Faulty Fiat Chrysler shifter now blamed for 68 injuries

A government investigation into confusing gear shifters in Fiat Chrysler Automobiles vehicles has vastly increased reported crashes and injuries believed related to the defect.

Now, it is estimated that confusion has led to 266 crashes with 68 injuries, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported in documents Tuesday. In February, when NHTSA expanded its investigation into the shifters, the agency said it was aware of 121 crashes and 30 injuries.

While the numbers alone have grown, the defect and resulting recall gained more public notice in the wake of the June 19 death of Star Trek actor Anton Yelchin. He was struck and pinned to a brick mailbox and gate by his 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee, which is one of the models included in the recall involving shifters, at his Los Angeles home. The cause of his death is yet to be officially determined.

NHTSA's investigation was closed after Fiat Chrysler Automobiles agreed to recall 1.1 million vehicles. NHTSA began investigating the issue last August and pressured the automaker to conduct the recall.

The recalled vehicles have an electronic shift lever that toggles forward or backward to let the driver select the gear instead of moving along a track with notches for each gear like a conventional shifter

NHTSA, in its final report, said that in some cases drivers believed they had left the vehicle idling in park when they exited, but the vehicle was not in park. Sometimes drivers believed they had turned the engine off after shifting to park, but failed to recognize that the engine did not shut off.

In one complaint filed with NHTSA, a person said their vehicle drifted into another car in January, damaging the rear bumper. The person said their dealer blamed the accident on driver error.

To fix the problem, Fiat Chrysler has developed new software that can be installed by dealers that will add safety functions.

The automaker is in the process of mailing notices to all of the affected customers to tell them that dealers are now able to install the new software. Those notices are being sent out in phases. The first batch were sent on Friday.

The vehicles currently deliver warning chimes and alert messages if their driver-side doors are opened while their engines are running and park is not selected. The new software will enhancing the warnings and will automatically shift the vehicles into park if the driver fails to do so before opening the driver-side door