NHTSA Complaint #10514725 — 2006 JEEP COMMANDER

I WAS DRIVING AND HAD TO STOP BEHIND ANOTHER DRIVER WHO WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN. I WAS ON A SLIGHT INCLINE. WHEN THEY TURNED I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. THIS IS WHEN I ENCOUNTERED MY PROBLEM. I HAD TO PUSH THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THINKING THIS WAS STRANGE I LOOKED ON MY DASHBOARD TO MAKE SURE THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE. WHAT I FOUND WHEN I LOOKED WAS THAT ALL THE GEARS WERE HIGHLIGHTED. AT THIS POINT THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T GO OVER 20-25MPH. (I WAS ON A 45MPH ROAD ON A VERY BUSY MONDAY.) I GENTLY MOVED MY GEAR SHIFT AND THAT PUT MY GEAR BACK INTO DRIVE. A FEW SECONDS LATER I LOOK AT MY DASHBOARD AND ALL THE GEARS WERE BRIEFLY HIGHLIGHTED AND THEN IT WENT BACK TO JUST THE DRIVE GEAR HIGHLIGHTED. I TOOK IT IN TO AN AUTHORIZED JEEP DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A NEW SHIFTER MODULE/BEZEL. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND SOMETHING THE CHRYSLER COMPANY SHOULD OF KNOWN ABOUT AND PUT A RECALL OUT ON THIS VEHICLE. I CALLED CHRYSLER AND WAS ONLY TOLD THAT THERE ARE RECALLS OUT ON JEEP COMMANDERS FOR IT SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL BUT THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT PART OF SAID RECALL. ALTHOUGH THE GEAR ON MY CAR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHEN I HAD IT IN DRIVE. THE RECALL ALSO STATES THAT VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN CERTAIN DATES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR THE RECALL. MY CAR FALLS INTO THOSE DATES. I HAD TO PAY $829.00 FOR A PART AND $209.98 FOR LABOR AND $14.70 FOR SHOP SUPPLIES. THIS BROUGHT MY TOTAL TO $1,127.44. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A PART COULD COST ME THIS MUCH? AM I THE ONLY OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM? I GOT THE PROBLEM FIXED AND THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE NOW. I AM WANTING CHRYSLER TO ADMIT THAT THIS IS A DEFECT ON THEIR PART AND REIMBURSE ME FOR THE TOTAL SUM STATED ABOVE. *TR