Q: Car won't move out of Park

asked by on February 18, 2016

My car will not move out of Park. Is seems like the shifting mechanism is broken.

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The shift interlock system on your Escape prevents the shifter from being moved out of Park, unless the ignition switch is on, and the brake pedal is depressed. The brake pedal position is detected by the brake switch, which is the most common point of failure. There is a manual override button that will bypass the interlock, in the case of a system failure. Instructions on manual override can be found on pages 165-167 of your owner’s manual. However, I suggest you have a professional mechanic inspect the cause of your shifter sticking in Park, and suggest a permanent repair. The team at YourMechanic is an excellent option.

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