Why wont my car go in reverse or neutral

Asked by Ashley Jul 29, 2014 at 01:01 PM about the 1999 Toyota Corolla

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

11 Answers

215

Have you checked your transmission fluid? If the stick shows empty, your transmission is dead

16 people found this helpful.
40,145

the shifter has an interlock that wont let it release until you press the brake and that sends currant to a solenoid that pulls a small lever from locking the shifter from moving, most have a way of overriding this feature listed in the operator manual in case the battery is dead and you need to pull it out of park to maybe tow it

20 people found this helpful.
490

I check it goes fowerd but not reverse

49 people found this helpful.
910

I have a toyota corolla 2010 S edition 1.8 engine. I shift gear in reverse & neutral won't move on reverse, Or can't move car in neutral. But, It drives good in drive, What would seem the problem be??

91 people found this helpful.
350

I have just found that if you are talking about an Automatic shift, not standard/Manual shift. Under the (black) outline cover around the PRND shifter, you can lift that up to reveal the unexposed gear shift beneath. ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, you will see a (white/offwhite) plastic circle end attached to a cable running towards the front of the car. There is a half inch (projection) metal post pointing towards the passenger door which moves when you move the gear shifter. The problem with my car was the (missing) cap that used to keep the circle of the cable ON the post, had disintegrated over the 11 years and it let the circle slide off the post with the roads we have here. My car went from going forward, and starting to not going into reverse and then not restarting either. My Tow Guy showed me this and slipped it back on to prove that was all that was needed, except maybe a cable tie to stick to the metal end to keep it (the circle loop) on. Hope this helps someone down the line, dealer wants a min of $550. to replace the entire cable.

35 people found this helpful.
60

Ja.. please help my daughter has her first car and about to spend that much on a transmission...even though you elaborated really well... please do for us in more detail

6 people found this helpful.
270

My car toyota yaris is not going into reverse...please help me out!!! what can i do

27 people found this helpful.
50

My Toyota Corolla quest 2015 model when you are driving in 3rd gear, to bring back in 2nd gear not working, sometimes to put in 1st gear you have to struggle and the clutch pedal its getting hard to press, what must be the problem mybe its on 73800km.

5 people found this helpful.
30

@GuruH4D11 I have the same problem with my Toyota Quest , only done 43600km. It struggles to move from 1st gear, I have to floor the accelerator till to 6000rpm then shift to 2nd gear then hold it on 4000rpm the it moves slowly.. What could be the problem? But there is a funny smell of a clutch system. It started when I was on my 3rd gear trying to shift to 4th gear, it could shift, the gear was very hard to shift.

3 people found this helpful.
30

2009 toyota corolla advanced 1.6 mmt is not selecting gears

3 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Corolla

Looking for a Used Corolla in your area?

CarGurus has 2,056 nationwide Corolla listings starting at $2,795.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Jeff Polhemus
    Reputation
    3,440
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    3,280
  • #3
    hashimmir
    Reputation
    2,520
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Toyota Camry
58 Great Deals out of 995 listings starting at $2,212
Used Honda Civic
176 Great Deals out of 3,762 listings starting at $1,995
Used Honda Accord
42 Great Deals out of 918 listings starting at $1,599
Used Toyota RAV4
93 Great Deals out of 2,122 listings starting at $3,888
Used Honda CR-V
100 Great Deals out of 3,907 listings starting at $1,795
Used Toyota Tacoma
60 Great Deals out of 1,065 listings starting at $8,708
Used Hyundai Elantra
156 Great Deals out of 3,577 listings starting at $2,995
Used Nissan Sentra
83 Great Deals out of 1,819 listings starting at $2,195
Used Toyota 4Runner
13 Great Deals out of 302 listings starting at $9,700

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.