2000 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

AFTER BEING SIDE-SWIPED I EXITED MY VEHICLE LEAVING THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE TRANSMISSION IN WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE PARK. AFTER A SHORT TIME MY VEHICLE, ON ITS OWN, BACKED INTO ANOTHER JEEP PARKED IN THE INTERSECTION BEHIND ME. AT THE TIME I BELIEVED I LEFT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL. SOMETIME TOWARDS THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR I READ OF A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL STATING THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TO STAY IN PARK BUT THE ARTICLE FURTHER STATED IT WAS FOR MODEL YEARS UP TO 1999 ONLY. SUBSEQUENTLY I READ THAT LATER MODELS ALSO HAD THIS PROBLEM (A FLAT SPOT BETWEEN PARK AND REVERSE CAUSING THE TRTANSMISSION TO HOLD THE VEHICLE IN PARK WITHOUT THE DETENT LOCKING IT IN PARK). WITH THIS INFORMATION I TRIED TO SIMULATE THE PROBLEM ON MY VEHICLE. TO MY SURPRISE I COULD EASILY SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION ONTO THE FLAT SPOT WITHOUT THE PARK DETENT LOCKING INTO PARK AND WITH JUST THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH OF THE SHIFTING LEVER CAUSE THE TREANSMISSION TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THIS COULD ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. I NOW QUESTION IF THE SECOND PART OF MY ACCIDENT (MY VEHICLE BACKING INTO THE CAR BEHIND MINE) WAS CAUSED BY THIS DESIGN FLAW IN THE TRANSMISSION. I REPORTED MY FINDINGS TO THE DEALER'S SERVICE MANAGER BUT WAS TOLD "...TO TALK WITH THE BODY SHOP THAT REPAIRED THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE" (I DID NOT TSLK WITH THE BODY SHOP AS THIS SOLUTION SOUNDED RIDICULOUS).*AK