FIRST, THIS EXACT SAME SCENARIO ALSO HAPPENED IN OCTOBER 2010. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE, AND NOW THIS TIME, WHEN MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. BOTH OF US, EACH HAVE 30+ YEARS OF DRIVING EXPERIENCE AND NEITHER OF US HAVE EVER BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRASH OR EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF LOSS OF CONTROL IN A VEHICLE, EVER. BOTH INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHILE TURNING A CORNER AT APPROXIMATELY 5 TO 15 MPH IN APPROXIMATELY 1- 3 INCHES OF NEW SNOW. THE CAR SLID WITH TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES, SMASHING INTO THE CURB, BREAKING THE AXLE, CONTROL ARM, STEERING KNUCKLE, ETC... THERE WAS NO CONTROL WHATSOVER. THIS WAS NOT ICE. THIS HAS NEVER EVER HAPPENED BEFORE WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE WE HAVE EVER DRIVEN. THE CAR DID NOT CORRECT ITSELF EVEN WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS RELEASED. WE BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFICIENCY IN THE ESP MONITORING SYSTEM. THE ESP SYSTEM TOTALLY FAILED WHILE TURNING. THE ESP SENSORS DID NOT DETECT THE SITUATION AND DID NOT REACT AT ALL INDEPENDENT OF THE DRIVER. THE ESP SYSTEM DID NOT USE THE VEHICLE'S BRAKING SYSTEM TO "STEER" THE VEHICLE BACK ON TRACK. THE ESP DID NOT INITIATE ANY BRAKING INTERVENTION AT ALL. IT WAS LIKE ALL SYSTEMS JUST TOTALLY MALFUNCTIONED. HORRIBLE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY HURT. I AM THANKFUL ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PERSON WAS IN THE AREA. *TR
2013
STRUCTURE:BODY
WE RENTED THE VEHICLE FROM HERTZ AT DENVER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WHEN WE PARKED THE CAR TO GO TO A RESTAURANT, WE COULD NOT UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THUS COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. WE PHONED HERTZ AND WERE TOLD WE COULD EXCHANGE THE CAR FOR A DIFFERENT CAR AT THE AIRPORT. ON THE WAY TO THE AIRPORT, WE KEPT SEEING SPORADIC WARNING SIGNALS ON THE DASHBOARD THAT VARIOUS DOORS WERE OPEN. THEY WERE NOT OPEN. THE ATTENDANTS AT HERTZ HAD TROUBLE UNLOCKING THE DOORS AS WELL. FORTUNATELY, WE CONTACTED OUR DAUGHTER BY CELL PHONE WHO DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE CAR ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THERE IS A HIDDEN KEYHOLE ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR THAT WAS COVERED BY A SNAP-ON PIECE OF MOLDING. OUR DAUGHTER WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE HOW TO ACCESS THE KEYHOLE TO THE HERTZ ATTENDANTS WHO THEN SUCCEEDED IN OPENING THE DOORS. THE WINDOWS WERE OPERATIVE, BUT WERE TOO SMALL FOR OLDER FOLKS LIKE OURSELVES TO USE AS AN EGRESS, CERTAINLY NOT WITHOUT HELP. THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUTATION SINCE IT COULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO EXTRACT PASSNEGERS FROM A VEHICLE THAT SUFFERS AN ACCIDENT. ALSO, PASSENGERS COULD ARRIVE AT A DESITINATION LATE AT NIGHT AND WITH INSUFFICIENT FUEL, AND FIND THEMSELVES UNABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR OR DRIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR HELP. *TR