FCA Sends Dealers a Software Fix for Jeep Rollaways

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is supplying its U.S. dealers with software to create an electronic “auto-park” feature in SUVs that could roll away unexpectedly, Automotive News reports.

The update will electronically shift the transmission into Park if the driver’s door is opened. The fix follows the death on Sunday of “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin, whose Grand Cherokee rolled forward and pinned him against a security gate.

The software fix will work in 2014-2015 model Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV equipped with 3.6-liter V-6 or 5.7-liter V-8 engines, according to AN. The newspaper says models powered by a 3.0-liter diesel or 6.4-liter V-8 will be recalled later this year.

In April FCA told 1.1 million customers it would begin this summer to recall their cars and SUVs, including Grand Cherokees, to fix the rollaway problem. The recall was prompted by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration probe that began last year in FCA’s unusual “shift-by-wire” system.

The shifter springs back to a neutral position after a gear selection rather than remaining in a different position as would a conventional shift lever. Drivers must check displays on the shifter and instrument panel to confirm which gear they have selected.

The system, used in high-end European sports cars, has been linked to more than 100 crashes and 41 injuries, apparently when operators thought they had shifted into Park but hadn’t.