The latest quarterly report from the Safety Institute’s Vehicle Safety Watch List shows that Jeep’s 2014 and 2015 Grand Cherokee 4×4’s are holding onto the top 2 most unsafe car rankings. According to death and injury reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee’s are plagued by power train issues. One of the primarily reported issues in 2014 and 2015 Jeeps is that the car has difficulty recognizing that it has been put into park. This has led to vehicle rollaways, causing crashes, injuries and death.
In June 2016, 27 year old actor Anton Yelchin, best known for his role in Star Trek, died after his Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backwards onto him in his driveway. The lawsuit describes how he was pinned underneath the car, suffering, until he died alone on his own property. His parents are suing Fiat Chrysler, Jeep’s parent company, for wrongful death, alleging that the faulty gear shift caused the car to roll and kill their son. Jeep had recalled over 1 million Grand Cherokees in April 2016 for the defect.
Taken directly from The Safety Institute’s latest report, below is the full list of the 15 vehicles to watch out for:
Rank This Period |
Vehicle and Component
|
Component Definition
|
Notes |
1 |
2015 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4×4
Power Train |
Power Train |
Investigations,
and recall |
2 |
2014 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4×4
Power Train |
Power Train |
Investigations,
and recall |
3 |
2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA
Electrical
|
Electrical |
No Investigations,
but recall |
4 |
2013 DODGE DART
Foundation Brake
|
Foundation Brake |
Investigation,
and recall |
5 |
2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA
Electrical
|
Electrical |
No Investigations,
but recall |
6 |
2013 CHRYSLER 300
Power Train
|
Power Train |
Investigation,
and recalls |
7 |
2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA
Electrical
|
Electrical |
No Investigations,
but recall |
8 |
2009 TOYOTA CAMRY
Vehicle Speed Control
|
Vehicle Speed Control |
Investigations,
and recalls |
9 |
2008 CHEVROLET COBALT
Electrical
|
Electrical |
Investigation,
and recalls |
10 |
2009 CHEVROLET COBALT
Electrical
|
Electrical |
Investigation,
and recalls |
11 |
2012 GMC ACADIA
Structure
|
Structure |
No Investigations,
but recall |
12 |
2008 BUICK ENCLAVE
Structure
|
Structure |
No Investigations,
but recall
|
13 |
2012 CHRYSLER 300
Power Train
|
Power Train |
Investigation,
and recall |
14 |
2012 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
Electronic Stability Control
|
Electronic Stability Control |
No Investigations,
but recall |
15 |
2012 VOLVO S60
Steering
|
Steering |
No Investigations,
No recalls |