got done work and the car wont shift. tow truck driver knew what the problem was and showed me how to fix it in the future when the warrenty expires

Update from Jul 13, 2010: the shifter was stuck in park like i said that night before had it towed and dodge fixed it free at first they said it was rust (Wharncliffe dodge). We bought the avenger from family in Windsor Ontario they own the dealership when we told wharncliffe dodge London Ontario that of our connection they finaly said that dodge is replacing the part (pink part) with a stronger version so keep all your receipts take to small claims if they make you pay for it. This should be a recall If my wife was in a bad area the U.S. or Canada. She or even me could have been in trouble waiting for a tow. Also was said we have cars parked in our lot that have the same problems, what gives REPLACE IT NOW DODGE.

My husband and I , with two children in tow. More than 2 1/2 hours from home at a theme park got stranded temporarly due to the gear stick would not release from park. We could not figure out what the issue was. The car started right up as usual. It just seemed stuck and would not shift into drive or any other gear from park. However, after my husband using is Motorala Droid (cell phone) internet to search the web came across this site and Amber problem and solution. We removed the face place (silver plate surround the gear module underneath as she said there is a pink which looks orange when it dark button, switch it down and it will release the car from park. Ensure your feet is on the brake while you shift it. This is only temporary. I have to price the dealership or others to have it repaired. Until then we are using our second vehicle, but the solution got us home.

If it hadn't been for the neighbor who was a former mechanic, I would have had to pay for a tow, as the car would not come out of park. It is just amazing how cheaply built cars are these days, all part are plastic and so damn expensive. Thank goodness the part I needed was only 57.95 and the neighbor was happy with a 12pak of Heineken(15.00), I feel I got off really cheap. The dude at the dealer parts dept made mention that he only had 2 of these parts left, that they had a lot of people coming in a buying the part. Sounds like it should be a RECALL. He also mentioned that the same part for other models cost as much as $300.00+ dollars, I would have been pissed. You would think they would revamp the way the plastic part was made, but noooo, its still cheap ass plastic that will probably break again in time.

I recently bought a 2008 Dodge Avenger on 2-21-2010 no more then 5 months later on 7-1-2010 do I encounter a very serious problem .. my car won't go into reverse ! No problem right .. this should be covered in my 4 year warranty ... WRONG ! After being encouraged to purchase the Portfolio Elite Package and ensured that this will cover everything and anything on the vehicle I come to find out that a very well known problem (This should actually be classified as a recall ) is actually not covered with my over priced warranty package.The SHIFTING COMPONENT of my vehicle is broken and now they tell me that is NOT covered. I am told this is a component issue and that all the cars parts can be qualified as "components" (whatever that means ) and that the cost for the repair is estimated at $300.00. Very clearly does it state on my warranty COMPONENT COVERAGE.

I have read the other reviews and read that NUMEROUS people have had this same problem . Hearing that this was going to cost $300.00 and not covered under my very expensive warranty I was livid ! Long story short.. Contact your warranty company contact the dealerhship take it to the highest level possible. Make a big deal.. throw a fit . They have heard these complaints before we are not the only dissatisfied customers. In the end my shifting component was honored under warranty with only the deductible having to be paid for.

I feel fortunate, after reading other complaints, my car seems to have the highest mileage. But as all others my car was fine when I came home from work on Friday, hadn't been in it all weekend. Got in it Sunday evening to move it and it wouldn't come out of park. So far I haven't been able to contact the dealer being as they are not opened Sunday evenings. But I'm sure I won't receive any different resolution than anyone else. It is obviously going to cost me $$$. I was hesitate about buying a dodge to begin with. As I am a chevy fan (their vehicles are great and long lasting) Lesson well learned....

I purchased my car used in November 2009. On 6/25/10, my daughter and I traveled to Hollywood, CA from Bakersfield, CA for a day of shopping. On our way home, around 11:30pm, we stopped at the gas station before traveling home, and without any warning, the gearshift was stuck into park. We turned the car on and off, applied pressure to the break, turned the steering wheel right to left, let the car sit hoping when it cooled down the gear would shift, checked the transmission fluid, and nothing worked. My sister and her husband drove to Hollywood to pick us up. We remained in a closed gas station, sitting near the gas pump, until they arrived around 3:00am. My brother-in-law removed the consol where the gearshift was placed and messed around with a piece of pink plastic that he stated had something to do with the gearshift. After 30 minutes, he was able to put the car into drive. We had to drive the car home in fear that it would jump out of gear. When we arrived home, put the car in park, and tried to shift the gear into drive again, the gearshift was stuck again. This was a trip that could have turned deadly.

I got out of work yesterday afternoon and couldn't move the gear shift out of park. I got really nervous because i had to go pick up my daughter from daycare by 6 and it was 5:45. I called my insurance company and they gave me a quote of $95 to tow to the dealership near my neighborhood. Luckily a friend got on this website and told me how to fix it temporarily.I took off the chrome plating around my gear shift and there was a pink button on the left. I got a knife and while pushing the brake, pushed the button back and was able to move the car into reverse and drive. A coworker was kind enough to take me to pick up my daughter, but this was a scary situation with no warning whatsoever.

There NEEDS to be a recall on this. I'm so glad i avoided the towing fee, but my car is getting looked at by a friend of the family so i will get back with an update for how much the part will cost.

