I am shopping for another vehicle to flip, and I ran across a Ford Taurus. This vehicle had the problem of not being able to come out of the park. So the question comes to my mind that I must figure out, is Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park?
From my research, this is what I found in solving Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park. A Ford Taurus has a few possibilities of why it will not come out of park. One possibility is being the brake shift interlock is malfunctioning, this interlock prevents the driver from shifting the car into drive without pressing the brake pedal. Another option can be that the shifter is stuck, and lastly, you are parked on an incline. The pressure that is on the gear from the weight of the vehicle is preventing the shifter from changing gears.
From the research that we have found, lets look deeper and see what we can do to prevent this. That way we can prevent this from happening in the future, to save ourselves the headache.
What would cause my Ford Taurus to not come out of park?
The most common reason in Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park is the brake shift interlock. This is the mechanism that prevents the driver from changing the vehicle from park to drive, without pressing the brake pedal. The Brake Shift Interlock is a great safety feature to have in a vehicle, especially if you have children. This mechanism is known to fault out on the Ford Taurus due to the faulty solenoid attached to the interlock.
A great way to tell that your brake shift interlock is the problem is if your vehicle does not shift out of park. If you press your shifter release button, and you can move the shifter then the brake shift interlock is the culprit to our problem. You will need to have a mechanic replace your shift interlock solenoid. You can also check in your fuse box for the fuse to the shift interlock solenoid. If you do not know where this fuse is located then check your vehicle’s owner manual.
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The location of the shift release button is at the base of your shifter, it is a white plastic latch. You can use a screwdriver and press down on this latch so you can shift your vehicle out of park. This is on a 2010 to 2013 Ford Taurus, of course so if you have another year Ford Taurus there are other options to get your vehicle out of park. Sadly, the problem of Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park, is not just limited to the earlier generation Ford Taurus models. Keep this in mind when trying to diagnose your Ford Taurus to get it back on the road.
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Your battery could be dead…….I know there are some people out there that do not know about vehicles, but I am sure you would have already tried to start your car before moving the shifter, so this is a given. If the car is dead, then it will not come out of park. A great tip though, is to look in your owners manual and see if your year Ford Taurus has a relay or fuse for the shift interlock. All parts fail over time, so do not think it is because your vehicle is faulty in any way. Components fail; it is just a part of owning a car.
When would my Ford Taurus not come out of park?
After looking and searching numerous sites and guides. I could not find a time frame of when the Ford Taurus will not come out of park issue. I did see that this problem has occurred with the Ford Taurus for many years from 1996 to 2013. The majority concern was the brake shift interlock solenoid faulting out. I would make this one of the first checks, when purchasing a new vehicle. Replacing your brake shift interlock at an automotive shop can run you roughly $230-$300.
The location of your brake shift interlock solenoid depends on the year your Ford Taurus is. If you are looking for the brake shift switch, some people and mechanics call the “BOO” switch. The switch is located under the brake pedal. There are six generations of Ford Taurus! So, here are the locations of the brake shift interlock solenoid on each generation.
First Generation (1986-1991) location– The first generation to the Taurus legacy! With this generation, the shifter is on the steering column. The brake switch interlock solenoid is located at the base of the gear shifter. The brake light switch is located at the top of the brake pedal bracket.
Second Generation (1992-1995) location– In this generation the shifter is on the steering column as well. The brake switch interlock solenoid will be located at the base of the gear shifter. The brake light switch will be found at the top of the brake pedal bracket.
Third Generation (1996-1999) location– With this generation, the shifter is on the steering column as well. The brake switch interlock solenoid will be found at the base of the gear shifter. The brake light switch will be located at the top of the brake pedal bracket.
Fourth Generation (2000-2007) location– This generation the shifter is on the steering column. This is where your brake shift interlock is going to be as well. To access your brake shift interlock solenoid take the bottom plastic piece off of your steering column. Then you will be able to see the interlock latch from there. If you need to access your brake shift switch, this is at the top of the brake pedal bracket. This location will be easy to access from under the dashboard.
Fifth Generation (2008-2009) location– The fifth-generation Ford Taurus started the future of Taurus of changing their interior. With this change, they moved the gear shifter from the steering column to the center console. Your brake shift switch is still going to be at the top of your brake pedal bracket. The brake shift interlock solenoid also is known as the transmission shift solenoid. (The name change of the part started with the fifth generation). The Transmission shift solenoid is going to be in the center console under the gear shifter.
You will need to take the rubber base out of the center console cup holder. Under the rubber base are two Phillip screws that you will need to take out. Once you take those screws out. You will be able to take the cup holder out and access the base of the gear shifter. You will notice a white piece of plastic, that is in a grooved latch at the bottom of the gear shifter. This is the arm of the brake shift interlock solenoid. Follow this piece a few inches, and you will see the solenoid sitting there.
Sixth Generation (2010-2019) location– With this generation, the brake shift interlock solenoid is in your center console at the base of your gear shifter. To access the bottom of the shifter, you will need to remove the rubber base from your center cup holder. Below the rubber base, you will see two Phillip head screws. You will need to remove those then lift the cup holder out of the console.
By doing this, you will then have access to see the bottom of your shifter. If you look at the bottom, you will see the white plastic piece in the shifter latch. This piece is the end of the brake shift solenoid and will be held in by a security clip.
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How can I fix this problem with my Ford Taurus?
If you found the problem of why your Ford Taurus will not shift out of park. Then you will need to replace that part! If you are comfortable with repairing the vehicle yourself. Then you are going to save a lot of money for this repair. In the case that you are not comfortable with doing the repair yourself. Then there are multiple options for repair facilities and mobile mechanics that can repair the vehicle for you.
I have heard great things about the company Your Mechanic, but I have not tried them out myself yet. The average cost of this repair through a repair facility is between $220-$300. After thorough research, I did find out there is a recall for the 2003 Ford Taurus owner notification began on April 4th, 2004.
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Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park can be a stressful problem to have! But we hope with our help, this repair will be as easy for you as possible!
This recall does say that the brake lights will remain on at all times. But, if the circuit is stuck in the open position, then the vehicle will not be able to come out of park and the brake lights will not work.
So check with Ford if you haven’t yet if your vehicle falls under this recall notice here is their phone number 1-800-392-3673. Remember when it comes to the repair that if the brake lights are the only thing not working its the brake light switch if the vehicle will not come out of park, then it will be the solenoid.
In the case that the problem Why wont my Ford Taurus come out of park is intermittent then you will need to check the wiring leading to the brake light switch, sometimes the wiring can become worn and damaged.
If the copper braiding is showing on the wires, you will need to wrap the wire with electrical tape. When the insulation is worn from the wiring, this can cause a short in the wire. This will cause the switch to malfunction.
Remember after making your repair to check your fuses as well. Check your brake light fuse to make sure it is not damaged from the old defective part you replaced.
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How can I prevent this from happening in the future?
When it comes to transmission issues, start with small things and work up from there. If your transmission is acting up on you instead of jumping right to changing the transmission. You should check to see if you can flush the transmission fluid and change the filter.
In the circumstance, we do not have another option outside of the brake interlock solenoid. We would go right to replacing the faulty solenoid to correct our problem. I hope you enjoyed the article and I hope to see you reading my next article as well!
