Push buttons, rotary dials, even swipe gestures—today’s cars are reinventing the humble gear shifter. But one frustrated TikTokker’s rant raises an obvious question: Was the old-fashioned lever really broken in the first place? TikToker Jass (@betch) is clearly at the end of her rope in a recent clip, demanding to know why the PRNDL gearshift dial (which she refers to as “the prindle”) is located to the immediate left of the volume knob of her vehicle. “Do you all know how many times I almost killed everybody because the prindle was this close to the volume?” she asks in the video, which has been viewed more than 1.8 million times. The implication is easy enough to understand: quickly reaching to crank the volume on a hot song could mistakenly put the vehicle, believed to be a Chrysler Pacifica, into reverse or the mysterious “low” gear. From first glance, her frustration is amusing, but it also taps into a deeper tension between minimalist interior design and driver ergonomics. In recent years, automakers have increasingly shifted away from mechanical linkage levers toward electronic “shift-by-wire” systems, which utilize dials, buttons, or toggles. The rationale is straightforward: freeing up space, simplifying the cabin layout, and enabling sleeker dashboards. But critics warn these conveniences can backfire when controls are too close together or insufficiently differentiated by feel. The Shift Toward Dial Controls Chrysler and its parent company, Stellantis, were early adopters of rotary gear selector knobs, especially in models such as the Pacifica minivan and various Ram and Jeep vehicles. But that transition has not been smooth. In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened investigations into Fiat Chrysler’s shifter designs after reports that vehicles equipped with rotary and monostable shifters could be unintuitively manipulated, leading to rollaway incidents and crashes. The complaint was that many drivers did not reliably know whether the car was in Park, Reverse, or another gear before exiting the vehicle or moving off. Eventually, Chrysler launched a recall (or more precisely, a “customer satisfaction” remedy) affecting more than 1.1 million vehicles, adjusting software and adding warning cues to help prevent unintended shifts. Over time, complaints diminished, and in 2024, the NHTSA closed the probe into Dodge and Ram rotary shifters without seeking further recalls. In its rationale, the agency cited the effectiveness of Stellantis’ software updates and the absence of a demonstrable manufacturing defect. Jass’s TikTok clip suggests that the concern is very much alive. The danger lies in human error, muscle memory, and ambiguous placement. Many online commenters agreed: They’ve accidentally shifted when fidgeting with the radio knob. Several mention owning Ram, Jeep, or Chrysler vehicles that also use rotary shifters and complain of confusion or mis-shifts. Others note that in some versions of the system, the knob will not accept a shift command while the vehicle is moving, or will flash a warning, but that the visual feedback is sometimes too subtle to catch in a stressful moment. FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK Viral bits from across the social media landscape Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking. Gallery: Wacky gearshifts Drivers Have Feelings About Dials Beyond anecdotes, users have reported electrical or “service shifter” errors in Pacificas. Drivers say their van becomes stuck in Park or fails to engage Reverse, sometimes displaying cryptic error messages and requiring dealership diagnosis. While such errors aren’t obviously tied to knob placement, they underscore the risks when adding complexity to a traditionally mechanical system. Dials Aren’t the Only Problem Safety regulators continue to scrutinize shifting systems more broadly. In mid-2025, the NHTSA launched an investigation into over 1.18 million Ram trucks regarding a fault in the Brake Transmission Shift Interlock mechanism, which, in some cases, allowed a vehicle to shift out of Park without the brake being applied, posing rollaway risk. That probe is distinct from the knob controversy but signals that automakers are under pressure to ensure shifting systems remain reliable, especially as they become more abstracted from mechanical linkage. Other automakers are experimenting with alternative designs. Ford has drawn scrutiny for unexpected downshifts in F-150 trucks, prompting NHTSA action on nearly 1.3 million units for unintended gear shifts. The tension boils down to one fundamental question: When controls stray from tradition, do the gains in aesthetics and flexibility outweigh the potential for confusion? Traditional lever shifters offered immediate tactile and positional intuition: You could feel each detent, take your hand off, and know where you were. Dial selectors demand that drivers adapt to a less visceral paradigm. In an emergency, split-second clarity matters. In Jass’s viral moment, a driver rails about nearly causing accidents because her “prindle” sat way too close to a volume knob. Her complaint may be comedic, but it also captures what many drivers sense but rarely articulate: When a transmission dial lives among other knobs, error becomes almost inevitable. Whether the rotary system is fundamentally flawed is unsettled, but the question of where exactly you tuck gear controls may still be open. Motor1 reached out to Jass via direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if they respond.
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