for those owners that have later year models, is the shift stalk operations pretty idiot proof? upon reading the operating manual, it seems that the car can be easily or accidentally shifted from, for example, drive to neutral, or straight reverse while the car is in motion.

If that is the case, that is a poor design by logic compared to the old transmission with the traditional center console shift lever that has a gear lock to prevent improper gear change.

I have yet to try it but I can forsee this being an accident waiting to happen, especially since the shifter stalk is currently in the location where the windshield wipers are on a traditional car.

Anyone with long enough experience chime in?

 

It is not an issue. There are millions of cars on the road with this exact shift stalk that work perfectly fine and collision free. Tesla and Aston Martin use this exact part on some models.

All automatic transmission nowadays are linked electronic, so there is a software safety in case you bump the stalk. If you want to talk about unsafe and confusing drive selectors the look no further than the notorious death of actor Anton yelchin and his Jeep.

 

Since I've accidentally tried to shift to Park instead of the windshield washer I can safely report that there was no damage done because nothing happened, other than the Info cluster telling me I can't shift to Park while doing 70...

YMMV

 

I can confirm the car can still easily shift to neutral while still in motion at 70mph. Had to shift back to D immediately.

God help me if my wife accidentally shifted to reverse thinking it was the windshield wiper function from her old car.

 

No troubles with mine and it's normally driven by my daughter.

 

Glad to know it is "idiot proof". However, every time my wife drives my Jeep, she washes the windshield trying to get it in gear