Component

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH

2,417 NHTSA complaints about power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch issues across 39 makes and 273 models.

The power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 2,417 filings from 39 manufacturers and 273 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 869 crashes, 13 fires, 445 injuries, and 16 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE with 1,014 filings, followed by JEEP CHEROKEE and DODGE CARAVAN. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

2,417
Complaints
273
Models Affected
869
Crashes
13
Fires
16
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 1,014
2 JEEP CHEROKEE 100
3 DODGE CARAVAN 57
4 FORD AEROSTAR 50
5 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 48
6 DODGE DURANGO 47
7 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 41
8 FORD WINDSTAR 40
9 FORD TAURUS 31
10 FORD EXPLORER 30
11 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 29
12 DODGE DAKOTA 28
13 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER 27
14 CHRYSLER SEBRING 26
15 TOYOTA CAMRY 24
16 DODGE RAM 22
17 DODGE INTREPID 22
18 FORD EXPEDITION 21
19 JEEP WRANGLER 19
20 HONDA ACCORD 19
21 FORD F-150 16
22 JEEP LAREDO 15
23 PLYMOUTH BREEZE 13
24 MERCURY SABLE 13
25 CHEVROLET ASTRO 13
26 DODGE RAM 1500 12
27 CHEVROLET VENTURE 12
28 FORD RANGER 11
29 FORD CONTOUR 11
30 CHRYSLER CIRRUS 11

Recent Complaints

2023 TOYOTA SIENNA HYBRID

See attached document for complaint.

2018 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE

Shifter doesn't recognize its in park once car is in park and turned off (some cars cannot turn off ) cars cannot be locked. The car continues to ding. The shift assembly has to be replaced. Looking a

2016 SUBARU LEGACY

The contact owns a 2016 Subaru Legacy. The contact stated that the key would not release from the ignition switch. The contact had to move the shift lever back and forth to take the key out of the ign

2013 MAZDA CX-5

The contact owns a 2013 Mazda CX-5. The contact stated while shifting into the park the electronics failed to turn off. The contact vigorously shifted the gear shifter in several positions for approx

2012 FORD EXPEDITION

My gear shaft gets stuck in park as if it’s not recognizing that the break is getting pressed. It gets stuck for a while. There is no sticky substance that is causing this.

2014 MAZDA CX-5

THE SHIFTER DOESN'T STAY IN PARK. THE CAR DOES NOT SHUT OFF WHEN YOU PUSH THE BUTTON. YOU HAVE TO WIGGLE THE GEARSHIFT, TAKE IT IN AND OUT OF PARK, AND PUSH THE BUTTON MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE IT WILL

2014 MAZDA MAZDA6

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MAZDA 6. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE FAILED TO TURN OFF AFTER THE 'START/STOP' BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. AFTER SIX OR SEVEN ATTEMPTS OF DEPRESSING THE BUTTON, THE

2014 MAZDA CX-5

WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK THE ENGINE WILL NOT CUT OFF AM BEING TOLD IT IS THE SHIFTER POSITION SWITCH THIS IS HAPPENING SEVERAL TIMES. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHUT OFF VEHICLE WHILE IN PARK. IT DOES

2010 RAM 2500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 RAM 2500. AFTER THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND EXITED THE VEHICLE, IT PROCEEDED TO ROLL AND RAN HIM OVER. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND SUFFERED A CONTUSION

2013 RAM 2500

BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK IS MALFUNCTIONING. VEHICLE SHIFTS OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL.

2002 HONDA CR-V

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 HONDA CR-V. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT THE GEAR LEVER OUT OF PARK. THE CONTACT HAD TO CONTINUOUSLY DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND FORCE THE GEAR OUT

2014 LINCOLN MKZ Crash

COPY OF EMAIL TO FORD MOTOR ON APRIL 16, 2014: WE RECENTLY LEASED A 2014 LINCOLN MKZ. THE NEW PUSH BUTTON SHIFT CONTROL THAT WE ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO, RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH $1187 WORTH OF DAM

1998 HONDA ACCORD

PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE DATES RANGING FROM 1999-2012. I THOUGHT IT WAS COVERED THROUGH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID #: 98V018000 BUT I DID NOT USE THE CAR ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE A PATTE

2004 HONDA PILOT Crash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. AFTER SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL GEAR THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT HE COULD TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICL

2007 NISSAN ALTIMA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 NISSAN ALTIMA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE THE IGNITION START BUTTON WITHOUT THE VEHICLE BEING IN PARK. SHE STATED THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED AWAY AT LEAST S

2007 DODGE CHARGER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 DODGE CHARGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WAS STUCK IN THE PARK POSITION. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SWITCH THAT ALLOWS THE GEAR SHIFT TO MOVE BETWEEN GEARS WAS

2001 BMW X5

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 BMW X5. AFTER SHIFTING THE VEHICLE INTO PARK THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAIL SAFE CODE HAD APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND T

2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE GEAR HAD TO BE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL SO THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD START UP. THE SHIFT LINKAGE MALFUNCTIONED

2003 NISSAN ALTIMA Crash

THERE IS NO INTERLOCK ON IGNITION TO PREVENT REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION KEY IF SHIFTER IS NOT PLACED IN PARK POSITION. CAR WAS PARKED AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WAS IN NEUTRAL WHEN KEY WAS REMOVE

2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY Crash

WHILE VISITING A RELATIVE MY 2005 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY WAS PARKED ON A DRIVEWAY THAT SLOPES DOWN A BIT. WHILE LOADING THE CAR AND IN A MOMENT OF INADVERTENCE, MY 2 YEAR OLD SON WAS ABLE TO OPEN T

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch issues?
The NHTSA has received 2,417 complaints about power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch problems across 273 vehicle models from 39 manufacturers.
How dangerous are power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch defects?
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:PARK/NEUTRAL START INTERLOCK SWITCH issues have been linked to 869 crashes, 13 fires, 445 injuries, and 16 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for power train:automatic transmission:park/neutral start interlock switch issues is the JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE with 1,014 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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