I start my Forester and push in the brake, but it still won't shift out of park. It seems like the mechanism that allows it to shift out of park when the brake is pushed in isn't working. Any ideas?

Eureka. I'll bet you're on a hill. Try this: set your parking brake, start up your Forester, and let off the brake pedal as soon as you've started. ***Keep it in Park!***If I'm right your car will settle into the parking brake. Now push in the brake. Don't take your foot off the brake pedal. Turn it off, then restart. Keeping the brake pedal on, let the parking brake off. You should be able to shift now.

 

If this doesn't work, take a look at your manual for hill parking instructions. It should describe something similar; what's really happened is you parked on an incline and your transmission has decided it's supposed to hold you in position. In the future, if you park on any kind of slope make sure you curb your wheels (downslope=into the curb, upslope=out of the curb) and set the parking brake BEFORE turning off your car!

 

No, nothing's broken...

Thanks for the tip, I'll give it a try, but I'm parked on level ground.

Well, nuts. Flat ground. In that case, try it, but if it doesn't work, the manual gives instructions how to get at the shift interlock. You may have to do that.

 

Once you get it shifting, get it to a shop (hopefully you still have some dealer warranty) and make sure nothing's wrong. Or you can check it over yourself (if you know how). If you've been having any other trans problems, I'd certainly have it checked. I've seen this happen (and had it happen myself) on slopes, but never on the flat without another problem existing in the first place.

I say jiggle the shifter, live really shove it and make sure it is in park. My '00obw does what you describe sometimes, and it is because the position switch on the trans is not registering park (it is like between park and reverse). Then the release mechanism doesn't work. When this happens I can also see the indicator on the dash does not show P (nothing is lit). Shove shifter, P light comes on and I can get out of park when I press the brake.

 

Your problem might be something different. When my P light isn't lit, the starter won't crank either. But sometimes if I had the engine running, put it in P, then I can't get it out and a shove on teh shifter fixes it.