It looks like Chrysler’s shifter troubles are far from over. U.S. safety regulators are investigating 1 million Ram pickups and Dodge SUVs because of complaints that the vehicles may roll away after being parked.
The investigation involves 2013-2016 Ram 1500 pickups and 2014-2016 Dodge Durangos. The government has received 25 complaints from owners claiming their vehicles rolled away, with a total of nine reported injuries. The vehicles under this probe have a rotary gear shifter instead of a traditional gear stick, unlike many other vehicles FCA has recalled in the past for rollaway problems.
More than a million FCA vehicles around the world, including Dodge Charger, Chrysler 300, and Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs, were recalled earlier this year for rollaways. Drivers may exit the vehicle before the eight-speed automatic transmission is fully set in “Park,” and regulators have concluded that alerts aren’t adequate enough to warn drivers. The issue has been linked to a whopping 266 crashes, 308 reports of property damage, and 68 injuries, the government says.
In June, “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin was killed after his 2015 Grand Cherokee rolled back and pinned him against a wall and a fence. His parents filed a wrongful death lawsuit against FCA a few months later.
Regulators could end up recalling the Ram pickups and Dodge SUVs they are currently investigating. For now, drivers are advised to activate the parking brake before exiting these vehicles.
Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)
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