2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

THE SHIFTER IS CONFUSING AND FUNCTIONS TERRIBLY. IN SEVERAL INSTANCES I ENDED UP IN REVERSE INSTEAD OF PARK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE AND NEARLY RAN INTO OTHER VEHICLES AND/OR PEDESTRIANS AS A RESULT.

ON JANUARY 12 2016 AT 9AM I WAS PARKING IN AN OFFICE PARKING LOT. AFTER COMING TO A STOP IN THE PARKING SPACE BEHIND A CEMENT CURB AND 2 TO 3 FEET FROM AN OFFICE BUILDING I STARTED MOVE THE GEAR SHIFT FROM "DRIVE" TO "PARK." THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD AT FAST ACCELERATION OVER THE CURB AND INTO THE BUILDING. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE BUT THE CAR WAS ONLY STOPPED BY THE BRICK BUILDING. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO THE CAR AND BUILDING. I CONTACTED CHRYSLER CORPORATION AND THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD PURCHASED IT LESS THAT TWO MONTHS PREVIOUSLY. ON JANUARY 22, 2016 CHRYSLER RESPONDED THEY COMPLETED AN INVESTIGATION AND THAT THEY DID NOT BELIEVE THE ACCIDENT WAS DUE TO A MANUFACTURING RESPONSIBILITY. I REQUESTED A COPY OF THE INVESTIGATION BUT CHRYSLER HAS REFUSED SAYING IT IS CONFIDENTIAL AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THE CASE. THE CAR IS BEING REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT WE DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE TO DRIVE UNLESS CHANGES ARE MADE TO THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE REQUESTED A LETTER FROM CHRYSLER THAT THEY FEEL THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE.

THE CONSOLE SHIFTER IS NOT ATYPICAL OF A NORMAL AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER. THE GATE DOES NOT HAVE A FEEL THAT ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO SENSE WHICH GEAR THEY ARE IN. I JUST RECENTLY LEFT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL WHILE STOPPING TO GO MAIL A LETTER AT HE MAILBOX. THE JEEP STARTED TO ROLL AND I WAS STRUCT BY THE MIRROR. I AM JUST GLAD I WAS ABLE TO GET BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND APPLY THE BRAKES.

THE SHIFTER IN THIS VEHICLE IS NOT INTUITIVE, STICKS IN GEARS AND HAS POOR TACTILE FEEDBACK FOR DESIRED GEAR. OFTEN THE VEHICLE STAYS IN REVERSE GEAR WHEN PUSHED ALL THE FORWARD WHEN PARKING FROM DRIVE. IN MULTIPLE INSTANCES I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS IN PARK AND EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH THE CAR RUNNING TO FIND IT WAS STILL IN REVERSE. THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS AS I WAS GETTING OUT. ALSO, PADDLE SHIFTERS ARE ERRATIC AND DO NOT SHIFT WHEN UNDER HIGH RPM. I COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER A FEW TIMES ONLY TO BE TOLD "IT TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO". THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE OWNED 5 GRAND CHEROKEES INCLUDING THE 2011 YEAR WITH A PERFECTLY FUNCTIONAL AND SAFE GEAR SELECTOR.

IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND PARK OR REVERSE WITH THE SHIFTER. HAVE LEFT IT IN REVERSE OR NUETRAL WITH ENGINE RUNNING AND EXITING THE CAR. FORTUNATELY THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ENGAGED WHICH PREVENTED THE CAR FROM MOVING. NEEDS TO BE FIXED.

THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT KNOB IS DIFFICULT TO USE AND DOES NOT GO INTO INTENDED GEAR OR PARK EASILY. OFTEN I WILL STOP THE CAR, SHIFT INTO PARK, AND FIND THAT THE CAR STILL MOVES AFTER I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE ... TURNS OUT ITS NOT ACTUALLY IN PARK. THERE IS NO INTUITIVE WAY TO FEEL THAT THE SHIFTER IS FIRMLY IN THE PARK POSITION. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION. SAME APPLIES WITH THE BUTTON/KNOB TO TURN THE CAR OFF. IF I AM STOPPED AND PUSH IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT OFF IT DOES NOT. I HAVE PARKED THE CAR AND BEGUN TO EXIT ON AT LEAST 10 OCCASIONS WHEN THE CAR MOVED.OTHER DRIVERS THAT HAVE BORROWED MY CAR HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. THIS IS MY 8TH JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE THAT I HAVE OWNED OR LEASED ... I HAVE NOT EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THE PRIOR VEHICLES. IT IS DANGEROUS.

SHIFTING MECHANISM DOES NOT ALWAYS GO INTO PARK WHEN THE LEVER IS ACTIVATED AND DIRECTED TO THE PARKING INDICATOR.. ONE NEW SYMPTOM LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.. THE COMPUTER SCREEN DISPLAY INDICATES IT WILL NOT GO INTO PARK BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS STILL MOVING - YET THE VEHICLE IS SETTING STILL.

THE ELECTRONIC GEAR SHIFT CAN BE CONFUSING SINCE IT IS EASY TO LOSE TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF 'VIRTUAL' STEPS IT HAS MOVED IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY CAN BE OBSCURED BY THE STEERING WHEEL SPOKES IF IN A TURNING POSITION SO ONE CAN THINK THE TRANSMISSION IS IN PARK WHILE THE ENGINE IS IDLING AND EXIT THE VEHICLE. BOTTOM LINE YOU HAVE TO BE VERY PROACTIVE ABOUT DETERMINING WHAT STATE THE TRANSMISSION IS IN SINCE THE FEEDBACK BY CLICK / FEEL IS SUBTLE AND THE DASH DISPLAY CAN BE OBSCURED. IN SHORT I AM NOT SURPRISED SOME HAVE BEEN SURPRISED BY THIS TRANSMISSION SHIFT MECHANISM AS I FIND MYSELF OFTEN MOVING THE SHIFT ARM TOO FAR OR NOT ENOUGH. ONE GOOD FEATURE IS NOT BEING ABLE TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN "PARK'. SO THAT IS A USEFUL CLUE. BUT THAT STILL ALLOWS THE DISTRACTED DRIVER TO EXIT THE VEHICLE, MOTOR IDLING, AND THE TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK. I UNDERSTAND THE SHIFT MECHANISM HAS BEEN CHANGED FOR 2016 WHICH MAY BE AN IMPROVEMENT. PERSONALLY, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THEY KNEW THEY HAD A POTENTIAL PROBLEM.

MY 2015 JEEP CHEROKEE HAS APPROXIMATELY 6,000 MILES ON IT. I'VE HAD IT IN 3 TIMES DUE TO THE TRANSMISSION SURGING, AND IS AT THE DEALER AGAIN NOW. THE CAR WAS SURGING BETWEEN 45 & 40 AND 25 & 20 MPH WHEN I SLOWED DOWN. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER AND THEY DID SOME SOFTWARE CHANGES. THE CAR STILL SURGED AT 30 TO 25 MPH, AND SOMETIMES WITH MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS, IT JUST KEPT GOING AT 25 MPH. AFTER THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, IT WAS STILL SURGING AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THEY MADE MORE ADJUSTMENTS ON IT. THE TECH TOLD ME THAT IT WASN'T RIGHT WHEN THE CAR WAS COLD, SO HE LET IT COOL AGAIN, DROVE IT COLD, AND HE SAID IT SEEMS FINE NOW. IT'S IN THE SHOP AGAIN AFTER I FOUND THAT IT WAS STILL SURGING AT 25 MPH AND NOW WHEN THE CAR IS COLD, WHEN YOU STEP ON THE GAS THE CAR HESITATES BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS PROBLEM WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. AUTO BLOG ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO COMPLAINTS ON THE 2015 CHEROKEES FOR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT WERE COMMON IN THE 2014 MODELS. MAYBE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS SINCE THAT ARTICLE WAS LAST UPDATED. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM WITH THE 9 SPEED TRANSMISSION.

ON NOVEMBER 1ST, 2015 MY JEEP WAS REAR ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE OTHER DRIVER WHO HIT MY CAR ADMITTED FAULT AND IS SO DOCUMENTED IN THE POLICE REPORT. AS OF THIS DATE 2/3/16 THE CAR IS STILL AT THE REPAIR SHOP. ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE EXCEPT...THE INSTALLATION OF A REAR WIRING HARNESS THAT JEEP/CHRYSLER CANNOT PROVIDE. THE ESTIMATED DELIVERY OF THE WIRING HARNESS FROM JEEP IS THE END OF MARCH 2016. CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE HAS REFUSED TO PROVIDE A RENTAL CAR/MAKE MY PAYMENTS/ OR TERMINATE THE LEASE. MY CASE # AT CHRYSLER CUSTOMER CARE IS 28515506. I NEED HELP11.