DaimlerChrysler recently announced that they cannot find any mechanical reason that Grand Cherokees would spontaneously jump gears - a problem that several consumers have reported in recent months. Here's the story from Yahoo! News:
DaimlerChrysler AG says it can find no mechanical problems that would cause 1995-1998 Jeep Grand Cherokees to suddenly shift from park into reverse.
The automaker's assessment is part of a response, due Wednesday, to questions posed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
NHTSA began an investigation in July, saying it has received 48 complaints of an ``inadvertent rollaway in reverse'' from owners of 1995-1998 Grand Cherokees.
No deaths have been reported, but the incidents have led to 32 crashes and 14 injuries, according to reports to the agency. Most of the incidents reportedly occurred while the sport utility vehicles were idling with the gearshift in the ``park'' position.
In its response to questions from NHTSA, the automaker said in a written statement it would ``continue to explore whether ergonomic or other differences may affect the rate of complaint.''
DaimlerChrysler said it also has commissioned a study to further explore the problem, focusing on the difference in complaint rate for the 1998 model year and other model years.
Since the 1999 model year, Jeep Grand Cherokees have been equipped with a different transmission.
The automaker said it also is examining how the driver interacts with the vehicle. It says NHTSA has acknowledged the interaction is a critical factor in accidents like those under investigation.
