Anton Yelchin, the actor best known for playing Chekhov in the reboot of the "Star Trek" movies, unexpectedly died Sunday when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled down his driveway and trapped him against a security gate. When friends discovered Yelchin’s body, they found his Jeep Grand Cherokee idling in neutral.
The Grand Cherokee uses a “monostable electronic gearshift assembly,” which resembles an arcade joystick. To shift gears, drivers push the gearstick forward or backward and hold it there until the change registers on the display. Drivers then release the gearstick, which springs back into its centered position.
According to a preliminary report from NHTSA in February, the design led to 314 complaints involving rollaway incidents, and 121 alleged crashes. Thirty of those crashes reportedly involved injuries — including four cases so serious that people had to be hospitalized for broken bones or ruptured organs.
The shifter “is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection,” the report warned.
In April, manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced a voluntary recall for these cars, citing 41 reports of injuries. Over 800,000 of the estimated 1.1 million cars were sold in the U.S.
Fiat Chrysler sent affected drivers a letter in May telling them that it was working on a fix, and that they should prepare to bring their cars in for repairs later this year. In the meantime, the company told drivers to shift gears carefully. "ALWAYS DO A VISUAL CHECK that your vehicle is in 'PARK,'" the letter said. FCA also advised drivers to always use the parking brake.
According to the recall report, the company planned to begin repairs later this summer by updating the software in these cars. It has also stopped using this shifter design in its new cars. The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a conventional shifter
The Grand Cherokee uses a “monostable electronic gearshift assembly,” which resembles an arcade joystick. To shift gears, drivers push the gearstick forward or backward and hold it there until the change registers on the display. Drivers then release the gearstick, which springs back into its centered position.
According to a preliminary report from NHTSA in February, the design led to 314 complaints involving rollaway incidents, and 121 alleged crashes. Thirty of those crashes reportedly involved injuries — including four cases so serious that people had to be hospitalized for broken bones or ruptured organs.
The shifter “is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection,” the report warned.
In April, manufacturer Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced a voluntary recall for these cars, citing 41 reports of injuries. Over 800,000 of the estimated 1.1 million cars were sold in the U.S.
Fiat Chrysler sent affected drivers a letter in May telling them that it was working on a fix, and that they should prepare to bring their cars in for repairs later this year. In the meantime, the company told drivers to shift gears carefully. "ALWAYS DO A VISUAL CHECK that your vehicle is in 'PARK,'" the letter said. FCA also advised drivers to always use the parking brake.
According to the recall report, the company planned to begin repairs later this summer by updating the software in these cars. It has also stopped using this shifter design in its new cars. The 2016 Jeep Grand Cherokee has a conventional shifter
