Monday, June 20, 2016

Ah, one of those great products for which the executives get huge income by stinting on quality control.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/anton-yelchin-jeep-appears-to-have-not-yet-gotten-recall-fix/

June 20, 2016

The SUV that rolled down a driveway and killed "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin was being recalled because the gear shifters have confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly, government records show.

Yelchin died when his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled down his driveway early Sunday, pinning the 27-year-old against a brick mailbox pillar and a security fence.

Jeep Grand Cherokees were in the process of being recalled because the gear shifters have confused drivers, causing the vehicles to roll away unexpectedly.

CBS News correspondent Kris Van Cleave reports sources have confirmed reports that it appears Yelchin's car had not yet been given the fix necessary to prevent the issue.

Additionally, a LAPD spokesperson confirmed to CBS News the vehicle was on when it rolled back, which is very much in line with the complaints about the defect in the Jeep.

While the Jeeps do offer an alert on the dash and an audible tone if you push the off button while the car is not in park, it does not have a fail-safe like other car makers. Vehicles from other manufacturers with electronic shifters have a fail-safe that turns the car off or shifts automatically to park if a driver pushes the off button and opens the door.

Last month, Van Cleave reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was investigating more than 850,000 vehicles. Most were 2014 and 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokees equipped with "e-shift" transmissions. Those transmissions lack the typical grooves and sensation of moving the car into park, drive or reverse..

Most 2015 model year Grand Cherokees were part of a global recall of 1.1 million vehicles announced by Fiat Chrysler in April.

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