NHTSA Now Worried That Over 400,000 Jeeps Are A Rollaway Risk

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said late Monday it is opening a preliminary investigation into 408,000 new Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs for complaints that the vehicles rolled away after being shifted into park.

NHTSA said it has received 14 complaints, including five reports of crashes and three injuries. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV spokesman Eric Mayne said the automaker is cooperating. The investigation covers the 2014 and 2015 models that are equipped with an electronic gear selector or shift by wire system. The gear selection is made by pressing the shifter paddle forward or backward; the shifter does not move along a gate path as with conventional gear selectors.

Jeep Grand Cherokee sales were up 5 percent in July to 15,867 in the United States and are up 4 percent for the year to 108,947.

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Airliner - 8/25/2015 12:40:33 PM

+2 Boost

Usually, I enjoy pictures that accompany articles, that is, when the picture matches the story. Folks, I don't drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee and yet I recognize the vehicle pictured as a 2013 model or older and not a 2014-2015 like mentioned in the article. Sheesh! This is a car site, can we please get the cars right?

jonesm54 - 8/25/2015 6:53:50 PM

+2 Boost

Um, that's definitely a 2014 or newer. Look at the grille, it just happens to be a Laredo or Limited without the HID headlamps.

Airliner - 8/26/2015 1:58:22 AM

+1 Boost

jonesm54, you are absolutely right. The lack of HD lights threw me off. I stand corrected.

Thank you,

JC

Vette71 - 8/25/2015 1:36:30 PM

+2 Boost

As the owner of a 2015 GC I can say that the electronic shifter is a problem area. It is difficult to tell where the selector is without looking at the indicator. You think it is in drive and its in neutral, or worse you think it is in park and you want to get out with the engine still running, only to find out it is reverse and starts to move as you go to get out. The 2016 is supposed to fix this. Other than this the 2015 diesel GC is one fantastic vehicle.

nguyenvuminh - 8/25/2015 1:49:49 PM

+1 Boost

The Runaway Hit turns out to be a Rollaway Risk ??

TomM - 8/25/2015 3:54:59 PM

+1 Boost

Sorry - but an Automatic Transmission Parking Pawl is not supposed to the the way to prevent a car from rolling - every manufacturer recommends that you ALSO set the Emergency Brake. And if you did - this would NOT happen. The Parking pawl is a small piece of metal - about the thickness of a Bic Pen - the simply rests against a flat spot on the case of the transmission when it is set - to essentially stop rotation in the transmission - and if you actually SAW one - you would also be setting your Parking Brake EVERY TIME.

Vette71 - 8/25/2015 6:00:06 PM

+1 Boost

Problem is the vast super majority of drivers of automatics don't do that. Note that manufactures "recommend" that, not require it via interlocks etc., to prevent stress on the tranny.

It would be interesting to poll the spies as how many with automatics routinely use the parking brake as well.

MDarringer - 8/25/2015 8:36:26 PM

+1 Boost

next!

mre30 - 8/25/2015 8:37:54 PM

+1 Boost

The FCA "rotary shifter" knob is to blame. I've never driven a jag or range rover with one, but I have rented many a Dodge Durango and Jeep GC with the crappy FCA version and the thing is completely unsafe and shoddy. Not only can you easily leave the vehicle in gear (whereupon it rolls away) but a passenger can turn the knob, thinking they are adjusting the radio volume or adjusting the temperature (i.e. any task that would be commonly operated by a large knob on the center console) and instead change the transmission setting. The transmission rotary knob is simply THE WORST DESIGN EVER on a center console.

Let the lawsuits begin!

Vette71 - 8/26/2015 10:36:26 AM

+1 Boost

Hello!? The Jeep doesn't use the knob. It uses something that looks like a typical gear selector....but isn't.