Back in April of 2016 Inserra & Kelley reached out to its readership to warn that Fiat Chrysler announced a recall of 1.1 million vehicles throughout the world because of a gear shift design causing driver confusion over what gear vehicles are in. As said, even though vehicles have two reminders in place for safety, including a chiming/alert message if the door is opened when not in park and an indicator light that tells drivers what gear it is in, drivers have had difficulty. Fiat Chrysler decided, after at least 41 injuries had been reported by April, 2016, that they would work on a fix. The latest news on the issue has assured consumers that there is a fix for the Jeep gear shift problem that, unfortunately, ended up taking the life of actor, Anton Yelchin in June, 2016. Unfortunately for Mr. Yelchin and the loved ones he left behind, his written recall notice to owners was mailed seven days after his death due to the defect. Yelchin’s heartbroken family is now suing, with their suit alleging that Yelchin’s SUV gear selector was defective, and its poor design the reason the SUV rolled out of its parked position on Anton’s steep driveway, trapping the young 27-year-old between a brick wall and the car. The suit further states that the beloved Anton Yelchin was crushed and lingered alive for some time, trapped and suffocating until his death.
As said in April, the affected vehicles for the recall include 2012 to 2014 Dodge Chargers and Chrysler 300 sedans, as well as 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee sports utility vehicles. The gear shift has already been changed by Fiat Chrysler in newer vehicles, so they have known this design to be a problem while making newer models.
If you suspect your Fiat Chrysler vehicle may be the subject of the gear shift recall, contact Fiat Chrysler or your nearest dealer immediately. If you or a loved one has been injured or worse due to the confusing shift design, do not hesitate to contact the professionals at Inserra & Kelley Law Offices to see if you may be entitled to compensation.