Learn how to address and resolve the “Shift to Park” message in your vehicle. Follow our simple steps to troubleshoot and eliminate this issue effectively.
There are many safety switches, dings, warning lights, and warning signs in modern cars. The shift to park warning is one of them. They are all there to keep you safe. To keep you from forgetting to put the car in Park before turning off the engine, it’s there. What if you change to Park and still get the message?
This means that either the Park switch or the shifter is broken if you get a message that says “shift to Park.” In both cases, unless you have a GM, you will need to get a new part. If you have a Chevy, Buick, or Cadillac, the problem is easy to fix and won’t cost much. It will only take 30 minutes.
Shift To Park Message Meaning
A Park safety switch is in almost all current cars with automatic transmissions. You shouldn’t flip the switch to turn off the engine before you put the car in Park. That gets rid of the chance of leaving the transmission in Neutral, which could cause it to roll back and hit someone. In a car with an automatic gearbox, leaving the transmission in Drive will also have the same effect.
In other words, you won’t be able to turn off the engine if you get a “shift to Park” message. There’s no big deal with that if the Park move works, but there is a big deal if it doesn’t. The model also changes what the problem is. If your car has an electronic shifter with a built-in Park switch, you will need to repair the whole shifter assembly.
Sometimes there is a real switch, but it’s built into the shifter and can’t be changed separately. In older cars, the switch has nothing to do with the shifter. Then it’s just a cheap on/off switch that you can get. Modern GM cars that already have a recall because of this problem are the only ones that don’t follow these rules.
A small metal tab that pushes the Park switch in is the main cause of the trouble if you drive that kind of car. There isn’t enough force on the switch because the metal tab bends. The problem can be fixed by bending it, but if your model is part of a recall, you should have the shifter changed at a dealer near you. Do remember that if you try to fix it yourself, the guarantee might not cover it.
Shift To Park Message Causes And Fixes
Bad Park Switch
The Park switch is the first thing you should check if you have an older car. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to test it; replacing it won’t cost you much. A prong on these switches sticks out. When you put the car in Park, the shifter pushes the prong in, which shuts off the switch circuit. Once you do that, the transmission control module gets a message and lets you turn off the engine.
The switch could also be on the transmission. The switch would then be turned on by shifter cables, so the issue could be with the connection. That said, you will notice other signs before you see the “shift to Park” message. It won’t cost much to fix the transmission switch, but it can be harder to replace.
To change the transmission’s Park switch, the switch itself will cost between $20 and $50. After that, you’ll probably need to get it fixed at a service shop and get a new one. So, based on the model, the work will cost between $50 and $100.
Another thing that costs about $10 to $20 is a new switch for the shifter panel. It takes a wide range of models a very different amount of time to change.
If taking off the gear trim is easy, it can take as little as 15 minutes. Most of the time, though, it’s not, and the repair process takes well over an hour. That means the cost of the work could be $30 to $100 or more.
In this case, you can change the switch yourself, but make sure you know how to take off all the trim on the inside. A lot of screws and clips are hidden, which makes it more likely that something will break.
Bad Shifter
Most likely, the shifter in your newer car is electronic. In other words, the shifter and the transmission are not physically linked. In that case, there won’t be a Park switch either. Microprocessors keep track of where the shifter is and send that information to the transmission control module. As it stands, you can’t just change the switch.
It’s too bad that you have to buy a new shifter, which won’t be cheap. Your mileage may vary, but these shifters can cost anywhere from $200 to $600 or even more, based on its age and price. They are very pricey because you shouldn’t buy them from other brands. Instead, you want an OEM shifter.
You can buy a used shifter instead, which isn’t a bad idea unless your car has known shifter problems. The cost of work is likely to be around $100, since modern cars have made it very easy to take off the interior trim. But it’s important to have a professional look at the old shifter before you buy a new one.
These shifters are very complicated, which makes them hard to identify. Also, they are pretty pricey, so you don’t want to waste hundreds of dollars unless you’re sure you have to.
Shift To Park Message on GM Vehicles (Recall)
The change to park message has caused a lot of trouble for GM models. So much so that GM had to recall the cars. The 2019 Chevy Blazer, the 2018-2019 Chevy Traverse, the 2016-2019 Chevy Volt, the 2016-2019 Chevy Malibu, the 2017-2018 Chevy Cruze, the 2017-2018 Chevy Bolt, and the 2017-2018 GMC Acadia are in the recall. A metal Park switch tab is what’s wrong.
The shifter button presses against the tab when the shifter is in Park. The tab sticks out of the switch. Next, the tab moves the Park switch in and turns it on. So the metal tab doesn’t have enough strength over the switch because it is too thin and soft. The list has grown since the first technical service notice was sent out. Models like the Camaro have been added.
This is a technical service bulletin with the number 19-NA-206. Based on the TSB, GM wants to change the switch, the switch cover (84955380), and the switch wiring (84733196). The part numbers for the shifters are 84955381 for the Malibu, 84955382 for the Volt, and 84955379 for the 2019 Acadia, Blazer, and Traverse. And since these are being recalled, any car dealer should give you new ones for free.
