NHTSA Complaint #761209 — 2001 BUICK CENTURY

I WAS PARKED ON A HILL FACING FORWARD OR UP HILL WHEN I TOOK OFF THE PARKING BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE IT WENT SLIDING FAST DOWN THE HILL...LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. I REPORTED THIS TO BROWNS BUICK AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL. A FEATURE TO SAVE GAS. I CALLED ANOTHER BUICK DEALER IN ALEXANDRIA VA. AND THEY SAID IT WAS NORMAL AND IT WAS A FEATURE THAT EPA REQUIRED AMD SOMETHING TO DO WITH FUEL ECONOMY. I TOLD THEM I DID NOT HAVE AMANUAL TRANSMISSION AND THOUGHT THIS WAS A SEVERE PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE GONE BACK ...MAYBE A LITTLE I COULD DEAL WITH BUT NOT JUST ROLL BACK SO FAST AND THAT I HAD TO BRAKE TO STOP I WASN'T IN NEUTRAL AND I DO NOT HAVE A CLUTCH. I BOUTH A AUTOMATIC FOR A RESON AND WANTED A BETTER ANSWER. I CALLED BUICK HEADQUATERS AND THEY CALLED THE DEALER I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM AND THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR ME TO TAKE IT IN ON APR. 25 AT 1:30 P.M. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME IT WAS NORMAL AFTER HE DROVE THE CAR AND LET IT ROLL ON A HHILL. HE SAID I HAD TO PUT ON THE GAS RIGHT AWAY. I MENTIONED I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A REAL PROBLEM FOR SAFETY REASONS AND I WAS NEVERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WOULD DO THIS AND THAT IT DOES NOT SAY THAT IN THE MANUAL. HE WAS TELLING ME THAT IT WAS APPROVED BY THE NATIONAL SAFETY TRANSPORTATION PEOPLE AND IT HAD TO DO WITH FUEL ECONOMY. I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR IF I HAD KNOWN THIS AND I BOUGHT A V-6 WHICH IS NOT THE BEST WITH FUEL ECONOMY AND THAT THAT WAS NOT AN ISSUE TO ME. I CALLED BUICK HEADQUATERS AGAIN WHEN I CAME HOME AT 7 P.M. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO MR.RICHARD PERES SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL AND A SAFETY FEATURE. NOW I HAVE SAFETY, EPA AND FUEL ECONOMY AS REASONS FOR MY CAR ROLLING BACK WHILE IN DRIVE.!!! I WAS ALSO TOLD ALL GM CARS MADE IN THE LAST 5 YEARS DO THIS. IS THIS TRUE? I THINK IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM IF PEOPLE ARE DRIVING AROUND AND NOT ALWAYS ON HILLS AND COME TO FIND OUT OUT OF THE BLUE THAT YOUR CAR WILL NOT GO FORWARD WHILE IN DRIVE...UNLESS YOU IMMEDIATELY HIT THE GAS.I WOULD