Owners have detailed several complaints to NHTSA who said their Grand Cherokees rolled away while parked, including one person in Michigan who said a child was injured exiting the rollaway vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating complaints that gear selector handles on Jeep Grand Cherokees may slip out of park and cause the car to roll away, Automotive News is reporting.
A similar transmission selector was used in the 2014 Chrysler 300. An owner complained of a similar problem in that car, where it rolled away and crashed into two other vehicles.
Chrysler changed the transmission selector in 2015 in both cars, but it’s unclear if the investigation or owner complaints prompted the switch. Many people ( including yours truly ) thought the handle was slightly confusing to use, and several NHTSA complaints echo that sentiment.
According to the agency, roughly 408,000 cars could be impacted by a potential recall.
As part of its settlement with the government, an independent monitor will review Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s handling of recalls for two years.
We reached out to FCA for comment on the investigation, but haven’t heard back.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified the safety administration that is investigating the complaints. It is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.Â