NHTSA complaint: 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ R350 — POWER TRAIN
I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND UNDER THE COVERED PORTICO AND PLACED MY CAR IN "PARK" WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPEN.I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WENT TO CHECK SOMETHING AT MY FRONT DOOR WHICH WAS FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT OF THE PARKED CAR BEFORE PROCEEDING TO OPEN THE GATE ACROSS OUR DRIVEWAY.THE GATE IS AT THE END OF AN 11 FOOT LONG BRICK EXTERIOR HOUSE WALL ON THE LEFT OF THE DRIVEWAY.I NOTICED THE CAR MOVING AND ON IMPULSE TRIED TO ENTER THE CAR TO STOP IT.I GOT MY RIGHT LEG IN THE DOOR JUST BEFORE THE DOOR HIT A CONCRETE PLANTER TO THE RIGHT OF THE FRONT DOOR AND SHUT ON MY LEG MID-THIGH.THE DOOR THEN HIT THE EXTERIOR WALL OF THE HOUSE AND MY LEG WAS CLAMPED IN.I FLATTENED MY BODY AS CLOSE TO THE CAR AS POSSIBLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID BEING CRUSHED.THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE SCRAPING THE DOOR AND MY FRONT BODY ALONG THE BRICK WALL.WHEN THE CAR REACHED THE CLOSED GATE IT PUSHED IT OPEN.ONCE THE DOOR WAS PAST THE HOUSE WALL, IT OPENED AND FREED ME.THE CAR THEN CONTINUED TO DRIVE FORWARD TO THE BACK YARD AND CRASHED INTO A RETAINING WALL.IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT I DID NOT GET THE CAR IN "PARK" THIS CAR HAS A SAFETY FEATURE WHEREIN THE CAR IS AUTOMATICALLY THROWN INTO "PARK" SHOULD THE DRIVER'S DOOR OPEN UNDER A CERTAIN SPEED.IF THE DRIVER'S DOOR IS OPEN AND YOU TRY TO PUT THE CAR IN "DRIVE" RED WARNING LIGHTS COME ON THE DASH BOARD.I HAVE TRIED TO RECREATE THESE EVENTS AND CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CAR WAS MOVING ON ITS OWN. *TR
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation