I cannot get my car to shift out of "Park"! Please help! I need to leave the office!?

Ask someone to assist or put your left foot outside the car and push against the direction it's leaning so that it takes the pressure off of the transmission. Then take it out of park. In the future apply the parking brake before you put it in park.

If all else fails grab the lever with both hands and pull it out of park as hard as you can. If it slants forward ask someone to push against the front of the car,,, if it leans back have someone push on the back of the car.

Next time it's in for service tell Ford about it and see if there is something they can do to make sure it doesn't happen again, but be sure to put the parking brake on first after this and THEN put it in park.

Good luck. Hope you get out for Halloween. Email me if it works for you. I'd like to hear.

Peace Love and Light,

I AM

Dartagnon

Press the brake down as far as you can before trying to shift to reverse. I'll look for some other options too.

An automatic transmission, when in PARK position, locks the driving wheels. On a steep grade you'll need more than normal pressure to move the shift lever. This is because the transmission's parking pawl resists the vehicle's tendency to roll

There may be a groove in the pawl because you don't use your parking brake on these inclines. That if you don't use the parking brake, the car shifts forward when you finally let off the brakes. This does damage and might end up costing you a new transmission. In the future use your parking brake.

Try pushing it really hard... if that doesn't work, I only have a few other options. The other option is it could be a fuse issue with the safety on the brake. Something could have gotten down in the slot that is interfering with the movement of the shifter. Or the ignition safety switch could have gone bad as well.

Fords have had a known problem with a short occuring somewhere in the braking system which leads to the car failing to determine if you are depressing the brakes or not.

Try turning off the car, apply the parking brake, then turn the ignition to only where the steering wheel unlocks (sometimes you can turn it in the opposite direction to achieve this), then see if you can shift the gear shifter into neutral. This should allow you to start the car then shift into drive, reverse, whatever. Then take your car to a mechanic. (You can try the above without the parking brake as well. Just keep the brakes depressed so you don't roll down.)

If you cannot go to the mechanic tonight, then when you park your car at home, leave it in neutral and apply the parking brake. (Try not to park on an incline.) Use a chock-block if you can.

i had that same prob with a ford taurus. it may be the auto transmission is locked by the pressure of a hill (gravity). We fixed it by gently pushing up on it with a blanket in between it and another vehicle, then finally shifted the column shift from park to reverse after a couple tries. Good luck and hopefully something works for you

Edit: I seen the part of ur ? about the "slant" parking. Even though it's an automatic, be sure to utilize parking/emergency brake when on a hill.

Well, I hope you got home at a decent time. I had an old escort in like '94, I noticed that if my steering wheel became locked in either direction when I turned the car off and parked, it would get stuck in park. I would have to turn the wheel extremely hard in the direction it was locked, while simultaneously playing with the shifter, eventually it would pop out of park. Not sure if a 2001 would have that issue...anyway,hope it turned out ok : /

Edit: ...while applying pressure to the brake of course... and if your steering wheel isn't locked... try turning it until it is, and then try my method lol, sorry idk.

I'm not sure about that car, but some cars next to the shift thing there is a spot to put a key in. If you put the key in it that starts your car and push it down then you can move the shift thing into neutral.

Have you tried turning your steering wheel? Get the tires straight if they aren't already. Make sure you can turn the wheel, if not jerk it around until it unlocks.

Hope I helped

I don't know how those cars are, but is your parking brake on? emergency brake? Are you making sure you press the brake all the way before shifting? Not trying to be condescending, but I'm thinking it may take more pressure on the brake since the car is on a slant? Try turning the wheels maybe? That's happened to me before.. Jiggle the shifter a little too maybe and just try it a little harder since it's on a slant....I dunno... just trying to help!

Is there anyone else there that could help you out?

I bought a used Ford Mustang and that same thing happened to me. Turned out that the wire for the braking system shorted out. To get my car out of park, I would have to turn the ignition key backward until I could put it in neutral, then I could start the car ... however, I had no brake lights (the brakes worked fine ... just no brake LIGHTS).

If you do turn the ignition key backwards and you ARE able to put it in neutral to start it then be careful ... chances are your brake light wire might have shorted out as well. It doesn't actually register that your foot is on the brake which is why you can't get it out of park.

See if someone can see your lights when you put your foot on the brake; no lights means the wire probably shorted.

Good luck and be careful !

try to put it in drive with key on but car not running if it goes then put car in netural then start it and then shift to drive or reverse if this works u need to replace brake light switch

You might need to step on the brakes as you shift since it's on a slant. Its a safety thing so you dont roll down a hill by mistake.