NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE15-030: Powered vehicle rollaway
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE15-030 on August 20, 2015 and closed it on February 5, 2016. NHTSA's investigations file lists the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango for it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE15-030 (also written PE15030)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed February 5, 2016
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Chrysler (FCA US, LLC)
- Components
- Power Train — Automatic Transmission; Power Train — Automatic Transmission — Gear Position Indication (PRNDL)
- Vehicles and equipment
- Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango
A recall appears here only when NHTSA's investigations file links one to the investigation; NHTSA's summary or record can name others.
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE15-030.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE15-030 on August 20, 2015,to investigate 14 complaints alleging incidents of rollaway after intended shifts to Park in Model Year (MY) 2014 and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees vehicles. The MY 2014-2015 Grand Cherokee vehicles are equipped with Monostable electronic (E-shift) gearshift assemblies supplied by ZF Group (ZF). The E-shift system operates electronically and the gear requested by the driver is transmitted from the shifter via the CAN Bus to the Transmission Control Module which makes the requested shift. The Monostable gearshift does not move into a detent but springs back to a centered/neutral position after the driver selects a gear and releases the shifter. A button on the shift knob must be depressed to shift out of Park, shift out of Neutral, and to shift from Drive to Reverse or Park.
The gear selected is shown on a display in the dash and illuminated letters on the shifter. If the driver's door is opened when the gearshift is not in Park, a chime sounds and a message is displayed on the instrument panel to warn the driver.
In addition, the engine Start/Stop push-button control logic does not permit normal engine shut-off when the transmission is not in Park. This logic may provide feedback to drivers who attempt to turn the engine off when the transmission is not in Park. However, this function does not protect drivers who intentionally leave the engine running or drivers who do not recognize that the engine is still running.
NHTSA testing during PE15-030 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.
ODI?s analysis of the PE15-030 complaint and field report data identified 306 incidents of vehicle rollaway followingintended shifts to Park in the 2014-2015 Grand Cherokee. These resulted in 117 alleged crashes. Twenty-eight of the crashes reportedly caused injuries, including 3 with a fractured pelvis and 4 others requiring some degree of hospitalization (a ruptured bladder, fractured kneecap, broken ribs, damaged to right leg). Other injuries include reports of a broken nose, facial lacerations requiring stitches, sprained knees, severe bruising, and trauma to legs.
An Engineering Analysis (EA16-002) has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. The Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) associated with the closing of this Preliminary Evaluation are:10823099, 10822939, 10822442, 10820488, 10817252, 10810551, 10810051, 10809691, 10809024, 10807839, 10807416, 10794318, 10787947, 10787576, 10785790, 10783597, 10778854, 10775391, 10767488, 10766494, 10763333, 10763284, 10763082, 10762457, 10761498, 10760980, 10760729, 10760702, 10760081, 10759979, 10759669, 10759622, 10759568, 10759548, 10759533, 10759287, 10759278, 10759198, 10759186, 10759157, 10759131, 10759102, 10759082, 10759066, 10759047, 10759046, 10733158, 10730952, 10716526, 10711893, 10683556, 10679497, 10676998, 10668651, 10662619, 10662308, 10631167, 10605865, 10583366, 10567538, 10555901, and 10537653.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE15-030. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Dodge
Dodge Durango
Jeep
All Jeep recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Free VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE15-030
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.