ASSOCIATED PRESS / 2020
The Ram truck logo at the 2020 Pittsburgh International Auto Show in Pittsburgh, USA. UU. Es auto protection regulators may not call for a recall after a seven-year investigation into court cases indicating that more than a million Dodge and Ram cars can drive after being parked.
DETROIT (AP) — U. S. auto protection regulators likely wouldn’t file for a recall after a seven-year investigation into court cases alleging Dodge and Ram cars can roll after parking.
The problem is similar to the one attributed to the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin, though the company is in the process of recalling its 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee to fix the problem.
The research, which began in December 2016, covered approximately 1. 3 million Ram 1500 pickup trucks from the 2013 to 2017 design years, as well as Dodge Durango SUVs from 2014 to 2017.
The issue is with dial-shaped electronic rotary shift selection knobs, which were new at the time, and others from earlier mechanical shifters that used a lever to choose gears. The buttons rotate left or right and have seals that snap into place.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents released Monday that it and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, have won about 1,500 court cases in which cars drive after drivers park them.
But the firm said it had uncovered no evidence that a design or production defect was the implementation incidents. In addition, Fiat Chrysler conducted a “customer satisfaction campaign” to update software so that cars park automatically if the driver’s door is opened.
The company said it monitored cars that gained the update and found the service campaign “effective in reducing the frequency of vehicle motion incidents on affected cars. “
The researchers also analyzed reports that the cars had been running even after the software update, but located any “actionable defects” causing the problems. The firm also said that after the service campaign, cases in visiting courts decreased significantly.
“Given the absence of a known security defect based on available data and the FCA’s visitor satisfaction campaign addressing the failure mode, no further action is warranted at this time,” the company wrote.
In a statement, Stellantis said it agreed with NHTSA’s findings and “is pleased that our update has resonated with customers. “
Yelchin, 27, known as Chekov in the Star Trek film series, died in June 2016 after his Jeep pinned him against a mailbox pillar and security door at his Los Angeles home.
His Grand Cherokee SUV was among a group of vehicles recalled because of complaints from drivers who had trouble telling if they put the console-mounted shift levers in park after stopping. Many reported that the vehicles rolled off after the driver exited.
The Grand Cherokee’s shift levers, like Yelchin’s, had to be moved forward or backward to replace the gears, which many drivers do. During the recall, Fiat Chrysler replaced software so that cars park automatically if the driver’s door is opened.
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