NHTSA safety investigation
NHTSA Investigation RQ03005
Recall Query · Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) · POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
An investigation is not a finding that a defect exists.
NHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
What NHTSA is examining
The agency's own description of the inquiry, quoted as published
AUTO TRANS IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK
THREE OF THE MANFACTURER COMPLAINTS AND TWO OF THE MANUFACTURER CRASHES REPORTED ABOVE WERE DUPLICATES OF ODI REPORTS.THE MAJORITY OF CRASHES OCCURRED AFTER OPERATORS PARKED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT ENGAGING PARK GEAR POSITION; A NON-FUNCTIONAL IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED TO PREVENT KEY REMOVAL BEFORE THE OPERATORS EXITED THE VEHICLE.MOST OF THE CRASHES WERE MINOR AND INVOLVED MINOR PROPERTY DAMAGE.FOUR OF THE INJURY INCIDENTS OCCURRED WHEN UNATTENDED CHILDREN MOVED THE GEARSHIFT FROM THE PARK POSITION CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY, ONE INJURY OCCURRED WHEN THE OPERATOR WAS STRUCK BY A ROLL-AWAY VEHICLE AFTER PARKING AND EXITING.ALL INJURIES WERE RELATIVELY MINOR.A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURES APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO DISENGAGEMENT OF THE INTERLOCK PIN THAT RIDES IN THE INTERLOCK LEVER SLOT WITHIN THE SHIFT MECHANISM.AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS WILL BE OPENED TO FURTHER STUDY INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURES.
An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.
Investigation details
Identifiers, dates and outcome as recorded by NHTSA
- Action number
- RQ03005
- Investigation type
- Recall Query (RQ)
- Status
- Closed
- Manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Component
- POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
- Opened
- Apr 8, 2003
- Closed
- Jul 16, 2003
- Associated recall campaign
- None recorded
Vehicles named in this investigation
4 model years across 4 models
Being named here means NHTSA included the vehicle in the scope of its inquiry. It is not a statement that these vehicles have a defect.