Jeep and Chrysler recall almost 50,000 cars in Australia because they can roll away when left in ‘park’

THE death of actor Anton Yelchin, who was pinned by his car after it rolled down a steep driveway, has shone a spotlight on Jeep’s recall of 1.1 million cars.

Almost 50,000 Jeep and Chrysler vehicles are being recalled because they can roll away when left in ‘park’. Picture: Supplied.

JEEP is recalling almost 50,000 vehicles in Australia because they can roll away when the automatic transmission is left in the “park” position — a fault that has been linked to the death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin in the US this week.

According to US reports, the actor was found “pinned” against a gate post by his Jeep Grand Cherokee after it rolled backwards down a steep driveway.

A recall of 1.1 million Jeep and Chrysler vehicles was already underway in the US when the actor’s death occurred.

The car maker is investigating whether or not the recall work had been done to his vehicle prior to the incident.

A statement from Jeep in the US issued condolences to the actor’s family but said it was “premature to speculate on the cause of this tragedy”.

A warning issued today by the Australian Government’s recalls.gov.au website says: “The vehicle may roll away striking and injuring the driver, passenger or bystanders”.

The recall notice says drivers “may inadvertently fail to engage the ‘park’ position before exiting the vehicle”.

The recall has shone a spotlight on the design of the automatic gear levers used in the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300 sedan, which are easy to not engage into ‘park’ properly.

Jeep and Chrysler Australia says it is voluntarily recalling 47,451 vehicles to “enhance transmission warnings and transmission-shift strategy” via a software update.

The company says there have been no reports of “roll away” incidents in Australia.

The recall modifications will combine warnings and a transmission-shift strategy to “automatically prevent a vehicle from moving, under certain circumstances, even if the driver fails to select ‘park’.”

In the meantime, Jeep and Chrysler Australia “urges all customers to refer to their owner’s manual that outlines correct operation of the Grand Cherokee and Chrysler 300 transmission, including selecting park, ensuring the engine is switched off and engaging the parking brake before exiting the vehicle.”

The recall affects 2014-2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WDs (44,212 vehicles) and 2012-2014 Chrysler 300 sedans (3239 vehicles) equipped with electronic shift levers that return to a centre position after selecting drive, neutral, reverse or park.

Jeep and Chrysler have issued nine recall notices in Australia in the first six months of this year, compared to 12 for the 2015 calendar year and a record 16 the year before.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling