NHTSA Complaint #760350 — 2001 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

I LEFT MY JOB SITE, EXITING AT A GATED DRIVEWAY. I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK, OR SO I THOUGHT, AND OPERATED THE PARKING BRAKE. I THEN EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH THE MOTOR STILL RUNNING, IN ORDER TO CLOSE THE GATE BEHIND THE VEHICLE. AS I TURNED BACK TO THE VEHICLE, AFTER LOCKING THE GATE, I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED THAT THE "REVERSE BACK-UP LIGHTS" WERE ON. THAT WAS A POSITIVE INDICATION THAT THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION WAS IN "REVERSE" NOT "PARK." LUCKILY, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE TOWARDS ME. I THEN RE-ENTERED THE VEHICLE VIA THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, AND OBSERVED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WAS ACTUALLY IN "REVERSE" CONFIRMING WHAT WAS INDICATED BY THE BACK UP LIGHTS BEING ON. PUZZLED THAT THIS HAPPENED, I ATTEMPTED ON SEVERAL TRIES OF SHIFTING THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER TO ASCERTAIN IF I COULD RECREATE THE SAME CONDITION (I.E., OF SHIFTING INTO "PARK" BY "FEEL" AND ACTUALLY STOPPING IN "REVERSE" ONE POSITION SHORT OF THE "PARK" POSITION). I WAS ABLE TO DO SO, THAT IS, INCORRECTLY STOPPING AT "REVERSE." SINCE I DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT MOST WEEKNIGHTS, I WOULD NORMALLY SHIFT THE CAR INTO "PARK" BY FEEL. PLEASE NOTE THAT I SPENT NEARLY SIX YEARS SERVICING JEEPS, TRUCKS AND OTHER WHEELED VEHICLES FOR THE NATIONAL GUARD AS A RESERVIST, AND AS SUCH FEEL FULLY QUALIFIED TO OFFER THE FOLLOWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM. SUFFICE IT TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WILL NOT HOLD THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING WHILE FULLY OPERATIONAL IF THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN "REVERSE." THE "DEFECT" OR SHORTCOMING IN THIS CASE, APPEARS TO BE THE RESULT OF A FAULTY SAFETY BUTTON THAT IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER MECHANISM. I NOTICED A DISTINCT PATTERN OF THE SHIFT LEVER STOPPING AT "REVERSE" AS IF IN "PARK" IF THE BUTTON IS NOT COMPLETELY PRESSED WHILE SHIFTING THE LEVER FORWARD TOWARDS "PARK." THE BUTTON MECHANISM HAS A RANGE OF MOTION THAT ALLOWS AN INCOMPLETE PROTECTIVE ACTION, STOPPING THE LEVER AT "REVERSE" ONE NOTCH SHORT OF "PARK."*AK