NHTSA complaint: 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE VISITING A RELATIVE MY 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WAS PARKED ON A DRIVEWAY THAT SLOPES DOWN A BIT. WHILE LOADING THE CAR AND IN A MOMENT OF INADVERTENCE, MY 2 YEAR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR OF MY VEHICLE AND CLIMB BEHIND THE WHEEL AND SHIFT THE CAR FROM 'PARK' INTO A DIFFERENT GEAR. MY SON WAS ABLE TO DO THIS WITHOUT THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION AND (OBVIOUSLY) HE WAS UNABLE TO REACH ANY PEDALS. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE VEHICLE STARTED MOVING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, CROSSED A 2 LANE STREET AND STRUCK THE SIDE CURB AND A MAILBOX ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND THE MAILBOX THAT WAS TAKEN DOWN BY THE CAR. AFTER THIS INCIDENT I CALLED CHRYSLER AND INFORMED THEM ABOUT THIS ACCIDENT AND THAT IN MY OPINION THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ACCIDENT. THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM IS AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE THAT PREVENTS ANYONE FROM SHIFTING GEARS WITHOUT SUPPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. CHRYSLER DID ASSIGN AN INVESTIGATOR WHO INSPECTED MY CAR AT A LOCAL CHRYSLER DEALERSHIP. THEY DECLINED MY COMPLAINT 'THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF A MALFUNCTION WHICH WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO MOVE ITSELF.' AS OF TODAY, THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THE ISSUE WITH THE SHIFT-BRAKE-INTERLOCK SYSTEM AND MYSELF AM ABLE TO EASILY MOVE THIS CAR FROM 'PARK' TO 'NEUTRAL' OR ANY OTHER POSITION WITHOUT KEYS IN THE IGNITION AND/OR WITHOUT SUPPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. I FEEL THAT CHRYSLER DID NOT INVESTIGATE MY COMPLAINT THOROUG
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation