2008 Dodge Avenger

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE AVENGER THAT I COULD NOT GET OUT OF PARK. A MECHANIC FRIEND REMOVED THE GEAR SHIFT COVER AND NOTICES A PINK PIECE OF PLASTIC THAT APPEARED TO BE BROKEN FROM SOMEWHERE INSIDE THE GEARSHIFT. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION THIS PINK PIECE OF PLASTIC IS WHAT IS NEEDED TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF PARK. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A RECALL ITEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER WOULD INTERMITTENTLY BECOME STUCK IN PARK AND OFTEN, WOULD SHIFT INTO PARK WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN SAFETY MECHANISM ON THE VEHICLE THAT PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM SHIFTING, WHICH WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS LEFT WITH THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING UNKNOWN REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 31,000.

I WAS GETTING READY FOR WORK, HAD TO BE THERE BY 7AM. MY FIANCE' HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR WORK. I WENT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULDN'T COME OUT OF PARK. TRIED OVER AND OVER TO GET IT OUT OF PARK. AS A RESULT OF THIS HAPPENING I WAS LATE FOR WORK AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO BE LATE FOR WORK. WE ARE DOCKED POINTS WHEN WE ARE LATE OR MISS WORK AND I AM NEVER LATE AND NEVER MISS WORK. YOU CAN BE TERMINATED WITH JUST 4 POINTS. I DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET ABOUT MY CAR, TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT COULD BE WRONG WITH IT AND FOUND OUT ALOT MORE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS I HAVE. THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED ANYWHERE. LUCKILY IT HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY BUT I HAVE A SMALL CHILD THAT I'M OUT WITH ALOT BY MYSELF. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. IT'S A PLASTIC PIECE THAT BREAKS OFF AND CAUSES THE SPRING THAT'S ATTACHED TO IT TO LET THE CAR OUT OF PARK FLY OFF AND THEN YOU ARE JUST STUCK. THERE IS NO WAY TO OVER RIDE IT UNLESS YOU TAKE THE ENTIRE CONSOLE OUT AND MANUALLY PULL THE PINK LEVER BACK. I'M NOT A HELPLESS FEMALE BUT I CAN'T TAKE A COMPLETE CONSOLE OUT BY MYSELF. SO THEREFORE I FEEL THAT PUTS MYSELF AND MY DAUGHTER IN A BAD SITUATION IF WE ARE OUT BY OURSELVES AND THIS HAPPENS. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WOULD COST AROUND $300.00 PLUS TAX TO FIX THE PROBLEM. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY ARE JUST REPLACING IT WITH THE SAME PLASTIC MOLDINGS THAT WILL BREAK AGAIN AT SOME POINT AND TIME. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE WITH THIS CAR THE WAY IT IS. RIGHT NOW I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY 300.00 FOR SOMETHING THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO REPLACE AGAIN IN A DAY ANOTHER WEEK OR WHO KNOWS WHEN. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED AT THE MOMENT..I'M DRIVING WITH MY CONSOLE COMPLETELY OFF AND MANUALLY PULLING UP ON THE PINK LATCH AND PUTTING IT IN GEAR. I THINK IT'S REALLY SAD THAT THE COMPANY CAN'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND LET THE CONSUMER KNOW THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT AND WILL FIX THE PROBLEM THE RIGHT WAY. *TR

MY CAR WAS ACTING FINE YESTERDAY AND THEN TODAY WHEN I WENT TO LEAVE FOR WORK IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPEN SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR TWO YEARS AGO. BUT I TRIED EVERYTHING TO MAKE IT WORK AND THE CAR STILL WOULDN'T COME OUT OF PARK. MY SISTER'S BOYFRIEND TOOK THE CONSOLE APART AND REMOVED THE AREA COVERING THE GEAR AND THERE WAS THIS PINK BUTTON THAT WOULD ALLOW THE GEAR TO MOVE. THE WHOLE SHIFT ASSEMBLY WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE PROBLEM CAN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN TIME WITHOUT WARNING. NO INDICATOR LIGHT OR ANYTHING TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THE PART IS BROKEN. THE CAR JUST WON'T MOVE!! *TR

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE AVENGER AND WAS NOT ABLE TO SHIFT THE CAR OUT OF PARK. USING A GOOD DEAL OF FORCE I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. WHILE DOING THIS I HEARD A PIECE OF PLASTIC BREAK OFF. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND 33 OTHER 2008 DODGE AVENGER OWNERS REPORTED A SIMILAR PROBLEM. I CALLED A LOCAL DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID HE WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SHIFT LOCK MECHANISM AND THAT THE REPAIR WOULD RUN APPROXIMATELY $300. WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH CAN RESULT IN THE CAR NOT BEING ABLE TO BE DRIVEN, I FEEL THAT AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS WARRANTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 DODGE AVENGER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. AFTER RESEARCHING THE INTERNET, HE DETERMINED HOW TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK BY DEPRESSING AN UNKNOWN SAFETY BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE RECURRED EACH INSTANCE THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATED AND THE SAFETY BUTTON WOULD HAVE TO BE UTILIZED FOR THE SHIFTER TO MOVE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000. UPDATED 10/27/10. *LJ

I HAVE A 2008 DODGE AVENGER AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR FROM PARK. THERE ARE NO WARNING INDICATORS ON THE DASH INDICATING A PROBLEM AND IT WAS OPERATING FINE WHEN I DROVE IT TO WORK. IT WILL SHIFT INTO REVERSE IF FORCED BUT WILL NOT GO INTO NEUTRAL AT ALL. THIS IS APPARENTLY A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM ACCORDING TO THE WEBSITE AUTOBEEF. *TR

I AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WHERE MY CAR IS STUCK IN PARK. I FOUND THIS SITE AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE WHICH APPEARS TO BE QUITE COMMON. I WILL HAVE A FRIEND WHO IS A MECHANIC LOOK AT IT TO SEE IF WE CAN FIX THIS. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS DEFECT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE. SEEMS THAT IT COULD BE QUITE POSSIBLE THAT IF IT COULD BE STUCK IN PARK, IT COULD ALSO GET STUCK IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE AND MAKE DODGE DO A RECALL. *TR