This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
Vehicle went into full throttle reverse as it was shifted out of "park". vehicle is equipped with a brake interlock that prevents shifting out of park without brake being applied. Vehicle left rubber marks from all four wheels for several feet before I was able to being it under control. Application of both feet to brake pedal didn't stop the acceleration and problem vanished as quickly as it appeared. All indications nominal after the event, but am now very concerned of personal liability in the event of an injury. This is a very dangerous situation and I can say with absolute certainty that the accelerator was not touched. One other detail I might mention is that as I was engaging the brake pedal to shift into reverse, something registered that the pedal "felt funny". I've attempted to recreate the problem... using the brake with the engine off to remove any vacuum assist, then starting... normal shifts from park to reverse... nothing. My profession and training allows me to be somewhat objective in this matter. I have to assume that somehow the pedal "feeling" for the brakes and the instant throttle increase are related. Since there is no mechanical connection, it would lead me down the path of an electronics malfunction. I will inform Chrysler and the dealer as soon as business hours start on Monday, but I write this in case I am the "victim" of a similar event before the vehicle is repaired.
After turning into driveway, stopped about 3 feet from street, placed the gear shift in park with the engine running, opened the driver side door, leaving it open as I went to the mail box to retreive the day's mail. (this has been done routinely since purchase of the vehicle) I retreived the mail, looking at several pieces as usual and even dropped a few pieces due to the cold weather, then walked around the rear of the vehicle; all of this consumed 2 to 3 minutes and while walking past the rear of the vehicle I heard a sound typically heard in shifting gears. When I reached a position at the rear left side door, the vehicle started moving backwards; I tried to get into the car but immediately saw the daanger and backed away. The vehicle rolled out into the street, crosssing the street, and stopped upon hitting a mailbox positioned directly across the street. This is a slight downward slope to our driveway close to the street while the mailbox is on an upward slope, about two or three feet above street level. The entire left side of the vehicle was damaged severely due to its collision with mail box. When I got back into the vehicle after the collision, I saw that the gear shift was in the reverse postion. Two weeks earlier the same unepected gear shift movement from park to reverse occurred in my garage and the car began to move backward. Being in the vehicle I was able to apply the brakes and reposition the gear shift in the park. I was alarmed by the incident but dismissed it as an exception.
While idling in my mother-in-law's garage my Jeep jumped into drive and slammed into the garage wall. I was told by Chrysler that it was not a mechanical error.
The consumer placed the vehicle into park and exited the vehicle, suddenly the vehicle jumped out of park and into reverse, in an attempt to stop the vehicle the consumer grabbed the steering wheel but was dragged resulting in bruises all over. Nlm
The vehicle was parked temporarily with the engine running, but accelerated in reverse on its own injuring the driver and causing damage to the garage.
- Cornelia, GA, USA
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The automatic transmission shifts into 1-2 very roughly. Took to the dealer and was told that the transmition needed to be replaced. Brake rotors are worn very severly and car shakes when brakes are applied.
While parked vehicle jumped into reverse and rolled backwards, hitting mailboxes. This was second time this had happened. Have yet to contact dealer. Please add VIN.
I pulled my Jeep Cherokee into the mail center in my homeowners complex; I put the Jeep in park; opened my drivers side door; got out of the car; retreived my mailbox key from the drivers side door(where I store it); turned around and put the key into the mailbox; opened my mailbox and as I was about to take the mail out of the box I hear D a noise; I turn around and my Jeep is moving backwards; I instinctively lunge at the car; hit my head on the outer edge of the open door causing a major cut requiring sutures; then the open door and moving car pin me against a post; I manage to push my way free causing more injuries to myself; spin around the outside of the pole; manage to get into thejeep;---- it jumped out of park into reverse; the open door was crushed backwards by the pole causing the property damage and I was injured in the incident as well. Now I find out that Grand Cherokee and Laredo have these reported incidents of jumping into reverse and I think these problem autos should be taken off the road; this could have been a tragic scene because this mail center is usually busy and if there was a child or someone behind my car or another auto behind me when this happened it could have been fatal; for me as well--I'm lucky I wasn;T knocked out.
My wife had her 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee in park on a fairly level surface, she got out of her vehicle to check on some young people. When she got ou a friend of hers in another SUV yelled that her Jeep was moving. She looked back the Jeep jumped a curb ran over four 20 year old shrubs then hit a lamp post. The vehicle did not start moving until she was 20-30 feet from the Jeep. I reported this to Jeep, thay sent out an inspector who agreed with me that the Jeep had to be in gear to be able to have enough momenteum to jump the curb and run over the shrubs and hit the lamp post. Jeep denied that the vehicle was at fault, refused to repair small damage, thank god this did not happen in my drive way with my 28 month old girl anywhere near the Jeep. This is a saftey problem and I need help. Thank you.
The consumer placed the vehicle into park and exited the vehicle, suddenly the vehicle jumped out of park and into reverse, in an attempt to stop the vehicle the consumer grabbed the steering wheel but was dragged resulting in bruises all over. Nlm
Vehicle was parked with engine running, emergency brake not applied. Vehicle suddenly took off in reverse, hitting a person and then a building. Person was seriously injured, damage to vehicle was $1700. Consumer states that his foot was on the brakes while vehicle was in motion.
While parked with vehicle running on an incline and without any indication vehicle started rolling backwards. Consumer had to depress brake pedal to stop vehicle.
While vehicle was in park and idling, the vehicle slipped into reverse, and crashed into a building before stopping, contacted dealer. Consumer stated prior to the accident he was having problems the the key/ shifter lock mechanism trying to take the key out of the ignition after turning off engine, dealer replaced a faulty bracket.
After being side-swiped I exited my vehicle leaving the engine running and the transmission in what I believed to be park. After a short time my vehicle, on its own, backed into another Jeep parked in the intersection behind me. At the time I believed I left the transmission in neutral. Sometime towards the middle of this year I read of a problem with this model stating the transmission failed to stay in park but the article further stated it was for model years up to 1999 only. Subsequently I read that later models also had this problem (a flat spot between park and reverse causing the trtansmission to hold the vehicle in park without the detent locking it in park). With this information I tried to simulate the problem on my vehicle. To my surprise I could easily shift the transmission onto the flat spot without the park detent locking into park and with just the slightest touch of the shifting lever cause the treansmission to shift into reverse. This could only be accomplished with the engine running. I now question if the second part of my accident (my vehicle backing into the car behind mine) was caused by this design flaw in the transmission. I reported my findings to the dealer's service manager but was told "...to talk with the body shop that repaired the damage to my vehicle" (I did not tslk with the body shop as this solution sounded ridiculous).
The car was idling in park and it suddenly slipped into reverse. The driver had been out of the car for about 15 seconds when the vehicle apparently slid into either reverse or neutral. Fortunately, the driver chased the car down, jumped into the car and was able to maneuver the car away from students who were walking nearby. Otherwise there could have been a catastrohpe.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Horseheads, NY, USA