Fiat Chrysler (NYSE:FCAU) fell 7.6% to a 52-week low after the NHTSA released documents over the weekend that suggested a broader examination of claims that some of its vehicles can roll away when a driver thanks the transmission has been set to park. Federal regulators recently announced that they had intensified an investigation into about 856,000 Fiat Chrysler models associated with the issue.
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The agency opened an investigation in August of 408,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUVs and upgraded it to an engineering analysis, adding the Dodge and Chrysler cars to its probe.
Numerous crashes occurred soon after the vehicles were purchased. But the gearshift does not have notches that match up with the gear you want to shift into and moves back to a centered position after the driver picks a gear.
Most of the complaints involved 2014-15 models of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, and other models involved were the Chrylser 300 and Dodge Charger.
The shifters are apparently so confusing that drivers have exited the vehicles while they’re in gear.
The console shifter on a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects said that testing “indicates that operation of the Monostable shifter is not intuitive and provides poor tactile and visual feedback to the driver, increasing the potential for unintended gear selection”. Of those accidents, 30 have resulted in injuries, including a fractured pelvis, a ruptured bladder, fractured kneecap, broken ribs, leg damage, broken nose and facial lacerations requiring stitches.
NHTSA says the system doesn’t protect a driver who intentionally leaves the engine running or for a driver who does not recognize the engine keeps running after an attempted shut-down.
NHTSA says the 2015 models of those cars aren’t affected because Chrysler changed the shifter design in 2015.
One driver, in Atkinson, N.H., complained that in November of a year ago, her 2014 Grand Cherokee began traveling in reverse with no driver inside. “It terrifies me to drive this vehicle”.
“I think the best thing for consumers isn’t that legislation comes”, he said.
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Fiat Chrysler is facing increasing heat over the rollaway problems found with some of its vehicles.
