logo

Volkswagen Rabbit Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection at your home or office.

Our certified mobile mechanics come to you 7 days a week between 7 AM and 9 PM.

Estimate price near me

Service Location

Customer Ratings

(86)

How A Diagnostic Works

Instantly book a certified mobile mechanic to come to you

Mechanic diagnoses the problem and quotes necessary repairs

Your vehicle is ready to go

Fair, upfront & transparent pricing for all services

Our certified mobile mechanics can come to you now.

See availability

Customer Ratings

(86)

Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection Service

How much does a Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection cost?

On average, the cost for a Volkswagen Rabbit Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection is $95 with $0 for parts and $95 for labor. Prices may vary depending on your location.

CarServiceEstimateShop/Dealer Price
1983 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.8LService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$114.99Shop/Dealer Price$124.99 - $132.49
1979 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.5L DieselService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1980 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.5L DieselService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1984 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.8LService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$104.99 - $112.48
1984 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.7LService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.02 - $112.55
1980 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.6LService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$94.99Shop/Dealer Price$105.01 - $112.52
1983 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.7LService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$109.87 - $117.28
1981 Volkswagen RabbitL4-1.6L DieselService typeCar does not shift from park to drive InspectionEstimate$99.99Shop/Dealer Price$110.24 - $117.94
Show example Volkswagen Rabbit Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection prices

You start the car up, put your foot the brake, push the button on the shifter and it won’t shift out of park. What do you do now? Don’t force the shifter. Forcing the shifter out of park may cause more damage. The shifter is connected to the transmission in some cars mechanically or electronically. If an electrical or mechanical component has failed between the shifter and transmission, you won’t be able to shift the car out of park. A top-rated mobile mechanic will come to your home or office to diagnose the problem with your vehicle. The mechanic will then provide an inspection report detailing the scope and cost of the necessary repairs

When to have your shifter inspected or replaced:

Have this system inspected only when a part in the shifter or part of the system that operates the transmission breaks] . There is no scheduled time frame for replacing parts in the shifting system. However, all parts can wear out and have the potential to fail, and in a perfect situation, all the parts in the shifting system would last the life of the vehicle.

Symptoms that may indicate your shifter will fail include:

  • Shifter can be moved but has a lot of resistance
  • When shifting into a gear, drive or reverse, it feels difficult to find the right spot. The transmission ends up in neutral instead. You may notice that the engine will accelerate when stepping on the gas pedal but the car doesn’t move.
  • When starting the car with the key, the ignition cylinder feels loose and has play.
  • No brake lights in the vehicle, brake pedal switch could be faulty.
  • Shifter feels completely loose -- like it’s not connected to the transmission at all.

How a mechanic will inspect a car that won’t shift from park:

There are a number of reasons why a car will not move from park to drive. They can range from the shifter being locked to a broken shifter cable. Mechanics will check for these things:

  • Failed brake light switch

  • Bad shift interlock solenoid or wiring: The shift interlock solenoid is a safety feature that has been added to all modern automatic-transmission cars. It prevents the driver from shifting out of park without a foot on the brake.

  • Broken transmission shift cable: A cable connects the shifter handle to the transmission, and if that is broken, the shifter will be inoperable

  • Ignition key tumbler is worn out: The ignition switch not only starts your car, but it also locks the steering wheel when the key is taken out. In cars with automatic transmissions, a shift interlock solenoid is also part of the ignition system, and it locks the transmission so it cannot be shifted out of park (as described above).

  • Broken shifter mechanism: It is also possible that the shifter itself is broken. A mechanic will remove the center console to examine the actual shifter mechanism.

Is it safe to drive with this problem?

Since you can’t move the car without shifting from park to drive, it’s important to enlist the help of one of our mechanics as soon as possible to inspect and then repair the issue.

Fast and easy service at your home or office

Backed by 12-month, 12.000-mile guarantee

Number of Volkswagen Rabbit services completed
946+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Volkswagen MECHANICS
1000+
experts on our platform
Yourmechanic was featured in

New York Times NBC CBS Forbes INC Tech Crunch

Learn more about us

Meet some of our expert Volkswagen mechanics

Real customer reviews from Volkswagen owners like you.

