I love my 2006 V6 Automatic, but I have noticed that it is difficult to place the gear shift in Park. I have to move it back and forth in order for it to catch. Is that a common occurance? I took it to the dealer and they said nothing was wrong with it.

 

I don't have the problem in park, but when I first go mine it would sometimes catch between neutral and drive. It felt kind of silly stepping on the gas and going nowhere.

 

So what did you do? Is it fixed, or is that a characteristic of the car?

 

I have the same problem. I have an 06 auto as well. When I put it into park, the car will lurch forward a bit before it takes hold. Not a powerful lurch, more like just a bit of a roll forward. If I'm real conscientious, I can jiggle the shifter in park a few times and it will generally take hold after a few tries. I'm not entirely certain why this is. I'd be curious to know if anyone has experienced this on an 05 or 07? Otherwise, it's just specific to us 06ers.

 

My situation may have been me getting use to the car, but I have not tried to recreate it. Maybe I will try that today. I have noticed that my shifter is much more smooth now than it was when I first got it.

Missing an intermediate spot on the shifter is easier to do than missing park, so yours might actually be a problem. If it where me, I would see if it goes away with a little break in time and take it back if it persists. Just double check to make sure it is in park (as you probably do) or use the emergency/parking brake until the problem is gone or corected.

 

[:@]

 

USE YOUR E BRAKES WHEN YOU PARK!!!!!!!!!! PRESS ON THE BRAKE, PUT IT IN PARK, BEFORE YOU LET OFF OF THE BRAKE PEDAL, PULL THE E-BRAKE AND THEN YOU RELEASE THE FOOT BRAKE.... SOUNDS SO SIMPLE, MAYBE CAUSE IT IS!!!

 

Jesus dude, no need to yell. Quit being a Dick and grow one.

But I digress...

The small roll forward is common for an automatic, it is the parking pawl locking into place, it is a ratchet based setup. it is more noticeable if you are on a incline of some sort. My 06 does it, my 99 does it, all my other autos have had it. The reason you see it in the shifter is the parking pawl is hooked to the shift linkage inside the trans, which is hooked to the shift cable, so when it pulls on the pawl it will move the shifter a little. It is nothing to be worried about.

 

You're putting unnecessary wear on your transmission if you let it roll forward after shifting into park. The guy with the caps lock problem is correct, push on your brake pedal firmly when you put it into park, then set the hand brake before releasing your foot from the brake pedal. That also makes it easier to get back out of park when you're ready to drive off, especially if you're parked on a hill.

 

I agree, the e-brake should keep the car still, but this still does help with the original problem of "difficult to place the gear shift in Park".


FYI: jodie, I did test my sticking between neutral and drive. It does not do it at all any more. When I try to stick it there, it just falls into one gear or the other as it probably should have from the factory.