FCA’s Electronic Gear Shifter Linked to 266 Crashes, 68 Injuries

The confusing gearshift system being recalled by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV has been linked to 266 crashes and 68 injuries in the U.S., according to an investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

FCA agreed in April to recall 1.1 million cars and SUVs equipped with the so-called “e-shifter.” The company soon began alerting customers about the problem but didn’t plan to begin repairs until this summer.

NHTSA closed its engineering analysis of the system last Friday. That was five days after “Star Trek” actor Anton Yelchin was killed when his recalled Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled away and pinned him against a brick pillar and security gate.

The agency’s analysis concluded the shifter appears to violate basic design guidelines by requiring overly complex and unintuitive actions for routine operations. Conventional shift levers have a separate position for each gear option, including Park. FCA’s system is spring-loaded and returns to the same position after each selection. Operators can’t tell which gear the vehicle is in without inspecting a display on the shift handle or in the instrument panel.

The agency’s probe discovered 686 complaints from consumers who say the shifter can leave them uncertain about which gear they have selected. NHTSA notes that the FCA system prevents the engine from being turned off when the vehicle is stopped but not in Park. This is supposed to alert the driver that the vehicle is in neutral or still in gear.

But NHTSA says customer complaints indicate that users may either incorrectly believed they had shifted to Park before their vehicle rolled away, or didn’t notice the engine was still running when they exited the vehicle.

FCA is now distributing software updates to dealers. The new code will make the affected transmissions automatically shift into Park when the vehicle is stopped and the driver’s door is opened, regardless of whether the engine is running.