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE MOST FORWARD BUTTON BE DRIVE, AND THE BOTTOM TOWARDS THE BACK BE REVERSE. ALTHOUGH WE AVOIDED CRASHES, I THINK THIS DESIGN CREATES THE REAL POSSIBILITY OF MANY ACCIDENTS.