According to the dealer, a transmission sensor underneath the gear shifter got wet due to a liquid spill from the cupholders. While driving on the highway returning from scheduled dealer maintenance on the car, the informations screen showed a warning that there was a drive train malfunction and that the car would not be drivable after the current drive ended. The cupholders were not in use at this time so the spill must have occurred earlier, the fault apparently did not occur at the same time as the spill. I was able to drive to a safe place where I turned off the car. When I turned on the car, it would not shift into drive mode. If the car had shut down for any reason I could have been stranded in an unsafe place unable to move the car again. The car was towed to the dealer who reproduced the problem that the car would not shift into drive mode, and diagnosed the liquid intrusion. The dealer has shared a video recording showing the liquid intrusion. The area with the liquid intrusion contains a number of wires and other components in addition to the failed sensor. A liquid spill from a cupholder should never cause the car the become inoperable.

NHTSA ODI #11497889

Official recalls

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NHTSA investigations

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