While on a public freeway, I heard a loud snap and the shifter cables broke in an attempt to shift into 4th gear, leaving the vehicle stuck in 3rd gear. Vehicle was in a gradual acceleration at the time of failure entering the freeway. This resulted in an unsafe condition, as initially it was not apparent what happened and the engine over reved causing unintended acceleration. Eventually it became apparent that the vehicle was stuck in gear. Speed control was impaired, and vehicle was in an unsafe, diminished control configuration. This also cause loss of steering control for a moment as the tail of the car swept out. Fortunately there was minimal traffic which allowed the situation to be handled. Had the traffic been heavier this may not have been the case. This also made for an unsafe situation trying to slow the car down and move off the freeway. Vehicle is a manual transmission, so eventually reduced throttle and use of the clutch enabled a safe outcome. Replacement of the shifter cables was required to restore vehicle to operational condition ( after tow to a repair location). Upon searching forums, this is an issue with the design of the shift cables. A plastic sheath can move out of alignment causing metal on metal wear of the cable until it snaps.

- Monrovia, CA, USA