NHTSA Complaint #10107855 — 2001 JEEP LAREDO

I WAS BACKING MY CAR OUT OF MY GARAGE WHEN I REALIZED THAT I FORGOT SOMETHING. I WENT TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IT WAS STILL MOVING FORWARD. I TRIED TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND IT CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. AFTER TRYING TO PUT IN DIFFERENT GEARS, I REALIZED THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO GO INTO ANY GEAR. I WAS FORCED TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND PUT THE PARKING BREAK ON. FORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT ON A HILL SINCE THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK. SINCE IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR, THE CAR'S SAFETY FEATURE KICKED IN AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO RE-START IT. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A GARAGE AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE HAD BROKEN. THE CHARGE WAS $200.00, WHICH INCLUDED THE TOWING. MY CAR HAS 69,000 MILES ON IT, BUT IT IS MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES. I AM NOT HARD ON THIS CAR AND NO ONE ELSE DRIVES IT. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO A CAR OF THIS AGE. IN FACT, NO ONE I KNOW HAS EVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING TO ANY CAR. I FEEL THIS PART MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. THE MECHANIC SAID "IT JUST BROKE". I ASKED IF IT LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING COULD HAVE HAPPENED, LIKE A FOREIGN OBJECT BREAKING IT. HE SAID "NO". HAD I BEEN IN A SITUATION WHERE I WAS ON A STEEP HILL I WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE PARKING BREAK ALONE WOULD HAVE HELD SINCE I COULD NOT GET IT TO GO INTO PARK OR ANY OTHER GEAR TO MOVE IT. WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE? I BELIEVE THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. THE PART WAS REPLACED AND SEEMS TO BE WORKING FINE. I DO NOT HAVE THE OLD PART. *NM