Q: The shift lever is hard to move.

When a shifter becomes hard to move, it is usually the interlock cable. AKA, shift cable. This cable slides in a housing and connects directly to the transmission. When this cables becomes worn, it gets hard to move inside the housing. There is also a shift lever assembly, which is what you are grabbing when you move your car in and out of gear. Both of these are the main culprits with hard to move shifters.

There is a slim possibility the problem is in the transmission. If this is the case you will need a technician to help out. I recommend having a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, diagnose your cars shifting issue.

Now if it is just hard to get out of park, you have a shift interlock problem. The solenoids that release the shift lever when step on the brake pedal often get week or gummed up. When this occurs, they usually will intermittently work.

Good luck!