2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

THE GEAR SHIFT DOES NOT LOCK INTO PLACE. MORE THAN ONCE HAVE I ASSUMED I WAS IN PARK AND WAS NOT. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL SLIGHTLY. MY DAUGHTER PURCHASED THE SAME VEHICLE AND HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE GEAR SHIFT. I HAVE OWNED JEEPS SINCE 1995 AND LOVE THEM. HOWEVER, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY AND ENGINEERING ERROR THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHEN THE CONTACT PARKED THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ROLLED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A STORAGE UNIT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000. UPDATED 03/08/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND PUSHED THE BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, IT CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AND CRASHED THROUGH A STORAGE ROOM. UPDATED 03/14/16.*JB

TWO HOURS AFTER ARRIVING HOME, I WAS AWAKEN TO FIND MY BRAND NEW 2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE ON FIRE, WHILE STATIONARY AND PARKED NEAR MY HOME. A FIREMAN STATED THAT IT APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE ENGINE. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN OCTOBER 2015, REPLACING MY 2005 GRAND CHEROKEE. LESS THAN FOUR MONTHS OLD, THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 4,000 MILES AND HAS NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS. AFTER GOOGLING POTENTIAL CAUSES, I DISCOVERED OTHERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH THI SAME MODEL, AS RECENT AS JANUARY 2016! THIS IS GRAVELY CONCERNING AND SHOULD RESULT IN FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

SAW ARTICLES THIS WEEK REGARDING NHTSA INVESTIGATION OF TRANSMISSION SHIFTER IN 2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. WHILE I AM NOT CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY (AS I HAVE LEARNED TO KEEP FOOT ON BREAK UNTIL I LOCATE ONE OF THE INDICATORS THAT SHOWS PARK WHILE I KEEP PUSHING THE SHIFTER FORWARD) I AM CONCERNED EVERY TIME BOCA CAR WASH PARKS MY VEHICLE NEXT TO FEDERAL HIGHWAY IN DOWNTOWN BOCA RATON AFTER GOING THROUGH THEIR WASH; OR WHEN A RESTAURANT VALET PARKS MY VEHICLE. UNLESS YOU KNOW THIS SHIFTER, YOU EVENTUALLY WILL STEP OUT WHEN IT IS IN REVERSE. JUST A MATTER OF TIME. MAYBE THE OWNER COULD BE DEEMED RESPONSIBLE TO MAKE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO GET HIS VEHICLE INTO PARK WITH THIS QUIRKY SHIFTER, BUT NOT THE VALETS OR OTHER PEOPLE WHO MAY DRIVE THE CAR.

THE ELECTRONIC GEAR SHIFT IS POORLY DESIGNED AND UNSAFE. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN OPERATING THE SHIFT GEAR IF YOU ARE IN PARK, NEUTRAL, DRIVE OR REVERSE. IT IS CONFUSING AND DANGEROUS. I FOUND MYSELF ON MANY OCCASIONS, THINKING THAT THE LEVER WAS IN PARK, WHEN IN REALITY I WAS STILL IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I OPEN THE DOOR TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE STARTS MOVING. I AM IN MY 60'S AND HAVE SLIPPED COUPLE TIMES, WHEN THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. I MENTIONED THESE INCIDENTS TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY FOUND THE POWER TRAIN FUNCTIONING AS DESIGNED.

MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN CONFUSED WITH THE ELECTRONIC SHIFTER ON OUR 2015 GRAND CHEROKEE. THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 7 TIMES WHEN WE THOUGHT THE CAR WAS IN PARK BUT WAS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE OR DRIVE AND ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT HITTING OTHER PARKED CARS WHEN LEAVING A PARKING LOT AT A STORE. IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO ME IN MY GARAGE MORE THAN A FEW TIMES WHERE I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE BUT WAS IN DRIVE AND AGAIN ALMOST HIT THE GARAGE WALL. THANK GOD WE NEVER HIT ANYTHING BUT WE ARE VERY NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING THIS CAR NOW. I HOPE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE AS IT IS VERY NERVE RACKING. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED WAS ON 1/14/2016.

THE SHIFT UNIT FAILS TO POSITIVELY ENTER THE PARK POSITION WHEN SHIFTED TO THAT POSITION. IT HAS ENTER THE REVERSE MODE! THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. IF THE SHIFTER IS ACCIDENTALLY BUMPED TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION WHILE IN MOTION SUCH AS IF YOU ARM IS ON THE CONSOLE AND HARD BRAKING CAUSED YOUR HAND/ARM SLIDE FORWARD CONTACTING THE SHIFTER PUTTING THE UNIT IN NEUTRAL, THE BRAKE MUST BE APPLIED BEFORE THE UNIT CAN BE SHIFTED BACK INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WILL BE STILL IN MOTION! THE UNIT IS NOT USER FRIENDLY IN SELECTING A GEAR. YOU MUST VISUALLY ASSURE YOU ARE IN THE DESIRED GEAR. THE DIAL KNOB SYSTEM CHRYSLER HAD IN VEHICLES WITHOUT A CONSOLE WAS MUCH MORE USER FRIENDLY! THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE ADDRESSED! I BELIEVE SEVERAL YEARS BACK IN THE 70S FORD HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WITH THE CAR MOVING FROM PARK TO REVERSE ON ITS OWN. I PERSONALLY KNOW OF ONE LADY WHO WAS DRAGGED BY THE CAR AFTER THE DOOR KNOCKED HER DOWN AS THE CAR WENT INTO REVERSE! THESE ISSUES WITH MY 2015 JEEP HAVE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE.

ON MANY OCCASIONS, BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS VEHICLE NOT PROPERLY GOING INTO PARK WHEN SHIFTED FROM EITHER DRIVE OR REVERSE. IF YOU DO NOT LOOK AT THE SHIFTER CONTROL AND ASSUME THAT IT IS IN PARK, IT WILL MOVE (IN REVERSE) UNLESS YOU STOP IT AND RE-SHIFT INTO PARK AND LOOK AT THE PANEL. I CALLED SEVERAL CHRYSLER/JEEP DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS TO CHECK AND SEE IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER REPORTED ISSUES AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.

2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE SHIFTER IS UNSAFE. MANY TIMES OVER THE LAST YEAR I HAVE MISTAKENLY PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE INSTEAD OF PARK. THIS IS VERY EASY TO DO. THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTER HAS NO DETENTS, BUT IS AN ELECTRIC SWITCH. WHEN THE VEHICLE GOES INTO REVERSE, THE ENGINE REMAINS RUNNING, AND IT IS POSSIBLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THINKING IT IS IN PARK. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE CAR WILL ROLL BACKWARD AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO CORRECT THIS VERY UNSAFE CONDITION. IT IS VERY EASY TO THINK YOU HAVE IT IN PARK WHEN IT IS ACTUALLY IN REVERSE.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FULL ENGAGED IN PARK, WHEN I STARTED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE AND THE UNIT BEGAN MOVING. WHILE I HAVE NOT BEEN INJURED, THE SYSTEM OF SHIFTING NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED, SO THAT IT IS CLEAR THE UNIT IS IN PARK. IT IS HARD TO SEE THE DASH INDICATOR REGARDING WHAT GEAR THE VEHICLE IS ENGAGED. THE SITUATION IS UNNERVING AT TIMES. THE VEHICLE OPERATES WELL IN OTHER ASPECTS.