The agency closed the investigation after Fiat Chrysler agreed to recall 1.1 million vehicles that are fitted with the faulty gear shifter.
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Actor Anton Yelchin, best known for playing the young Russian starship navigator Chekov in the relaunched series of “Star Trek” movies, died on June 19 when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee pinned him against a mailbox pillar and security fence at his home, according to Los Angeles police who are continuing to investigate the crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has linked 266 crashes and 68 injuries to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ recalled e-shifter, federal regulators announced on Tuesday.
An FCA spokesman says the company hasn’t been served with the lawsuit and it would be inappropriate to comment.
Hagens Berman says that because of the negative publicity surrounding the gear shifter defect, owners of these vehicles have lost value in their cars. Gear-selection is shown by indicator lights, not the position of the shifter. “The vehicle was not in reverse and crashed into the vehicle that was parked … across the street”.
The company also urged drivers to make doubly sure they are in park when getting out of their auto. Rather than the shift knob itself moving to slot into gear, it is operated like a joystick where you simply push forward or backwards to choose the gear you want. BMWs are equipped with a comparable gear shifter, but they automatically shift into park if the driver’s door is opened and the brake pedal released.
Chrysler says it will make sure a vehicle automatically shifts to PARK if vehicle speed drops to 1.2 miles per hour or less within 5 seconds of the attempted shift to PARK.
To fix the problem, Fiat Chrysler has developed new software that can be installed by dealers that will add safety functions.
“FCA US extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. Yelchin”, the statement said.
Yelchin’s model of SUV, a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was part of a global recall in April after drivers reported having trouble telling if their automatic transmissions were in park or not.
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About 52,144 vehicles in Canada, 16,805 in Mexico and 248,667 elsewhere outside of the United States are also affected.
