Q: Stuck in reverse

Hi there, thanks for writing to YourMechanic. It can be difficult to drive a vehicle with it stuck in reverse. The problem seems to be a plastic grommet that connects the gear shift assembly to the transmission. It sounds like the plastic grommet has broken.

You could go under the vehicle and you should see the plastic grommet very easily. You could put the transmission in park or neutral by hand. Just make sure that you set the parking brake before going under the vehicle so it doesn’t roll. The plastic grommets tend to break due to shifting hard or due to dry climates.

The security lock came from trying to start the vehicle in gear. When you can put the transmission into park or neutral with the new plastic grommet, the security light should go out. Then you would be able to start the vehicle.

If for some reason the security light will not go out, you could have a problem with the ignition switch or anti-theft system. I would like to recommend having a qualified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, diagnose your stuck gear and troubleshoot the security lock symptom firsthand.