NHTSA Complaint #10274625 — 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY

MY MOTHER WAS DRIVING A 1997 CHRYSLER TOWN & COUNTRY MINI-VAN WHEN SHE STOPPED TO PICK UP YARD SALE SIGNS. WHEN SHE STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND PLACED IT PARK, SHE EXITED THE VAN AND STARTED WALKING TOWARDS THE REAR OF THE VAN WHEN IT SELF-SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, KNOWN AS THE PARK-TO-REVERSE DEFECT. THE VAN KNOCKED MY MOTHER DOWN AND PINNED HER UNDER THE VAN WHERE SHE DIED FROM BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA TO THE HEAD. THIS IS A KNOWN DEFECT BUT HAS NEVER BEEN RECALLED IN CHRYSLER VEHICLES. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND YOU HAVE EVEN INVESTIGATED THIS VERY DEFECT 3 OR 4 TIMES PREVIOUS TO MY MOTHERS DEATH AND HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING ABOUT IT, NOW I DON'T HAVE A MOTHER. *TR THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN ENGINEER AND HE CONCLUDED THAT THE VEHICLE DID HAVE THE PARK-TO REVERSE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO FALSE PARK AND SECONDS LATER, IT WOULD GO INTO REVERSE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TESTED, IT HAPPENED FOUR OUT OF TEN TIMES. UPDATED IVOQ 11/17/10 THE CONSUMER STATED NONE OF THE RECALLS THAT WERE ISSUED, REALLY FIXED THE ACTUAL DEFECT IN THE SHIFT SELECTOR OF THE TRANSMISSION. UPDATED IVOQ 12/10/10.*JB UPDATED 12/21/10.*JB