ENGINE START BUTTON: WITHIN 9,800 MILES, THE ESB STARTED TO BE INOPERABLE. VERY INCONVENIENT. IT IS CURRENTLY BEING DIAGNOSED AT THE MOMENT. *TR
2009
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I STARTED THE LEMON LAW PROCESS A YEAR AGO FOR THIS VEHICLE THINKING THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE. I HAVE ONLY RECENTLY BEEN INFORMED THAT THE PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING IS A DESIGN FEATURE, THEY EVEN CALLED IT A "SAFETY FEATURE" - BUT IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. IF YOUR FOOT TOUCHES THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE YOUR ARE ACCELERATING, THE ENGINE WILL SHUTDOWN TO AN IDLE FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, ALLOWING THE TRAFFIC THAT YOU ARE PULLING OUT INTO TO ALMOST CRASH INTO YOU. WITH AS MANY CLOSE CALLS AS I HAVE HAD, I AM CERTAIN THAT THERE HAVE BEEN ACCIDENTS (AND PERHAPS DEATHS) REPORTED WITH THIS VEHICLE WHERE MAYBE THE DRIVER DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND, OF COURSE, NOTHING WAS EVER FOUND TO BE WRONG WITH THE VEHICLES BECAUSE IT WAS WORKING AS INTENDED! LET ME EXPLAIN MY OWN SITUATION A LITTLE BETTER. FIRST, I DO NOT DRIVE WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. BUT, SUBCONSCIOUSLY (I HAVE DISCOVERED), AT THE MOST DANGEROUS TIMES (WHEN I ALWAYS NOTICED THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMED TO OCCUR) I DO PUT MY LEFT FOOT OVER THE BRAKE WHILE MY RIGHT FOOT IS OVER THE GAS PEDAL. I DO THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO BE READY TO PRESS EITHER ONE WITHOUT ANY HESITATION IF NEEDED. FOR EXAMPLE WHEN TURNING LEFT INTO BUSY TRAFFIC, OR PASSING SOMEONE ON A BUSY INTERSTATE. THESE ARE THE TIMES WHEN THIS MOSTLY HAPPENS TO ME. THE PROBLEM IS, OF COURSE, THAT IF I EVEN EVER SO SLIGHTLY TOUCH THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE COMPUTER SHUTS THE CAR DOWN TO AN IDLE WITH NO POWER, AND INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING, MY CAR BEGINS TO SLOW DOWN! AND I CAN DO NOTHING ABOUT IT FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, AFTER WHICH TIME IT VERY SLOWLY "COMES BACK TO LIFE". NOW THAT I KNOW HOW IT WORKS, IT IS VERY EASY TO DUPLICATE THIS PROBLEM. IT WAS VERY OBVIOUSLY DESIGNED THIS WAY AND IN MY OPINION, IT IS A VERY UNSAFE VEHICLE. EDIT: THERE WAS NO OPTION FOR "SOFTWARE" IN THE DROP-DOWN LIST FOR COMPLAINT NAME. BUT THIS IS VERY OBVIOUSLY A SOFTWARE ISSUE. ALSO, DATE OF INCIDENT, SPEED AND MILEAGE ARE N/A, AS IT HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED SINCE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED ON 12/30/2009. *TR