Fiat Chrysler Recall Alert

Electronic Gearshifts

Fiat Chrysler has announced its plans to recall and make repairs to electronic gearshifts in its vehicles. This decision comes after the news of the death of a young and up-and-coming actor, Anton Yelchin, who was recently killed after his Grand Cherokee rolled forward and crushed him against his security gate. Yelchin was only 27 years old.

A recent report in the New York Times cites that there have been hundreds of these kinds of rollaway accidents already. Fiat Chrysler had been made aware of 700 complaints against the electronic gearshift back in August of 2015 by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the NHTSA’s information, not only were there 700 complaints regarding the shifter, but there were also 41 injuries caused by it. Additionally, there were 200 automobile crashes involving the electronic gearshift. At that point in time, Fiat Chrysler made no repairs to its vehicles nor did they recall any models.

At this point in time, however, Fiat Chrysler has launched an official vehicle recall. The models affected by this recall are the 2014 Grand Cherokee, the 2012-2014 Dodge Charger and the Chrysler 300. Fiat Chrysler plans to install software updates in the vehicles that will allow for an “auto-park” feature. The reason for this repair is that the electronic gearshifts have had problems in the “park” position, causing the same kind of rollaway accident that recently claimed actor Anton Yelchin’s life.

If you own any of the above Fiat Chrysler models, please contact your nearest automobile dealer to get information on all recalls and repairs to insure that your vehicle is safe to be operated.   

Philadelphia Products Liability Lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP Represent Those Injured by Automobile Defects

Philadelphia products liability lawyers at Galfand Berger can help answer your questions. If you or someone you know has been injured by a product, please give us a call. With offices located in Philadelphia, Reading and Bethlehem, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.