NHTSA Complaint #10051343 — 1999 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

MY WIFE HAD STOPPED TO GET MAIL FROM RURAL MAILBOX. STOPPED VEHICLE, PLACED TRANSMSSION LEVER IN PARK AND SHUT OFF ENGINE. UPON RETURN, COULD NOT START ENGINE. CALLED ME ON CELL PHONE TO COME TO HER AID. CAR WOULD NOT START AND SHIFT LEVER COULD NOT BE MOVED. SUSPECTED NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH, AND ATTEMPTED TO FORCE THE SHIFT LEVER, WHICH CAUSED A "CRUNCHING" SOUND AND THE ENGINE THEN WAS ABLE TO START AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS ENGAGED. REMOVAL OF THE CONSOLE COVER REVEALED A PLASTIC "SWITCH" WITH PLACE FOR ATTACHMENT OF TWO CABLES. THE FRONT CABLE WAS DISENGAGED AND SEEMS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE STEERING/BRAKE PEDAL ( OUT OF VIEW). THERE IS A PIN IN THIS ASSEMBLY THAT ALIGNS THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS AND ALLOWS THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFT LEVER TO MOVE BETWEEN POSITIONS. THE PIN HAD SLIPPED OUT, AND WAS RE-INSERTED.THE VEHICLE COULD NOW BE STARTED WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND THE STEERING WHEEL NO LONGER LOCKED WHEN SHUTTING THE IGNITION OFF. THE SHIFTER WORKED NORMALLY, LOCKING UP IN PARK AND REQUIRING THE LEVER BUTTON BE DEPRESSED WHEN SHIFTING. APPARANTLY THE PIN HAS SLIPPED OUT AGAIN AND MY WIFE REPORTED ON 12/29/03 THAT THE BUTTON NO LONGER HAS ANY AFFECT AND IS NOT REQUIRED TO GO BETWEEN POSITIONS ON THE SHIFT PATTERN. THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE PROBLEM I HAVE READ ABOUT WITH GR CHEROKEES MOVING UNATTENDED. IT IS TIME CHRYSLER OWNED UP TO THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ISSUE. THIS IS OUR THIRD GRAND CHEROKEE AND IT WILL BE THE LAST.