my car won't shift out of park, why?

70

Asked by latinotom Aug 05, 2017 at 11:52 PM about the 2009 Chevrolet Impala LS FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Drove to work, parked car, came out to go to lunch and car would not move
from park.

5 Answers

160

I believe GM puts an electrical switch that will only allow the gear shift to move from park when the ignition switch is on and the brake pedal depressed. I had problems with it sometimes working and sometimes not so I had to keep switching the key on and off & depressing the brake pedal until it worked. I opened up the console, and cut the wires to the gearshift assembly - put a piece of heat shrink on the wire ends from wherever they come from and VIOLA - no more stuck in Park - What this technique does is allows the gearshift to come out of park without depressing the brake pedal I sold the car 4 years ago and cannot remember whether the ignition still had to be on or not to shift out of park- I was the only driver and we have no kids so it was not a big deal to have this "safety feature" disabled. Hope this helps

16 people found this helpful.
70

Thank you for your help, I did not know you could simply cut the wire, very helpful.

7 people found this helpful.
1,095

Easiest trick is that the locking steering wheel is in a unique position when you park .. Try turning your ignition key to on , and pull your steering wheel back and forth with some muscle power ..

18 people found this helpful.
1,095

For all the questions below of people who can't get their gear shifter out of park ,try to do what I suggested ,its just a strange angle your tires get into when you park..

8 people found this helpful.
10

You Can drill a hole by the passenger seat and Put your finger in to press a silver button to release the lever

1 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Impala

Looking for a Used Impala in your area?

CarGurus has 4,489 nationwide Impala listings starting at $1,784.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2009 Chevrolet Impala

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Rowefast
    Reputation
    6,260
  • #2
    James Sparrow
    Reputation
    4,650
  • #3
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    4,130
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Chevrolet Malibu
1,245 Great Deals out of 25,290 listings starting at $990
Used Dodge Charger
792 Great Deals out of 14,525 listings starting at $1,500
Used Honda Accord
1,558 Great Deals out of 29,973 listings starting at $800
Used Toyota Camry
2,260 Great Deals out of 44,918 listings starting at $975
Used Chevrolet Camaro
632 Great Deals out of 8,690 listings starting at $2,800
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
1,400 Great Deals out of 32,178 listings starting at $1,550
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
4,313 Great Deals out of 122,543 listings starting at $1,995
Used Chrysler 300
342 Great Deals out of 5,316 listings starting at $1,995
Used Dodge Challenger
689 Great Deals out of 11,504 listings starting at $5,000
Used Buick LaCrosse
105 Great Deals out of 1,665 listings starting at $1,750
Used Ford F-150
6,689 Great Deals out of 173,754 listings starting at $1,995
Used Nissan Altima
1,515 Great Deals out of 39,782 listings starting at $1,000
Used Nissan Maxima
236 Great Deals out of 3,658 listings starting at $900
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
2,239 Great Deals out of 52,278 listings starting at $1,650

Used Cars For Sale

2019 Chevrolet Impala LS FWD For Sale
19 listings starting at $8,731
2018 Chevrolet Impala LS FWD For Sale
20 listings starting at $8,590
2017 Chevrolet Impala LS FWD For Sale
3 Great Deals out of 39 listings starting at $7,999
2016 Chevrolet Impala LS FWD For Sale
17 listings starting at $6,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.