Mar 21, 2016Transmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury
ON JANUARY 8, 2014, THE OWNER OF THE 2012 MERCEDES BENZ GL450 WAS INSIDE HER VEHICLE WITHIN THE GARAGE OF HER RESIDENCE, PREPARING TO LEAVE TO PERFORM ERRANDS. REALIZING SHE NEED TO ATTEND TO HER YOUNG CHILDREN, SHE PUT THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE GL450 SUDDENLY BEGAN MOVING REARWARD IN REVERSE. THE REVERSING VEHICLE PINNED THE OWNER BETWEEN THE OPEN DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE GARAGE WALL, IMPACTING THE LEFT SIDE OF HER BODY WITH ENOUGH FORCE TO FRACTURE HER PELVIS AND BEND BACK THE HINGES OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR (SEE ATTACHED PHOTOGRAPH. THE VEHICLE THEN CAREENED OUT OF THE GARAGE WITH HER TWO SMALL CHILDREN INSIDE THE RUNAWAY DRIVERLESS VEHICLE. FEARING FOR THE SAFETY OF HER YOUNG CHILDREN WHO WERE STILL IN THE GL450, THE SEVERELY INJURED OWNER RAN DOWN THE DRIVEWAY TOWARD THE VEHICLE AND REACHED IT JUST BEFORE IT CRASHED INTO A GATE. PLEASE SEE ATTACHED DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS.
NHTSA ODI 10850900
Feb 4, 2016Transmission & drivetrainCrash1 injury
ON 01/08/14, A FEMALE DRIVER OF A 2012 GL 450 WAS STATIONARY, IN THE GARAGE, WITH ENGINE RUNNING. BEFORE SHE EXITED THE VEHICLE TO CHECK ON HER CHILD IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE, SHE PRESSED THE PARK BUTTON ON THE DRIVE SELECT ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED COLUMN SHIFTER. AS SHE EXITED AND WALKED AROUND TO HER CHILD, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE TRAVELLED BACKWARDS AND PINNED HER BETWEEN THE OPEN DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE GARAGE WALL. LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE'S DOOR HINGE BOLTS BROKE, THE DOOR FOLDED AND SHE WAS ABLE TO EXTRICATE HERSELF, AS THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO TRAVEL IN REVERSE UNTIL IT WAS STOPPED BY A COLUMN AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MASSIVE DEBILITATING INJURIES. WE BELIEVE THAT BECAUSE OF AT LEAST TWO SERIOUS ENGINEERING MISTAKES AND/OR DEFECTS, THE MERCEDES GL 450 DRIVE SELECT ELECTRONICALLY-CONTROLLED COLUMN SHIFTER FAILED TO ENGAGE INTO PARK. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ GL450 2012 ##
NHTSA ODI 10824225