NHTSA Complaint #753687 — 1995 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

THE RETAINER ON THE SHIFT LINKAGE INSIDE OF THE TRANSMISSION BODY CAN FALL OFF OR FAIL AND THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT LOCK IN PARK. WHEN THIS OCCURS THE OPERATOR CAN PUT THE TRANSMISSION INTO PARK AND THINK THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS LOCKED UP BUT IT IS NOT. THEN THE OPERATOR CAN GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND IF IT IS ON ANY INCLINE AT ALL THE VEHICLE CAN AND WILL ROLL AWAY OUT OF CONTROL. THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE AT THE EXACT MOMENT THAT I WAS ABOUT TO WALK BETWEEN THE REAR OF MY TRUCK AND THE FRONT OF THE FOREMENTIONED JEEP CHEROKEE. IF I HAD NOT SEEN IT START ROLLING I WOULD OF HAD BOTH MY LEGS CRUSHED BETWEEN THE TWO BUMPERS. AS IT WAS I JUMPED BACK AND WATCHED THE JEEP ROLL INTO MY TRUCK. IT DIDN'T HIT HARD ENOUGH TO DAMAGE EITHER VEHICLE BUT IF I HAD BEEN BETWEEN THEM THEY PROBABLY WOULD HAD CUT MY LEGS OFF. I TOOK THIS VEHICLE TO LOUISBURG GARAGE, CUBA CITY, WI. TO BE REPAIRED AND THEY WERE THE DEALERSHIP THAT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. THEY HAD TO REMOVE THE VALVE BODY FROM THE TRANSMISSION TO REPAIR THE LINKAGE. THEY WERE THE ONES WHO TOLD ME THAT THE RETAINER HAD FAILED. IF THIS HAPPENS TO ANYBODY ELSE THE RESULTS COULD BE DISASTROUS WITH MAYBE SOMEONE GETTING MAIMED OR KILLED.*AK