Can't get the gear shift out of park
Asked by Nobody78 Feb 15, 2019 at 10:06 AM about the 2009 Ford Escape XLT FWD
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I recently had my starter fixed at Ford (it was very loose and didn't connect so
the vehicle was very hard to start). Now I can't seem to get the gear out of park
without great difficulty. Any thoughts?
4 Answers
MNEngineer answered 5 years ago
I'd check into the shift lock-out system. I don't have personal experience with this vehicle but it's a pretty standard safety feature in vehicles from the last 20 years or so. When you step on the brake, a signal is sent to the computer that activates a solenoid / pin mechanism that allows you to shift out of park.
MNEngineer answered 5 years ago
One more thought, if they were working on the starter in the engine bay, there may be a chance that something (wire harness) was shifted out of the way and is now interfering with the shift linkage.
Thanks, I think I will go back to the Ford dealership and ask if that's what happened, because I've never had this issue before I got it fixed.