Excellent Rating

(86)
Rating Summary
83
0
2
0
1
83
0
2
0
1

Wesley

16 years of experience
277 reviews
Request Wesley
Wesley
16 years of experience
Request Wesley
by Enrique
Volkswagen Rabbit L5-2.5L - Serpentine/Drive Belt - Aurora, Colorado
I Do recommend Yourmechanic.com to all. The service was excellent. The price also very competitive. Wesley (the mechanic)drove all the way back to his shop to bring a special tool he need. The work took more time than he expected and still only charged the initial price. The work was all well done. Thank you Wesley.

Kenneth

16 years of experience
113 reviews
Request Kenneth
Kenneth
16 years of experience
Request Kenneth
by Daria
Volkswagen Rabbit L5-2.5L - Battery - Oakland, California
Reliable, knowledgable, speedy service A+++++++

Travis

13 years of experience
579 reviews
Request Travis
Travis
13 years of experience
Request Travis
by Joona
Volkswagen Rabbit L5-2.5L - 100,000 Miles Maintenance Service - Minneapolis, Minnesota
Travis is the man. Very knowledgeable and will answer any of your questions based on years of experience.

Eduardo

19 years of experience
549 reviews
Request Eduardo
Eduardo
19 years of experience
Request Eduardo
by Luke
Volkswagen Rabbit L5-2.5L - AC is not working - Houston, Texas
Mechanic showed up a little early for the appointment, which was fantastic. Very friendly to work with and fixed my problem in less than an hour. Not only did he address all my concerns, he actually managed to fix 2/3 of the problems for *less* than the original estimate. More work is needed for the other issue, but I knew that would be the case already, so I'm really happy with how it went.

Excellent Rating

(86)
Rating Summary
83
0
2
0
1
83
0
2
0
1
Number of Volkswagen Rabbit services completed
946+
services done by our mechanics
TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPERT Volkswagen MECHANICS
1000+
experts on our platform
Yourmechanic was featured in

New York Times NBC CBS Forbes INC Tech Crunch

Learn more about us

Recent articles & questions

A Buyer’s Guide to the 2012 Nissan Versa
In In the world of subcompact sedans, the Nissan Versa is a serious contender. Not only does it come with a low price tag, but it also includes a lot more features than you’d expect for a subcompact, especially one...
Read more
How to Protect a Classic Car
A A classic car is one that is more than 25 years old and has been proven to be popular or sought after. Popular classic cars are typically from the late 1950s, 1960s, and into the 1970s with examples including:...
Read more
How to Get a Loan When Buying an RV
It’s no coincidence that the “R” in RV stands for “Recreation.” After all, Recreation Vehicles can be a lot of fun to own and provide a lot of freedom, luxury, and relaxation to many people. An RV can be its...
Read more

Whining when in gear - 2007 Dodge Nitro

The noise you are hearing is coming from the transmission and is most likely the internal bearings of the of the output shaft. You should have the problem verified by a mechanic and have fluids checked to be full in...
Read more

2007 Nissan Frontier won't go into any gear

The shifter cable connects the interior gear selector to the transmission. This allows the driver to select the correct gear. If the cable is detached, the gear selector will just flop around but not select any gear, as you describe....
Read more

No start, no crank

Check to see if there are any stored diagnostic trouble codes. Be sure you have a fully, 100% charged battery that passes a load test (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/battery-is-dead-inspection). Confirm that the engine immobilizer system (security system) is not activated thus preventing the...
Read more
  1. Home
  2. Estimates
  3. Volkswagen
  4. Rabbit
  5. Car does not shift from park to drive Inspection

How can we help?

Our service team is available 7 days a week, Monday - Friday from 6 AM to 5 PM PST, Saturday - Sunday 7 AM - 4 PM PST.

1 (855) 347-2779 · hi@yourmechanic.com

Read FAQ
GET A QUOTE