Car Won’t Go Into Park (Causes and Fixes)

Usually, when a shifter acts up it won’t come out of the Park, and that problem has to do with the ignition or shifter lock. However, if it doesn’t go into Park, the problem will likely be more complicated and more expensive to repair. After reading this article, you will at least know what to expect in terms of repair bills and where to start looking for the cause.

If your car won’t go into Park, the main causes are a broken or stretched-out shifter cable or a broken shifter mechanism. However, if the problem turns out to have nothing to do with the shifter, it’s more than likely a faulty shifter solenoid or a faulty parking pawl lever.  

Broken Shifter Cable

Although the transmission employs hydraulic shifter solenoids to engage and disengage gears, conventional shifter cables are still present. Shifter cables connect the transmission and the shifter you are operating. In most transmissions, there are two shift cables, one for each movement direction, forwards and backward. If one of the cables is broken, you won’t be able to shift the gears in only one direction.  

When Drive is all the way back and the forward cable is broken, you won’t be able to shift out of Drive. Likewise, since Park is usually the forwardmost gear on the shifter, you won’t be able to engage Park even though the shifter is going into place. However, a broken shifter cable can also get jammed inside the shifter mechanism, so even if you can’t push the shifter into Park, a broken cable remains a possibility. 

The only solution here is to replace the cable, which isn’t something you can easily do at home. The cost to replace it at a repair shop ranges from $150 to $400, with the shifter cable costing around $50 and the rest going on labor. But on a positive note, when you buy shifter cables, they always come in pairs, so for the price we mentioned, you get both shifter cables replaced and won’t have any problems with them for years to come. 

Stretched Out Shifter Cable

Even if your shifter cables seem to be in one piece, that still doesn’t mean they are good. A shifter cable like all steel cables is prone to stretching over time before it breaks. When a shifter cable stretches, it becomes too long to engage the furthest gears – in most cases, Drive and Park. That means the inability to engage the outermost gears is a dead giveaway of stretched-out cables.  

Before you buy new shifter cables, you can try adjusting the current ones, as that usually helps. That way you can save some money, and those cables are good for another year or two.

Unfortunately, that’s not always possible, in which case the only solution is to replace them. Still, if you decide to adjust them, you can find a step-by-step guide in this article, or you can take your car to a repair shop where they won’t charge you more than $50 to $70 for cable adjustment.  

Broken Shifter

A broken shifter means the internal shifter levers, pivot points, sliders, and cable anchors are broken or worn out. When that happens, all kinds of symptoms can ensue, starting with a stuck shifter, cracking noises when you move it, and the inability to engage certain gears. Also, you might find that you can move the shifter into gears, but it’s not really doing anything, or the gear indicator isn’t showing that you have engaged the specific gear.  

Shifter assemblies are not cheap when you buy them new, ranging from $200 to $400 and more for newer models. You can always find used ones for under 100 bucks, and considering they rarely ever fail, that’s probably the best idea. While you are at it, you can buy new shifter linkage bushings just so you know everything will be in the best order after replacement, and those are less than $20 new. As for labor costs, you are looking at $100 to $150, depending on the model, which brings the total to $250 with a used shifter.  

Faulty Transmission Solenoid

Every conventional automatic transmission, at least to my knowledge, has hydraulic solenoids. And the solenoid’s job is to divert pressurized transmission fluid. For example, the second gear solenoid is active, and the second gear is engaged. Then, the transmission deactivates the second gear solenoid, which releases hydraulic pressure and disengages the second gear. After that, the third gear solenoid activates, the hydraulic fluid is diverted through it, and the third gear engages.

Now, although the Park gear is somewhat different from the forward, neutral, and reverse gears, it still uses solenoids to engage the Neutral and the parking pawl lever. Now, when the solenoid fails, it either won’t engage Neutral, which isn’t the case here, or it won’t engage the parking pawl. And when that happens, you can still move the shift lever freely into any gear, but the car will still roll on hills, and you likely won’t see Park engaged on the gear indicator. 

Unfortunately, replacing even a single-shift solenoid isn’t cheap because both parts and labor are expensive. For example, a single-shift solenoid for an F-150 at AutoZone costs upwards of $50, and if you want an OEM one, the price is closer to $100. Furthermore, according to mytransmissionexperts.com, the total cost to replace one shift solenoid ranges between $200 and $500. However, if one solenoid is bad, chances are more of them are on the way, and if you want to replace all of them, the cost jumps from $250 to $700.  

Broken or Worn Out Parking Pawl Lever

We already mentioned that the Park gear works a little differently from the rest. Now, when you engage Park, the transmission shifts into Neutral, and a separate lever locks up the transmission output shaft so the car can’t move. So essentially, it’s a two-part system, and the mechanism which locks up the output shaft is called the parking pawl.

