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Home / Symptoms / Cant Shift Out Of Park

Four common causes for the vehicle stuck on “Park” mode and their related parts.

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Is Your Car Struggling To Shift Out Of "Park"?

It won’t shift because the shift interlock is damaged, the shifter release is broken, or the shift cable is faulty. Alternatively, if it changes out of place but is not working, it could be a faulty brake switch or shift wiring issue.

Watch out: Failure to shift gears from "Park" can worsen while driving, potentially causing further damage to the transmission system. Therefore, prompt action is essential to avoid further damage to the transmission system and prevent strain on the engine.

The most common causes for the car not shifting out of “Park”

The most common causes for a car not shifting out of “Park” are:

Damaged brake switch wiring: In many vehicles, you need to press the brake pedal for the shifter to work. This is a safety measure. However, the brake pedal might have faulty wiring that prevents the signal that the brakes are being pressed from getting to the vehicle’s control module. So, the car acts like the brakes are not being pressed, and the shifter won’t change from “Park.”
Parking pawl pressure: Depending on the angle of location the vehicle is parked at, it’ll be difficult to move the shifter from "Park" due to the pressure on the parking pawl. Typically very inclined places cause this type of pressure; experiencing difficulty moving the shifter from "Park" in this situation is normal.
Faulty brake switch: The brake switch gets a signal from the brake pedal and sends it to the vehicle’s control module. This interaction makes the car’s “brain” understand that the brakes are being pressed. However, the brake switch can develop internal damage, leading to the brake pedal signal not going through. In many cars, the brake pedal signal must engage for the transmission shifter to move from “Park.”
Damaged shift cable: A faulty shift cable causes the transmission to be in a different gear than what the shifter indicates. This is because the shift cable is an essential part of the vehicle’s transmission that connects the gear shifter to the transmission. Therefore, if it fails, this connection gets interrupted, resulting in a stuck shifter.
Broken shifter release button: The shifter button is what you press when you’re shifting gears. You press it on the stick, so it releases and you can move it from “Park” to anywhere else in the transmission. A faulty release button can’t make this work, causing the shifter to be stuck.
Faulty shift interlock solenoid: The shift interlock solenoid is a safety component in transmission systems that basically prevents your vehicle from going out of “Park.” It’s not your enemy, this is for safety since a vehicle transmission changing from “Park” in bad conditions can lead to accidents. However, this solenoid can fail and cause the transmission to keep stuck in “Park” even if you’re trying to shift safely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the car's brake lights constantly engaged?

A brake pedal switch is an electronic switch that works when you press the brake pedal. It closes to allow electricity to flow and activate the brake lights. However, with time and use, the switch can wear out. This can cause the switch to fail to close correctly or create a fused connection, keeping the brake lights on constantly. It can also cause the shift interlock solenoid to engage, allowing the shifter to be moved out of "Park" even without pressing the brake pedal.
Is the shifter unable to move from "Park"?

The shift interlock solenoid is a safety feature that stops the gear shifter from moving out of the "Park" position unless the vehicle knows the ignition is on and the brake pedal is pressed. When these requirements are met, the shift interlock solenoid is activated, allowing the shifter to move in and out of "Park" freely. However, if the interlock solenoid stops working, the shifter will remain stuck in the "Park" position and cannot be moved.
Are the brake lights not functioning?

The brake pedal switch needs to receive power to work correctly and activate the shift interlock solenoid and brake lights. However, if the wiring connected to the brake lights is damaged, it can interrupt the power supply. As a result, the brake lights may not work at all. In such cases, the shift malfunctions due lack of power supply.
Does the shift only struggle to move from "Park" in steep inclines?

Inside the automatic transmission is a parking pole with a lever with teeth and a gear with matching teeth. These parts keep the transmission locked when you put the vehicle in "Park." However, when you park your car on a steep hill, there is a lot of pressure on the parking pole. This pressure is transferred to the shifter, which can make it seem like the shifter is stuck or difficult to move. Don't worry; this is a regular occurrence in such situations.
Is the shift indicator showing a different gear than the transmission?

The shifter cable is like a bridge connecting the shift knob in the car to the transmission. It helps you shift gears by transmitting your movements from the knob to the transmission. However, over time, the shifter cable can get damaged or stretched. When this happens, the positions of the shift knob and the actual shift lever in the transmission may not match up correctly. This means that the gear positions shown on the shift knob and the indicator may not accurately represent the transmission gear.
Is the shifter button super rigid or feeling broken inside?

The release button on the shifter assembly prevents the shifter from accidentally shifting out of "Park" or any other gear without intentionally pressing the button. However, if the release button gets stuck, it can move freely when bumped, allowing the shifter to move between drive, reverse, and park even when you don't intend to. If the instrument is broken, it might even prevent the shifter from moving out of the drive position.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Faulty brake switch

The most common reason for a car getting stuck on “Park” is due to a faulty brake switch, be it internal damage or bad connectors/wiring. The brake switch sends a signal to the vehicle’s control module whenever the driver presses the brakes. This signal makes the car realize “Great! The driver is pressing the brakes,” which is enough for the transmission shifter to release so you can move it out of “Park.” This is a safety measure since you don’t want to shift the car accidentally to “Park” mid-highway as you’re flooring the acceleration pedal since this would cause unprecedented accidents.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the car getting stuck on “Park,” you might notice brake warning lights, brake issues, starting issues, etc.
Medium risk of priority: If the brake switch can’t send signals, your vehicle will likely get stuck randomly after you park it, since you won’t be able to shift transmission.

How exactly does the brake switch fail?

A brake switch can develop internal failures like burnt circuitry, aging, and factory failure. This component doesn’t commonly fail unless the vehicle constantly drives through bumpy and rough terrain or rarely gets maintenance. Also, electrical issues in the alternator and battery can also cause this component to fail.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s brake system to investigate if the brake switch is failing due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the brake switch to fail. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a faulty camshaft service

A brake system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s brake switch is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the brake switch and its wirings can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a brake switch with internal electrical issues.

A customer brought their vehicle concerned it was pulling to the right when stopping, making an odd smell. They asked about the alignment and tire check.

When the customer brought in their vehicle, they complained that the battery would die every morning when they tried to start the car. However, they could jump-start the vehicle, which would work fine throughout the day.

Additionally, they mentioned that the cruise control was not functioning properly. Interestingly, their son noticed that the brake lights stayed on when he came home later. Plus, the taillights seemed to work fine.

The technician didn't spot some of the customer's concerns during the test drive. However, they verified that the cruise control was indeed not working.

As part of the vehicle health inspection, the technician examined the battery and found it in good condition. They also checked the starting and charging system, which showed no issues. However, they discovered that the brake lights were constantly illuminated.

Upon receiving authorization for additional diagnostic work, the technician accessed the malfunctioning brake light switch under the dashboard. By disconnecting the brake light switch, they could turn off the brake lights.

Using an ohm meter, they determined that the brake light switch was faulty and not releasing the contacts as it should. It will be necessary to replace the brake light switch.

The brake switch got electrical issues due to a short-circuit

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the brake switch.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

Four common causes for weird braking from a vehicle and their related parts.

Is Your Car Struggling To Shift Out Of "Park"?

The most common causes for the car not shifting out of “Park”

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the car's brake lights constantly engaged?

Is the shifter unable to move from "Park"?

Are the brake lights not functioning?

Does the shift only struggle to move from "Park" in steep inclines?

Is the shift indicator showing a different gear than the transmission?

Is the shifter button super rigid or feeling broken inside?

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

The most common cause: Faulty brake switch

How exactly does the brake switch fail?

Transparency example in a faulty camshaft service

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