NHTSA Complaint #761851 — 2000 JEEP CHEROKEE

I ANGLE PARKED MY JEEP IN A BANK PARKING LOT. AFTER PARKING, THE TRANSMISSION REMAINED IN DRIVE WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING. I SAT IN MY JEEP FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, ASSEMBLING THE PAPERWORK I'D NEED IN THE BANK. I THEN TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE LOCK POSITION, WHICH TURNED OFF THE MOTOR (BUT, UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRANSMISSION REMAINED IN DRIVE). I THEN PULLED MY JEEP KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, GOT OUT OF THE JEEP AND WALKED ABOUT 75 - 100 FEET TO THE ENTRY STAIRS LEADING TO THE BANK. AT THAT MOMENT, A LADY YELLED TO ME. MY JEEP WAS SLOWLY ROLLING BACKWARDS AND IT STOPPED AFTER IT HIT A BUILDING ABOUT 70 FEET AWAY, STRIKING THE BUILDING AT AN APPROXIMATE 60 DEGREE ANGLE. DUE TO THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT, MY JEEP SUSTAINED BODY DAMAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $260.42 FOR WHICH I HAVE AN ESTIMATE. HAD THE DEFECT NOT EXISTED, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENT BECAUSE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH TO LOCK WITHOUT FIRST PLACING THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK. DAIMLERCHRYSLER MOTORS CORPORATION REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURING DEFECT BUT REFUSES TO TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR BODY DAMAGE TO MY JEEP. CAN YOU HELP? WILL YOU HELP? YOUR HELP TO RESOLVE THIS RIDICULOUS ISSUE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. DAIMLERCHRYSLER'S REFERENCE NUMBER FOR MY CLAIM IS 9908985. I HAVE TELEPHONED THEM TWO OR THREE TIMES AND WRITTEN TWO LETTERS TO THEIR AUBURN HILLS, MI OFFICES AND THEY HAVE WRITTEN THREE LETTERS TO ME BUT REFUSE TO PAY THE $260.42. *AK