NHTSA Complaint #10341491 — 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

WHILE PARALLEL PARKING, WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, I SHIFTED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OUT OF REVERSE. IMMEDIATELY THE ENGINE RAPIDLY REVVED UP AND LURCHED FORWARD. I PRESSED MORE FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, CAUSING THE CAR (A 2004 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE) AND MOTOR TO PAUSE, THEN THE MOTOR RAPIDLY REVVED UP AGAIN, OVERCOMING BRAKING. HORRIFIED, AND UNABLE TO STOP THE CAR, I WATCHED AS THE CAR RACED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE IMPACT, THE ENGINE RETURNED TO NORMAL IDLE. I THEN CHECKED THE CAR: CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF, MY HANDS WERE STILL GRIPPING THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LEVERAGE FOR MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, MY RIGHT FOOT WAS STILL FIRMLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND NOT NEAR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, AND THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF ME SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO ITS BUMPER AND TAILGATE. THIS IS THE 4TH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS VEHICLE, THE FIRST TWO OF WHICH WERE REPORTED TO YOU EARLIER. IN ALL THREE EARLIER CASES, I WAS ABLE TO BARELY AVOID AN ACCIDENT, BUT NOT THIS TIME. AS NOTED EARLIER, THE JEEP MECHANIC WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND ANY CAUSATIVE PROBLEM. *TR