The parking pawl consists of a beg ring gear with notches on the outer edge and is attached to the output shaft. Then, a parking pawl lever, attached to the transmission housing, fits into those notches and prevents the entire ring gear and the output shaft from moving. You can see how the whole system works in the video below.  

However, the parking pawl lever can wear out, especially if you have a habit of engaging Park while the car is still moving. Also, the lever can break off in some cases because of hard misuse.

When the parking pawl breaks, you will still be able to shift into Park, and the transmission will engage Neutral; however, the vehicle will roll freely when it’s sitting on a slope. And it’s even harder to diagnose considering that the gear indicator will show that Park is engaged. Still, if the vehicle rolls with Park engaged, nothing else can cause that problem other than parking pawl.  

Unfortunately, replacing the parking pawl lever is expensive since the whole transmission needs to come out and be partially disassembled. So, you are looking at $400 to $600 of the total cost for the average vehicle. On the other hand, the part cost is neglectable compared to the labor cost of $20 to $30. But on a somewhat positive note, you can still drive with a broken parking pawl; however, there is a possibility that the broken-off piece ends up somewhere else in the transmission and destroys it. 

Does Transmission Move When in Park?

Yes, one part of the transmission still moves when the vehicle is in Park. All transmissions have an input and output shaft. The input shaft is connected to the engine, while the output shaft is connected to the wheels. Now, when you engage park, the output shaft connected to the wheels is locked up and can’t move, which means the wheels can’t move. However, the input shaft can still move freely, meaning the engine can keep running.  

Why Is It Hard to Shift My Automatic Transmission Into Park?

Several things can lead to being difficult shifting into Park. For example, there might be something stuck in the shifter if it has open areas leading into the shifting mechanism. Also, the Park lock could be malfunctioning. The Park lock prevents you from shifting into Park before you press the brake pedal, and if the mechanism malfunctions, the lock can remain engaged all the time. Other causes include a faulty shift cable, broken shifter mechanism, or faulty shift solenoid.  

Will a Car Start With a Broken Shifter Cable?

Yes, you can start a car with a broken shifter cable, but only if it’s in Park or Neutral. On the other hand, you can start most older vehicles regardless of what gear it’s in. That’s because newer cars have a mechanism that prevents you from starting the car in any other gear other than Park or Neutral, and if your shift cable is broken, there is a possibility you won’t be able to shift through the gears.  

Can I Drive With a Broken Shift Cable?

Yes, you can drive a car with a broken shifter cable, but it’s complicated. With a broken shifter cable, you likely won’t be able to shift gears, and most cars will only start in Park on Neutral. That means you can start the engine, but if you cant shift into Drive, you are not going anywhere. However, if the transmission is in Drive and the engine is already running, the car will drive without any issues.  

How Long Do Shift Cables Last?

Shift cables don’t have a set service schedule, so the only time you should replace them is if one of the cables snaps or stretches out too much. And it’s difficult to say how long a shift cable will last since some will fail after 8 to 10 years while others can go for 15 to 20 years without any issues. Still, anything below 10 years can be considered a premature failure.  

Do All Cars Have a Parking Pawl?

No, not all cars have a parking pawl. Only vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission have a parking pawl or a Park gear. That includes double clutch and direct shift transmissions. On the other hand, manual transmissions don’t have a parking pawl or a Park gear, and that includes automated manuals like the SMG found in 2000s BMWs.  

How Do You Protect Parking Pawl?

To protect the parking pawl mechanism, you should only engage it once you are at a full stop. That protects the parking pawl lever from hitting the ring gears or sliding on them, which is the main cause of parking pawl failure. And even better, put the hand brake on before you shift into Park.  

What Causes a Shift Solenoid to Fail?

A shift solenoid typically fails because of age and wear. However, excessive heat caused by a faulty transmission cooling system and voltage spikes can damage the shift solenoids. Furthermore, old, dirty, or burnt transmission fluid can speed up the solenoid wear process.  

Conclusion

So, if your transmission doesn’t go into Park, you are more than likely looking at an issue related to the shit cables. That can be a broken or stretched shift cable. And in the first case scenario, the only solution is to replace it, while in the second scenario, you can first try adjusting the cables. Other causes include a broken parking pawl lever, a broken shifter mechanism, and even a faulty Park solenoid.

But before jumping to conclusions, make sure you carefully read each subsection and the corresponding symptoms of each cause so you get a better idea of what precisely might be the issue. But even so, a vehicle inspection is the best way you can know for sure.

Here are some articles that might interest you:

When to Shift Gears on a Motorcycle and at What RPM?

Gear Shift Indicator Light Is Not Working (Symptoms, Causes, and Fixes)

Automatic Transmission Is Not Shifting Into High Gear (Common Causes)

Gear Shifter Moves But Doesn’t Change Gears (Causes and Fixes)