I bought the dodge avenger in September 2008. It had 19,000 miles, it now has 31,000 miles. I drove the car all day on June 11, 2010, park it in the driveway. After cutting my grass, trimming my hedges and other yard work I went to put my windows up and move the car forward. At that time I started the car, step on the break and try to move the gear to drive from park, it would not move. My neighbor came over and try to put the car in drive and it did not move from park. the next morning June 12, 2010 I call the car dealer and told them what happen. They gave me the telephone number to have the car towed.

LEAVING FOR WORK THIS MORNING AND COULDN'T GET CAR OUT OF PARK. I CALLED THE WRECKER TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND CALLED THE DEALER. WHEN I EXPLAINED MY PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE AGENT HE SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING HE ALREADY KNEW, LIKE NO BIG DEAL.

ANYWAY ITS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND HAD TO PAY $350 OUT OF POCKET. TWO WEEKS BEFORE THAT MY FUEL PUMP WENT OUT LUCKILY MY EXTENDED WARRANT COVERED THAT REPAIR BUT SERIOUSLY ON A TWO YEAR VEHICLE THIS SHOULDN'T BE HAPPENING. NEXT VEHICLE I GET WILL NOT BE DODGE.

I got in my car to go run some errands and meet some friends around 8pm on wednesday, but i have not drove my car since tuesday morning, and it started normal but ofcourse would not shift out of park. I tried holding in the brake, moving the parking brake, and wiggling the shifter. Nothing worked and there was not a check engine light or any other malfunction warning present. I got a family member to look and see if he noticed anything, and we ended up taking apart the consoul (FYI: if you want to do this it is best to use a small knife and/or flathead screwdriver to get to the pink clip, but be very gentle and take your time so you want have to replace any other parts. They are all snap in pieces so you shouldn't have to unscrew anything.) We had a friend of his who works at a car dealership( not Dodge) to help us shift it in to gear so i caould drive it to the dealership.

Called the dealer and found out that they would not know if the warranty would cover it until i brought it in. Ofcourse the Extended Warranty which cost around $800 did NOT take care of the promblem so we are paying $250 out of pockect. They sell the part itself for $52.00, but my parents are calling Chrylser and asking what exactly that WARRANTY covers since this is NOT the first problem we have had concering this car and its mishaps!!! I really used to love this car until it started being a pain in the neck and messing up all of my plans! Dodge really needs to do a recall because this is a MANUFACTURING ISSUE and what good is a car if you can't drive it!!!

I got home from work and about 30 mins later I needed to got out again. I get in the car, and the gear is stuck on park!!! I turned the car off, turned it back on, and it is still stuck.

It is too late for the dealership to take the car, so I am stuck at home until tomorrow morning, I'll have to miss at least a day of work, to get the car towed, and fixed. Hopefully I can get a rental.

Will see how this goes, I'll update as soon as it is fixed

Update from Jun 27, 2010: It turns out, on the words of the dealer, the shifter assembly was broken, they had to change the entire console.

Started to work a couple of days ago and found out my car would not shift out of park.. first thing I did was get online to see what I could find out about my car and solutions to this problem...I did not expect to see ALL the complaints about the same problem! Well I found several solutions to fix the problem..we went with the one about the spring over the coil that leads to the pink button. we cut the spring the same length as it said to and it did work to get the car out of park..BUT..when we do that we can't get the key out of the ignition. We tried cutting it shorter and even tried using one a little longer..but when we got it to the length that would let the key out of the ignition then it wouldn't take it out of park...I can't believe they haven't put this out there as a recall! Because if you buy the replacement part for it..it's just going to break again at some point and time..I have a young daughter and a son that is just learning to drive and I don't like taking chances with my kids as I'm sure alot of other people feel the same way...Dodge/chrysler needs to make this right with people..show that they care about the consumer..If and when I can get rid of this car I most definitely will not buy another Dodge/Chrysler vehicle since I see the problems other people have had and they REFUSE to do anything about it!! If anyone else has any suggestions as to how to fix the problem without going to a dealership to pay them over 300 dollars as I was quoted, it would greatly be appreciated.

I went to leave for work and my 08 Dodge Avenger would not shift out of park. I work third shift so I had no other way to work and everthing was closed so I could not get my car checked out. The next day when I found this forum I pulled my console cover off to find the safty latch or the litle pink thing that holds the cable to the shifter was broken. I called the dealer and talk to the parts department and before I could get it out of my mouth fully the guy said the little pink plastic piece is broke isn't it. I said yes and he said I would have to buy a new shifter and it was only $42.53 for the part and it was not covered under the waranty.

I suggest to anyone that has this problem not to pay the 300 to 500 dollars for the dealer to fix. It is not that difficult to replace so do it yourself or have a friend or relitive that has some mechanical abilities, but call Dodge to complain because if no one calls to report it they will continue to ignore the problem and not fix it.

This issue is addition to the long list of previous problems with this car. The gear shift safety lockout malfuntioned and car would not shift from park. I removed the bezel around the gear shift and pushed the red manual override lever at the end of the cable just so the car could be driven. Will have to drive it like this until the car can get to the dealer.

Called the dealer and they said even though the car only has 32,000 miles, the factory warrany expired after 3 years. Good thing I bought the extended warranty. Note, this issue is not covered under the factory drivetrain warranty, it is considered an "interior" defect.