2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

DOUBLE PARKED MY VEHICLE IN A BUSY URBAN RETAIL COMMERCIAL AREA IN HOBOKEN, NJ AND LEFT IT RUNNING WHILE I WENT INTO A STORE TO PICK SOMETHING UP QUICKLY. WHEN I RETURNED THE CAR WAS GONE. IT HAD BACKED ITSELF UP HALFWAY DOWN THE BLOCK AND TURNED INTO TRAFFIC, CROSSED 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC AND SMASHED INTO A CAR PARKED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAUSED MINOR DAMAGE TO THE REAR QUARTERPANEL. COULD HAVE RUN SOMEONE OVER, COULD HAVE MOWED DOWN A BUNCH OF KIDS, WHO KNOWS!?! THE ELECTRONIC SHIFTER IN THE JEEP SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN PARK BUT WAS ACTUALLY IN NEUTRAL. IMPOSSIBLE TO TELL WITH NO TACTILE FEEDBACK, ALL THE GEARS FEEL THE SAME TO THE TOUCH.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V240000 (POWER TRAIN) AND STATED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME FRAME TO SCHEDULE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER DID NOT GIVE A SPECIFIC DATE FOR WHEN THE PART WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER COULD NOT PROVIDE AN ESTIMATED DATE FOR WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WOULD RECEIVE THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, WE SAW A BIG RIG COMING FAST BEHIND US, CLEARLY UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME, WE WERE ON I-80 IN THE CALIFORNIA SIERRAS.. WE TRIED TO REVERSE AND GET OUT OF OUR LANE, BUT THE SHIFT LEVER KEPT DEFAULTING TO NEUTRAL. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY CLOSE NEAR MISS, AND WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO EXITING OUR JEEP, AS THE BIG RIG WAS USING ITS HORN. FORTUNATELY, IT PULLED TO OUR RIGHT AND STOPPED NEXT TO US. BUT BECAUSE THE CAR REFUSED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE (IT KEPT POPPING INTO NEUTRAL, WE COULD HAVE BEEN IN A VERY NASTY ACCIDENT. WE DON'T FEEL THE "FIX" JEEP IS PROPOSING IN ITS LATEST RECALL WILL FIX THIS PROBLEM. WE TOLD OUR SERVICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS AND AT THE TIME, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL OR KNOWN ISSUE. WE NOW KNOW THERE IS A RECALL. IT'S THE 7TH OR 8TH FOR OUR VEHICLE. WE HAVE LITTLE FAITH THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL BE FIXED. ADDING AN ALARM WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM THAT THE SHIFT DEFAULTS TO NEUTRAL ON ITS OWN. WE ARE THINKING OF TRADING THE CAR, BUT WE LIKE THE CAR AND REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. HOWEVER, WE NO LONGER TRUST THE SHIFTER NOR JEEP

I PARKED THE CAR & PLACED THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK. THE ENGINE WAS STILL ON. I EXITED THE CAR TO MAIL A LETTER. THE CAR SUDDENLY ROLLED BACK HITTING A CAR THAT WAS WAITING FOR MY PARKING SPOT. THE ACCIDENT REPORT STATES THE CAR WAS "DRIVERLESS". I CONTACTED THE DEALER. RELUCTANTLY THEY EXAMINED THE CAR & SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. I ASKED HOW WAS IT POSSIBLE TO EXIT THE CAR IF IT WASN'T IN PARK. MY FOOT WOULD HAVE TO BE ON THE BRAKE OR IT WOULD ROLL. SO I COULDN'T EXIT THE CAR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE!! OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THE GEAR SHIFT. IT HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN & SLIPS UNLESS THE ENGINE IS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. I HAD NO WAY OF ENTERING THE CAR AS IT ROLLED TO PREVENT IT FROM HITTING ANOTHER CAR. IF I DID MOST PROBABLY I WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. TOWN & COUNTRY JEEP TOTALLY DISREGARDED MY COMPLAINT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. AFTER SHIFTING INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 28,000.

TRANSMISSION ELECTRONIC SHIFT LEVER. IN APRIL 2015 MY VEHICLE ROLLED INTO A PARKING LOT GUARDRAIL, AFTER I THOUGHT THE SHIFT LEVER WAS IN PARK. THE LEFT FRONT FENDER WAS DAMAGED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. I FILED A REIMBURSEMENT CLAIM WITH FCA ON 05-27-16 AND WAS RECENTLY DENIED.

