Jeep did a demonstration in front of a reporter when the Grand Cherokee was the latest to be accused of unintended acceleration. The account from a book by Jason Vines who was the pr head at the time.
“Listen Jason, I can take you outside, put you in the vehicle, have you put your foot on the brake and then put the accelerator to the floor, shift into drive, and the Jeep won’t move a fucking inch.” “No shit?” “No shit. Unless they’re defective, the brakes will always overcome the throttle.” “The brakes always win?” “Always.” Finally! We had something the media could get their arms around. If the gloves don’t fit, you must acquit! The brakes always win. We went to the back lot where Winn demonstrated the power of the brakes over throttle. He was right. Within days, we had arranged for the business reporter who had been covering the crisis for the local NBC affiliate, WDIV, to come out to the Jeep engineering center. When Rod Meloni arrived, we told him what we wanted do: Rod would stand in front of the Grand Cherokee on live TV. Craig Winn would start the vehicle, firmly apply the brake, then push the accelerator pedal fully to the floor and shift into drive. Rod’s eyes bugged out with that “you’ve got to be shitting me” look. But, his brain was churning: the potential for certain death versus an exclusive story he knew would travel around the country, perhaps the entire world. “Mr. Winn, are you sure about this?” He asked with a nervous giggle in his voice. “Let’s put it this way: if I’m wrong, you’re dead; but Vines and I are fired!” As WDIV opened its six o’ clock news, the shot immediately went to Meloni and he set up the piece before the station went to commercial. Back on the air, it was show time. I think Meloni’s sphincter was on maximum tightness. Winn started the Jeep, stomped on the brake, hit the accelerator, revved to a constant 5,000 rpms and then shifted into drive. It was an ugly scene. As if possessed, the vehicle thrashed around like a bucking bronco on steroids, but moved not an inch toward the reporter. After 10 seconds, Winn shifted into park and turned off the beast. The air filled with the smell of pissed-off brakes.
The brakes had won. A few minutes later, Meloni was back on live TV. This time, he was in the Grand Cherokee as a passenger. One more demonstration was prepared to prove that brakes always win. Despite the claims of accident victims, if a customer was actually “on the brakes” the vehicle would stop, not go faster. On a lonely back street behind the complex, Winn hit the gas, accelerating to 30 miles per hour. Then, he floored the accelerator with his right foot as he slammed his left foot on the brake, bringing the vehicle to a grinding halt after 100 yards, where it bucked and snorted, still at full throttle, one last time, in perhaps an even more impressive demonstration. Meloni’s story found its way far beyond the Detroit city limits. We had finally broken through with facts in a crisis defined by horrible stories of accidents and deaths.
Vines, Jason. What Did Jesus Drive? (pp. 41-43). Waldorf Publishing. Kindle Edition.