© DenLorsTools.com Summary: Various causes of car or trucks not shifting out of park. No matter which manufacturer Ford, Chevrolet, Chrysler etc., some causes of this problem may be the same. The shifter itself, the shift cable that goes from the shift selector to the transmission, the brake light switch, the shift inter-lock are some of the potential problems. This article is not about transmission failure or the fluid being too low for the car to move.

Stop Light Switches

At the time of this post, Toyota has announced they are recalling 70,500 Toyota Camry’s to replace the stop lamp switch, which many technicians call a brake light switch. The brake light switch is located on the brake pedal lever, under the driver’s side dash inside the passenger compartment. For safety reasons, the brake must be applied prior to being able to put the car into gear.

If the switch is faulty, the shift inter-lock will not allow the the vehicle to be shifted from park. This safety feature has undoubtedly prevented many accidents, by preventing the car’s shifter from being inadvertently shifted into gear. One quick preliminary check is to see if the brake lights work. Although this in itself is not totally conclusive, it’s a first step.

On a Ford F150 that was towed to the shop because the owner couldn’t get it out of park. I noticed there was no brake light operation. The I found no power to the brake light switch. It kept blowing fuses as quickly as I put them in (I didn’t have a fuse buddy back then). After doing some checking, I discovered shorted aftermarket trailer wiring. I was able to repair the wiring and replace the fuse and solved the problem. It’s important to know that a shorted wire in trailer wiring could cause this same issue. Quickly eliminate trailer wiring by disconnecting the trailer lights and rechecking.

Shifter Assembly – Below the PRNDL

One of the most common issues with many cars today are the plastic components not holding up in the shifter assembly. Chrysler 300, Intrepid, Chargers etc. have this very common weak point. If a piece breaks within the shifter the solution is to remove the center console and replace the shifter below the PRNDL, (pronounced Pre-nin-dull). No kidding many technicians call the indicator for the shift assembly the prenindull. Most of the time the shifter is changed, the indicator is re-used.

Shifter Cable or Grommet

The metal cable hardly ever breaks, however it is possible. What is a more common failure with shift a shift cable is the plastic (composite) portion deteriorating and finally breaking. If the shifter moves freely (too easy) but the car does not change from the park position; the cable end either on the transmission end or shifter end has probably disconnected. On Chrysler PT Cruiser’s and Dodge Neon’s it’s common for the cable end that goes to the transmission shift lever to break-down and disconnect. An old Buick Century I used to have left my wife stranded the one time she ever drove it. Once I drove to her, I found the shifter moving “too easy” and then found the cable off at the transmission. I manually shifted it for her as she sat in the car with her foot on the brake. She was able to drive it home so we didn’t have to call a tow or try to fix it on the spot.

Wiring

The Chevrolet Impala – 2006 and up which is the ninth generation, has a somewhat common issue of a wire breaking near a terminal/plug, that goes to the gear selector underneath the console trim. This will also cause the car not to go out of park because the break in the wire prevents the shift interlock from being energized when the brake has been applied.

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