1998 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE Complaints

WAS PARKED AT A CONVIENCE STORE AND PLACED IN PARK. WHILE INSIDE THE STORE THE GEAR SHIFT JUMPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE AND DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING IDLED SO HIGH FROM THE FACTORY THE VEHICLE BACKED INTO THE STREET AND STRUCK A 95 DODGE PICKUP CAUSING CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO BOTH VEHICLES. THIS OCCURED ONE OTHER TIME BUT NO DAMAGE OCCURED AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE STOPPED BEFORE ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN. THERE WERE WITNESSES TO THE INCIDENT ON 11-20-01.*AK

VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AND JUMPED INTO REVERSE, HITTING A POLE, CONTACTED DEALER, AND CHRYSLER SENT OUT A REPRESENTATIVE TO TEST VEHICLE IN A SPECIAL INVESTIGATION, AND STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG. *AK

FUEL GUAGE INDICATOR MISREADS AMOUNT OF FUEL IN VEHICLE. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

VEHICLE JUMPED FROM PARK TO REVERSE WHILE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. DAMAGES WERE ESTIMATED AT THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS. CONSUMER WAS NOT PARKED ON AN INCLINE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

MY MAIL BOX IS ON A HILL AND TWICE NOW IT HAS JUMPED FROM P TO R. THE FIRST TIME I WAS STILL IN THE VEHICLE..NO PROBLEM. THE SECOND TIME IT ALMOST RAN OVER ME AS IT CAME DOWN THE HILL....I JUMPED IN TO STOP IT AND IT ALMOST ROLLED DOWN THE HILL AND THREW ME OUT THE DRIVERS SIDE...I HUNG ON AND IT BOUNCED OFF ONE SIDE OF ROAD AND INTO DITCH ON OPPOSITE SIDE WHERE DOOR CAUGHT AND IT BENT THE DOOR BACKWARDS BUT IT SLOWED MOMENTUM AND DID A 180 AND HEADED DOWN THE HILL FORWARDS. I WAS BRUISED UP BUT OK...NECK STILL HURTS SOME. SEEING CHIROPRACTOR...TURNED IN TO FARM BUREAU...HAD TO HAVE NEW DOOR AND SIDE PANELS.*AK

PE 1 021: ROLL AWAY IN PARK: WHILE PARKED AND IDLING IN PARKING LOT VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR, AND INADVERTENTLY ROLLED AWAY IN REVERSE HITTING A PARKED VEHICLE. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS MATTER. *AK

ON 9/20/01 AT 12:15AM I WAS PROCEEDING NORTH BOUND ON I-95 AND PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AT MILE MARKER 71.7 AFTER HEARING A NOISE UNDER THE JEEP. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK WITH AND LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING. I WAS ON A FLAT SURFACE, APRROX. 15 FEET OFF THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I EXITED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK 1 OR 2 STEPS TOWARD THE REAR WHEN THE DRIVERS DOOR HIT ME, THROWING ME TOWARD THE SEAT, WHERE I BECAME WEDGED BETWEEN THE DOOR FRAME AND FLOOR BELOW THE SEAT, THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. I WAS DRUG APPROX. 20-30 FEET BEFORE I BECAME DISLODGED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED IN REVERSE. I WAS ABLE TO GET UP AND RUN AFTER THE VEHICLE AND RE-ENTER THE JEEP AND APPLY THE BRAKE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE IT RAN OVER A 2 1/2 METAL POLE WITH A REFLECTOR ON IT. THE JEEP SUSTAINED FRONT AND REAR BUMPER DAMAGE AND BOTH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE INJURIES I SUSTAINED 1. MAJOR BRUISING TO MY TO MY CHEST, BREASTS AND BOTH ARMS. 2. LACERATION TO MY RIGHT ELBOW. 3. MAJOR ABRASION (ROAD RASH) TO MY LOWER ABDOMEN. 4. ABRASIONS TO BOTH KNEES. I CONTACTED DAIMLER CHRYSLER AND ON 11/1/01 AN INVESTIGATOR BY THE NAME OF JOHN TEDDER CAME TO EVALUATE THE VEHICLE. ON 10/14/01 I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM DAIMLER CHRYSLER, WHICH STATED THAT AFTER THEY REVIEWED THE INSPECTION REPORT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE VEHICLE. THEIR INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THROTTLE CABLE, RETURN SPRINGS AND ALL ASSOCIATED PARTS WERE OPERATING PROPERLY. IT ALSO NOTED THAT THE PARKING PAWL AND BRAKE INTER-LOCK SYSTEMS WERE ALSO OPERATING. THEREFORE, THEY DECLINE ANY RESPONSIBLITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE INCIDENT. CAN NHTSA PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED IF POSSIBLE TO ANY INVESTIGATIVE REPORTS YOU MAY HAVE?

WHEN I SHIFT FROM PARK INTO REVERSE, THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK SOUND COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE JEEP WILL BUCK. WHEN I QUESTIONED SERVICE MANAGER AT HUNTINGTON JEEP NUMEROUS TIMES REGARDING THIS SOUND HE CLAIMS THAT IT OCCURS IN OVER 50% OF THE JEEPS THAT THEY RECEIVE AND DOES NOT KNOW OF ANY ASSOCIATED PROBLEMS. THEY DID NOT FEEL THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN INSPECTION SINCE THIS WAS NOT A PROBLEM.*AK

SEATBELT BUTTON HAS TO HAVE A LOT OF PRESSURE APPLIED IN ORDER FOR SEATBELTS TO RELEASE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURHTER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE WAS LEFT RUNNING AND IN PARK. 45 SECONDS TO ONE MINUTE AFTER BEING PARKED, IT ROLLED BACKWARDS OUT OF THE PARKING SPOT, ACROSS A NARROW ROADWAY AND HIT A WALL. THE REVERSE LIGHTS DID NOT COME ON. I WITNESSED THE EVENT (FORTUNATELY NOBODY WAS INJURED - ALTHOUGH VERY, VERY CLOSE). HOWEVER, I PURSUED THE ISSUE WITHOUT SUCCESS. I WAS ABLE TO RECREATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SHIFTER EVEN THOUGH THEY AGREED THAT IT WAS VISIBLY SHOWING "PARK" BUT WAS IN FACT, ENGAGED IN REVERSE. I SUSPECTED THAT THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM BEFORE I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THEM. I SOLD THE CAR SHORTLY THEREAFTER AS A RESULT OF THE INCIDENT. I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAIN JUST IN CASE MY INCIDENT CAN HELP WITH THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT IN THE SHIFTER. I KNEW OTHERS WOULD HAVE THE SAME ISSUE AND SOONER OR LATER SOMETHING WOULD COME OF IT FOR CHRYSLER. I DOCUMENTED THE ENTIRE EVENT, HOWEVER, CURRENTLY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND MY DOCUMENTATION (THIS TOOK PLACE OVER 2 YEARS AGO. YET, I AM STILL LOOKING). I HOPE I CAN HELP WITH THE INVESTIGATION, I AM VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT AUTOMOBILES, THERE WAS DEFINITELY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE SHIFTER CONSOLE  I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN OF IT. *AK