ON 3/22/16 I WENT TO A TENNIS TOURNAMENT WITH 2 FRIENDS. I DROVE OUR JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. ONCE I PARKED IN THE FLAT/SURFACE LOT I EXITED THE CAR TO WALK TO THE REAR OF THE CAR TO ENTER THE TRUNK AND REALIZED THE CAR WAS STILL I GEAR. THIS SAME SITUATION HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES, OFTEN WHEN WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF ACCESSING THE REAR DOORS OR THE TRUNK. THIS IS OUR FAMILY VEHICLE AND WHEN WE ARE WITH THE KIDS THIS HAPPENS IT HAS SCARED US FROM DRIVING THE VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V240000 (POWER TRAIN); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,700.

ON THE MORNING OF THURSDAY 3/6/14, AS I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK, I STOPPED MY JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE AT THE END OF MY DRIVEWAY TO PICK UP MY NEWSPAPER. (I THOUGHT) I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND EXITED MY VEHICLE. AS I WAS PICKING UP THE PAPER, I REALIZED THE CAR WAS ROLLING BACKWARD, DOWN THE REMAINDER OF MY DRIVEWAY AND ACROSS MY CUL-DE-SAC. AS I RAN BESIDE THE CAR I SAW THE CAR WAS IN REVERSE. I WAS CERTAIN I HAD PUT THE CAR IN PARK! REALIZING THAT NOTHING WAS GOING TO STOP THE CAR UNTIL IT HIT SOMETHING (OPTIONS WERE A FIRE HYDRANT OR MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE,) I FOOLISHLY ATTEMPTED TO JUMP IN THE CAR TO STOP IT. I MISSED.... BADLY. AFTER TRYING TO JUMP INTO A MOVING VEHICLE AND MISSING, I FELL TO THE STREET. I WAS ON MY BACK. AT THAT MOMENT I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO BE RUN OVER. I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS IN RELATION TO THE CAR AND, IN THAT SPLIT SECOND, PREPARED FOR THE WORST. I COUNTED MYSELF "LUCKY" WHEN THE VEHICLE "ONLY" RAN OVER MY LEFT LOWER LEG, ANKLE AND FOOT! THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST, LUCKILY, IN A SNOWBANK ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY HOUSE (PICTURE ATTACHED). AAA WAS CALLED TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE SNOWBANK, AS IT HIGH-CENTERED. I SOUGHT MEDICAL TREATMENT. I HAD A BADLY SPRAINED ANKLE AND DAMAGE TO MY LEFT FOOT ARCH. I HAVE NOT WALKED CORRECTLY SINCE AND CONTINUE TO HAVE PAIN IN THE ARCH OF MY FOOT AND KNEES. WHILE I TOLD MY NEIGHBORS AND CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, I DID NOT NOTIFY MY CAR DEALER AS I THOUGHT THE INCIDENT WAS MY NEGLIGENCE BY NOT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK. IT HAS ONLY BEEN THROUGH THE RECENT MEDIA THAT I REALIZE THAT I AM ANOTHER VICTIM OF THIS VEHICLE'S GEAR SHIFT DEFECT.

ON 8/3/2015 A EMPLOYEE OF DISCOUNT TIRE OF LAKE WORTH,TX DROVE OUR 2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO INTO A CONCRETE POLE. THE EMPLOYEE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS IN REVERSE, WHEN IN ACTUALITY THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. WHEN HE STEPPED ON THE GAS HE DROVE FORWARD INTO A CONCRETE POLE. HIS EXPLANATION AS TO WHY WAS DUE TO THE LAG (OR PING) BETWEEN REQUESTING A COMMAND AND SEEING THE LED SCREEN INDICATE THE SELECTION. MY WIFE AND I HAVE SEEN THIS FIRST HAND, IT IS VERY POSSIBLE TO OVERSHOOT THE INTENDED GEAR, AND TRY AND CORRECT BEFORE THE DISPLAY HAS ACCURATELY INDICATED THE ACTUAL GEAR. ADDITIONALLY THE INDICATION LIGHTS ON THE SHIFTER ARE COVERED BY THE USER HAND WHEN OPERATING. THIS FORCES THE OPERATOR TO STARE AT THE INDICATORS IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER, WHICH AS STATED BEFORE HAVE A NOTICEABLE LAG BETWEEN INDICATIONS. IT IS THE SOFTWARE LAG, AND THE FACT THE SHIFTER ALWAYS SPRINGS BACK TO THE SAME POSITIONS THAT HAS CAUSE CONFUSION. FCA CLEARLY KNEW OF THE ISSUES AS THEY STOPPED PRODUCED THE PIVOTING SHIFTERS FROM 2014-2015. STARTING IN 2016 ALL JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE MODELS HAVE A MECHANICAL SHIFTER THAT MOVED TO DIFFERENT DEDENTS FOR GEAR SELECTIONS. THE ENTIRE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A MECHANICAL MODEL SUCH AS THE ONES USED IN 2016 AND UP JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES.