NHTSA Complaint #10435953 — 2003 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND LOSS OF BRAKING WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOTS. WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED IN PARKING LOT, TURNED RIGHT TO PULL INTO PARKING SPACE. GAVE ACCELERATOR A SLIGHT PUSH TO GIVE CHEROKEE ENOUGH GAS TO MOVE INTO UPHILL PARKING STALL. QUICKLY MOVED FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE PEDAL, WHEN CAR MOTOR REVVED, SPEED INCREASED AND FRONT END OF CAR HIT CONCRETE RETAINING WALL. BRAKING UNABLE TO STOP OR SLOW THE CAR BEFORE IMPACT. SECOND INCIDENT ON 11/12/2011 WITH APPROXIMATELY 78,000 MILES DRIVEN WHEN DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED THROUGH PARKING LOT, TURNING RIGHT TO DRIVE DOWN PARKING LANE, PLACED FOOT ON BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW EVEN MORE TO MOVE FURTHER TO RIGHT SIDE OF LANE TO AVOID ONCOMING CAR. WITH SIDE OF FOOT, FELT ACCELERATOR PEDAL DROP AWAY CAUSING MOTOR TO REV, SPEED TO INCREASE. LEFT FRONT BUMPER HIT LEFT FENDER OF ONCOMING CAR AND RIGHT FRONT FENDER HIT BACK BUMPER OF PARKED TRUCK. DESPITE PRESSING ON BRAKE AS HARD AS POSSIBLE, CAR FAILED TO SLOW AND STOPPED ONLY ON IMPACT WITH TRUCK. ALMOST AS IF BRAKE WAS OVERRIDDEN BY ACCELERATION. TWO INCIDENTS HAPPENED IN SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES: COLD PRECIPITATING WEATHER; CAR HEATER ON; DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED IN PARKING LOT; PAVEMENT WET; MAKING RIGHT HAND TURN; WITH BRAKING, CAR BEGINS ACCELERATING UNEXPECTEDLY; ACCELERATION OVERRIDES BRAKE; BRAKE FAILS TO SLOW OR STOP CAR; CAR STOPS ONLY ON IMPACT. *TR