NHTSA Complaint #763367 — 2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE

AFTER TURNING INTO DRIVEWAY, STOPPED ABOUT 3 FEET FROM STREET, PLACED THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, OPENED THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, LEAVING IT OPEN AS I WENT TO THE MAIL BOX TO RETREIVE THE DAY'S MAIL. (THIS HAS BEEN DONE ROUTINELY SINCE PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE) I RETREIVED THE MAIL, LOOKING AT SEVERAL PIECES AS USUAL AND EVEN DROPPED A FEW PIECES DUE TO THE COLD WEATHER, THEN WALKED AROUND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE; ALL OF THIS CONSUMED 2 TO 3 MINUTES AND WHILE WALKING PAST THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE I HEARD A SOUND TYPICALLY HEARD IN SHIFTING GEARS. WHEN I REACHED A POSITION AT THE REAR LEFT SIDE DOOR, THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING BACKWARDS; I TRIED TO GET INTO THE CAR BUT IMMEDIATELY SAW THE DAANGER AND BACKED AWAY. THE VEHICLE ROLLED OUT INTO THE STREET, CROSSSING THE STREET, AND STOPPED UPON HITTING A MAILBOX POSITIONED DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET. THIS IS A SLIGHT DOWNWARD SLOPE TO OUR DRIVEWAY CLOSE TO THE STREET WHILE THE MAILBOX IS ON AN UPWARD SLOPE, ABOUT TWO OR THREE FEET ABOVE STREET LEVEL. THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED SEVERELY DUE TO ITS COLLISION WITH MAIL BOX. WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AFTER THE COLLISION, I SAW THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN THE REVERSE POSTION. TWO WEEKS EARLIER THE SAME UNEPECTED GEAR SHIFT MOVEMENT FROM PARK TO REVERSE OCCURRED IN MY GARAGE AND THE CAR BEGAN TO MOVE BACKWARD. BEING IN THE VEHICLE I WAS ABLE TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND REPOSITION THE GEAR SHIFT IN THE PARK. I WAS ALARMED BY THE INCIDENT BUT DISMISSED IT AS AN EXCEPTION.*AK