NHTSA complaint: 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH
ON DECEMBER 31, 2000, I PROCEEDED TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY IN MY 1993 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE VEHICLE IN "PARK" AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. I EXITED THE VEHICLE WITH THE ENGINE RUNING TO RETRIEVE AN ITEM FROM MY HOUSE. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, THE CAR STARTING ROLLING BACKWARDS AND GAINED SPEED AS IT TRAVELED DOWN MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR BACKED INTO THE FRONT PORCH AREA OF THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET. WHEN MY HUSBAND RAN TO THE CAR, IT WAS ENGAGED IN "REVERSE." THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS STILL ENGAGED, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. A FEW WEEKS AGO, I READ IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF JEEP GRAND CHEROKEES INVOLVED IN SIMILAR CONDITIONS. THIS WHOLE TIME, I QUESTIONED THE POSSIBILITY OF NOT ACTUALLY PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK. NOW THAT THESE REPORTS HAVE SURFACED, I AM SURE THAT I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK BEFORE EXITING.*AK
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation