NHTSA Complaint #10396331 — 2007 CHRYSLER ASPEN

THE ASPEN LURCHED BACKWARDS APPROXIMATELY FIFTY FEET AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED, JUST AFTER BEING PUT INTO REVERSE. IT WAS STOPPED WHEN IT CRASHED INTO A GARAGE AND A TOYOTA PRIUS. THE PRIUS WAS TOTALED, THE ASPEN SEVERELY DAMAGED, THE GARAGE DOORS WERE YANKED OUT OF THE CEILING AND SHATTERED, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE GARAGE WERE DAMAGED. ANYONE WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERELY INJURED OR KILLED. FOR APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, THERE WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE REVERSE TRANSMISSION. OCCASIONALLY WHEN PLACED INTO REVERSE, THE CAR WOULD ONLY GO A SHORT DISTANCE IN REVERSE, AS IF THE CLUTCH WAS NOT CATCHING. THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP, AND THEN THE CAR WOULD COME TO AN ABRUPT HALT. THE HALT WAS VERY ABRUPT AND "MECHANICAL" AS IF SOMETHING WAS BEING CAUGHT - THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED A PASSENGER IN THE CAR THOUGHT THE CAR STRUCK SOMETHING IN REVERSE. THERE WERE NEVER ANY ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION GOING FORWARD, AND THIS REVERSE ISSUE ONLY HAPPENED ABOUT 10% OF THE TIMES THE CAR WAS PUT IN REVERSE. IN BETWEEN THE CAR WAS FINE IN REVERSE. THIS NEVER SEEMED LIKE A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE CAR STOPPED ABRUPTLY WHEN GOING BACKWARDS IN PREVIOUS INSTANCES - IT DID NOT GO BACKWARDS UNCONTROLLABLY AS OCCURRED IN THE INCIDENT. A CHRYSLER INVESTIGATOR CAME OUT THE DAY FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT. HE CONCLUDED THAT THE DRIVER OF THE CAR ACCIDENTALLY PUT HER FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL RATHER THAN BRAKE. WE ARE QUITE CERTAIN THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. IN SPITE OF EMPHASIZING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE REVERSE, CHRYSLER TOLD THE OWNERS ON 4/4/11 THAT THIS WAS A DRIVER ERROR BASED ON THEIR EVALUATION. HOWEVER, THEY NEVER EVEN LOOKED AT THE TRANSMISSION. WE NOW HAVE THE VEHICLE IN STORAGE AND ARE TRYING TO GET AN INDEPENDENT EVALUATION OF THE PROBLEM.