NHTSA Complaint #10875772 — 2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT IS RELATED TO THE MONOSTABLE GEAR SHIFTER ON MY 2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. I HAD A MINOR ACCIDENT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO THAT I INITIALLY ATTRIBUTED TO MY OWN ERROR, ALTHOUGH I HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING I JUST GOT OUT OF THE CAR WITH IT STILL IN GEAR. WHEN I SAW THE NATIONAL NEWS COVERAGE AFTER THE TRAGIC DEATH OF ACTOR A. YELCHIN AND THE SAFETY RECALL, I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT MY INCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE SAME PROBLEM. ....UPDATED 0711/16 *BF HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED: I STARTED BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY ON MY WAY TO A MEETING, THEN REALIZED I LEFT MY WATER BOTTLE IN THE FRIDGE ' SO I PULLED BACK INTO THE DRIVEWAY, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND WALKED THROUGH MY GARAGE INTO THE HOUSE. I WALKED TO THE FRIDGE, GRABBED THE WATER, SAID A FEW WORDS TO MY WIFE AND KIDS, AND HEADED FOR THE DOOR. WHEN I OPENED THE DOOR, I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE MY CAR ROLLING TOWARD ME. IT HAD BEEN APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS SINCE I GOT OUT OF THE CAR. LUCKILY, MY CAR ROLLED INTO MY WIFE'S 2008 JEEP PATRIOT, WHICH WAS PARKED IN THE GARAGE. THIS RESULTED IN MINOR BODY DAMAGE TO BOTH OF OUR VEHICLES (SEE ATTACHED PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE. I'VE SINCE APPLIED TOUCH-UP PAINT ON MY CAR TO PREVENT RUST, ETC). HAD MY CAR BEEN SIX INCHES TO THE RIGHT, IT WOULD HAVE MISSED MY WIFE'S CAR AND ROLLED DIRECTLY AT THE DOOR I WAS WALKING OUT OF. WHILE THE DRIVEWAY HAS A LITTLE SLOPE TO IT, THE GARAGE IS FLAT, SO THE CAR WOULD HAVE PICKED UP ADDITIONAL SPEED BEFORE HITTING THE HOUSE, AND MY WIFE AND TWO KIDS WERE RIGHT BEHIND ME IN THE KITCHEN. MY KIDS WERE PLAYING OUTSIDE AND IN THE GARAGE JUST BEFORE THIS HAPPENED, AND HAD LUCKILY JUST GONE IN TO EAT DINNER. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH, MUCH WORSE OUTCOME. I'M INTERESTED IN HAVING THE SHIFTER FIXED AS PART OF THE RECALL, AND WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE FIAT CHRYSLER TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DAMAGE TO OUR VEHICLES. UPDATED 11/17/17*JS