NHTSA Complaint #10536190 — 2002 MITSUBISHI MONTERO

I WAS GOING TO START DRIVING A VERY INCLINED HILL APROX. 45 DEGREES, I STOPPED THE CAR, CHANGED THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO 3 GEAR, WHEN I GET TO THE TOP OF THE HILL I CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION BACK TO D GEAR, BUT I NOTICED SOMETHING WEIRD WITH THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WAS RESPONDING BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, SO I KEPT DRIVING ALMOST 100 METERS MORE AND STOPPED THE CAR TO TAKE SOME PICTURES. WHEN I PARKED THE CAR I KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM, SO I PULLED THE SAFETY BRAKES REALLY HARD BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ALREADY GOING DOWN THE HILL AND I DIDN'T WANT TO FORCE THE TRANSMISSION TO DO ALL THE BRAKE. MY SON WAS ON THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR SLEEPING WITH THE SAFETY BELT ON, AND SINCE I REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT WITH THE TRANSMISSION BEFORE GETTING OFF THE CAR I PULLED EVEN MORE THE SAFETY BRAKE AND GET OFF THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF PICTURES. WHEN I WAS GOING TO START THE CAR IT DIDN'T START BECAUSE THE CABLE THAT CONNECTS THE TRANSMISSION LEVEL TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS OUT OF THE ROD BECAUSE THERE IS A PLASTIC BUSHING HOLDING THE CABLE WITHIN THE LEVEL ROD THAT WAS BROKEN, IN OTHER WORDS THE ONLY THING PREVENTING THE CAR FROM GOING DOWN HILL WITH MY SON INSIDE WAS THE SAFETY BRAKE, BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SET TO 3 GEAR INSTEAD OF PARKING. THERE WAS A LONG WAY DOWN HILL SO MY SON COULD BE DEATH IF MY WIFE WERE DRIVING BECAUSE MAYBE SHE WOULDN'T REALIZE THAT SOMETHING WRONG WAS HAPPENING WITH THE TRANSMISSION AND ALSO SHE DOESN'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO PULL THE SAFETY BRAKES THE WAY I DID IT. THE ISSUE IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND IT CAN BE FIXED PRETTY EASY WITH A PLASTIC BUSHING. I HAVE PICTURES THAT I CAN PROVIDE IF NEEDED TO CLARIFY THE ISSUE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO AVOID PEOPLE FROM GETTING HURT. *TR