Do you need to replace these parts without going to the dealership? The parts cost about $40, and based on the model, it takes about an hour and a half to two hours to replace them. That’s an extra $100 to $150. Not if you can do it yourself, though. Bending the metal tab back into place will work just as well as buying new parts. It’s even better because the new parts’ metal tab will bend over time too.
Why is My Car Stuck in Park and Won’t Shift?
It’s likely that the shifter wires in an older car are either broken or stretched out. There’s also a chance that the transmission oil and shift solenoids are low on pressure. It could also be a broken switch on the brake pedal. If you have a newer model, though, the shifter assembly or transmission control section is probably broken.
What is the Chevy Shift to Park Lawsuit?
People who own Chevys have filed a class action case against General Motors over a shifter that doesn’t work right. The problem was a broken Park switch that wouldn’t work when the car was in Park. This meant that the owners couldn’t stop the car or turn off the engine.
Also, the fault would often drain the battery, leaving the owners without power. Since then, GM has issued a recall for a number of Chevy and GMC cars that have the problem.
What Does It Mean When My Car Says Shift To Park?
When your car says “shift to Park,” it means you want to do something that can only be done with the gear in Park. To do that, you might have to turn off the engine, lock the doors, use the hand brake, open the trunk, or open the hood. There’s also a chance that the engine is broken, but if that happens, you will get another message.
How Do You Fix a Shift To Park Message on a Chevy Malibu?
It’s the same to fix a shift to park message on a Chevy Malibu as it is on any other car that is touched by the shift to park recall. It says in the technical service bulletin that you need to change the Park switch, the Park switch harness, and the plastic cover for the Park switch. But you can fix it by bending the switch’s metal tab as well.
What To Do When The Gear Shift is Stuck in Park?
If the transmission gets stuck in Park, there may be a handle inside the car that you can use to quickly shift into neutral. To find out if your car has one, look in the owner’s guidebook. But that won’t help if the shifter wire is broken, because moving the shifter won’t do anything once it’s free.
Why is My Gear Shift Not Shifting?
Most of the time, loose or broken shifter wires are to blame for a broken shifter. It’s also possible that the shift solenoids or the switch for the brake button are broken. And if you drive a car that was made around 2000, it could be a bad transmission control module or, if it’s an electronic shifter, a bad shifter part.
How Do I Get Rid Of Shift To Park Message?
Change the shift release button next to the gear shift stick until the text on the dashboard display goes away. This may get rid of the “Shift to Park” mistake message quickly.
Always keep in mind that this is only a short-term fix. It can still help Malibu and other Chevy owners if they see the mistake message while they are driving or in transit.
Malibu owners can also choose a long-term fix by pressing down on the contact switch on the shifter.
But keep in mind that it won’t be easy to do yourself and that you’ll need to know a lot about how cars work. Unless you do this, messing with the car’s parts could hurt it more.
If you decide to do this, you might only need a flat-head screwdriver or body tool, as long as absolutely everything goes as planned.
Following these steps will help you open the shift housing and get rid of the “Shift to Park” sign.
Step-By-Step Guide
- Use a flat-head screwdriver or body tool to pry open the casing around the shifter.
- Moving the shifter around while pulling hard enough to take it out of the case. Please do not pull on the shifter, as this could cause damage to its wires.
- Use the screwdriver or body tool to open up the sides of the housing and take out the rest of it. To get the cover off, you might also need to pull on the cup holder.
- Carefully pull the wires out of the case and set it aside.
- The micro-switch can be seen by prying off a small cover under the shift stick with a knife.
- The micro-switch should have no dust left on it.
- Hold the switch down until you see it bend. Pay attention not to bend it too far, or it could break.
- Put everything back in the shifter case that you took out and test to see if the problem still happens.
You could also return the car to the manufacturer or your dealer, as long as the guarantee is still valid. If so, you might be able to use a service that finds you shift housing for free or at a low cost.
What Is Covered Under Chevy Warranty?
When you buy a Chevrolet straight from the company that makes it, you get a limited warranty that covers 3 years or 36,000 miles.
For an extra fee, new buyers can get the guarantee extended to 5 years or 60,000 miles.
Additionally, Chevrolet provides extra warranty packages that cover the company’s cars even more. Here are a few of these short warranties:
Corrosion Warranty
Protection for sheet metal and rust-through that lasts up to 3 years or 36,000 miles and 6 years or 100,000 miles, respectively.
Engine Limited Warranty: This warranty covers the engine and parts around it for up to 5 years or 60,000 miles.
Emissions Control System Warranty
It’s only for cars and light-duty trucks. For up to 8 years or 80,000 miles, this guarantee covers the catalytic converter and any parts that go with it.
Bumper-to-Bumper Warranty pays for fixes that are needed because of problems with the materials or the way they were made. It’s good for three years or 36,000 miles.
People who own Chevrolet cars should also know that the following parts are not covered by the company’s limited warranties:
- Damage to tires and wheels from simple use
- Odometer was changed.
- installed hardware from outside sources
- Chevrolet also does not pay to fix or replace parts that are broken because of crashes, changes, or improper use.
- Chevy owners can also call the company to find out more about the parts that are covered by their insurance packages.
Final Words
Most Chevy and GMC models have the “shift to park” message because GM already recalled those models because of it after a class action case. It was the broken Park switch. The metal tab lift has bent and can’t push the Park switch in anymore.