Push to Start Car Fails One Elderly Couple who Nearly Dies From Carbon Monoxide

Sometimes technology can make people’s lives worse not better. This is apparent in automobiles with the push to start feature. Sure, it’s convenient, but it comes at a price. This is known all too well by a Springfield, Nebraska elderly couple.

Their push to start car nearly killed them. They left the car running in the garage from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sharon Harris was the one to make the desperate 911 call, but she says she doesn’t even remember making it.

The push to start cars were essentially trying to make it easier for people to turn on their cars without fumbling for keys. However, this changes the natural habit of driving a car. Most of us learned how to drive with the normal key in the ignition start method. Instead of manually turning a key, people have to press the off button to turn the car off. It is easy as ever to forget to turn the car off or not push the button hard enough.

In a class action lawsuit, many people complained of leaving their cars running without any indication that they were still running, and became very concerned about the defect. According to the lawsuit, at least 13 people have died and many more have been injured requiring hospitalization due to the keyless ignition systems.

A solution to the problem could be a recall of the cars with the defect and having an auto-off feature on newer models. The 2014-2015 Chevrolet Volts has an auto-off feature. They recalled the 2011-2013 Chevrolet Volts. Ford has installed auto-off feature on newer models, but has not recalled the cars.

The couple in Nebraska said they went out to get dinner, parked the car in the garage, and must have forgotten to turn it off. The carbon monoxide alarm went off at 11:00 p.m. They received three rounds of hyperbaric oxygen treatment at the hospital, but said it cost Sharon the hearing in her right ear.

Charlie Harris said he was making it his mission to get these kinds of cars recalled. They said that they were going to join the class action lawsuit.