Car will not come out of Park on automatic transmission

245

Asked by F15ace Oct 28, 2010 at 03:48 PM about the Ford Mustang

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Anyone experience this problem. Automatic Shifter sticks in Park and sometimes cannot get it out of park. All other gears work fine. When I step on Brake shifter should come out of park, however the lever does not release when i fully engage thumb button on shifter. The brake lights do work when I step on brakes. I do not know if I have a bad solenoid or something in the shifter is not engaging. Does anyone know how to test solenoid and where it si located? Is there anything in the stick column or handle that I should check?
I have attached a photo of the shift mechanism. When you depress the shift button, the metal tab above the white plastic piece should depress down below the detent so that it will go into other gears. It appears when I depress the button that the metal tab ony decreases about half way down not allowing it to clear the detent, thus cannot come out of park.

15 Answers

1,325

Sounds like its a problem with the pin inside the shift handle. There should be a pin or some kind of mechanism that pushes down that metal tab. The pin is probualy plastic and has bent a little bit or is just worn out.

47 people found this helpful.
240

Check see if you have any brake lightsif not maybe u have a blown fuse 15amp or a problem with your break switch on the pedal like I did

23 people found this helpful.
340

It's probably your brake light switch located on your brake pedal arm. I thought it was the shifter on my son's 2000 mustang automatic V6. I read another post that mentioned the brake light switch. Before I spent $400 on a new shifter we tried the $10 brake light switch. Changed out by by pulling the pin - removing the plastic washer - taking the switch off and discounting the plug. Did the reverse to put it back on and it solved the problem.

34 people found this helpful.
530

I have the same problem with my 2006 Mustang automatic. My car will not shift into drive. It will shift into other gears but not drive. I am scared the transmission is shot. Please tell me it`s transmission! :( As I just bought this car for $4500 as is. Please help!

28 people found this helpful.
530

I have the same problem with my 2006 Mustang automatic. My car will not shift into drive. It will shift into other gears but not drive. I am scared the transmission is shot. Please tell me it`s transmission! :( As I just bought this car for $4500 as is. Please help! what did you do to fix

25 people found this helpful.
130

Hey guys I gotta 1995 Ford mustang v6, Replaced brake light switch on the pedal all Is good now thanks! Shifts out of park! So I Dont Have to start it in neutral!

13 people found this helpful.
70

Hi guys I have a problem in my car Mustang 1992 When I drive the car suddenly the engine turns off

7 people found this helpful.
90

hello my name is shone i have a 1998 ford mustang 2 door v6 3,8 engine i;m having trouble getting the gear shift to move to park but the shifter moves to the other gears but the car won't move and the small shift button don't work when i press it but my brake lights work and i can't get my key out the ignition please do you have any ideas what's the problem

9 people found this helpful.
110

Holyguy it sounds like something is jamming the gear shift to where it won’t go in park. Only downfall is that, no the keys will not come out of ignition unless the gear shift is completely in park. My 01 mustang gear shift button won’t go in either so what I have to do to get out of park is while I am starting the car with my left hand, I have my right hand in the gear shift and at when the engine turns over it’ll release it at the same time.

11 people found this helpful.
80

Change ur break light switch my 04 just started doing it .. I had to check wires and all because mine wouldn't go out of part plus i lost all my break lights .. Changed the break light switch now both work great

8 people found this helpful.
60

Same problem found out by chance when I put the charger on the battery it would start .So I may just buy a booster just now till I can fix the problem .

6 people found this helpful.
60

there is a wire above the brake pedal that leads to a module, the wire on mine came out. shift lever would not move out of park.if strong enough the shift lever would come out of park (tow truck driver showed me that.) when pulled. trouble is the wire going into module does not have a connection on it. had to jam wire in to make connection. it's still not completely fixed.WTB

6 people found this helpful.
10

My 1998 Mustang GT did that twice. I shut it off and started the car. Shifter came out of park. Not sure if it’ll happen again. I’ll try the break light switch to be safe.

1 people found this helpful.

having same problem ,, lost brake lights so changed the brake light slight switch which is common in these and it gave me lights but did not solve problem with shifter , .I bought a new shift shift module switch but can't find it to replace . does anyone know how to test the shifter itself for problems. Really need help,lost on this one

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