1996 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

CAR WENT INTO REVERSE WHEN PARKED "PARK" REVERSED INTO A TREE DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE REAR END. THEN, TWO MONTHS LATER, I WAS PARKED IN PARK IN FRONT OF OUR FARM GATE, MOTOR RUNNING, WHEN I HOPPED OUT TO GET THE MAIL FROM THE BOX ACROSS THE LANE. AS I STARTED TO LEAVE THE OPEN DOOR, THE CAR STARTED TO MOVE FROM THE STOPPED POSITION IN REVERSE. I RAN ALONGSIDE AND JUMPED BACK IT AND STOMPED ON THE BRAKE. IT WAS THIS TIME THAT I LOOKED AT THE GEAR SHIFT AND NOTED THAT IT HAD MOVED FROM THE PARK POSITION TO A PLACE JUST ABOVE THE R FOR REVERSE BUT INDEED WAS IN REVERSE! MY BODY SHOP PERSON HAD INFORMED ME OF ANOTHER JEEP OWNER WHO WAS PINNED AGAINST HIS GARAGE DOOR WHEN HIS JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE WENT FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. I CAN GET HIM TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THIS ORGANIZATION. THE DEALERS RESPONSE TO ME WAS "I PROPBABLY DID NOT HAVE IT IN GEAR PROPERLY AND DID I HAVE THE PARKING BRAKE ON?" BELIEVE ME WHEN I SAY.....I SURE PUT IT ON NOW AND CHECK IT DOUBLE BUT SURE DON'T TRUST IT ENOUGH TO IDLE IN PARK......ALTHOUGH AFTER DRIVING FOR 35 YEARS I HAVE NEVER HAD THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER CARS OR TRUCKS! THE FUEL PUMP HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN A PROBLEM FOR THEM AS THE DEALER SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL FAILURES "BUT NO RECALL" THE PUMP HAS TO BE REPLACED BY FACTORY PART AT $500 PLUS DOLLARS WITH AN ADDITIONAL $700.00 FOR LABOR TO INSTALL "AND EVEN THEN, WE CAN'T GUARANTEE IT BUT FOR 6 MONTHS! THANKS TO THE LA TIMES FOR THE ARTICLE