mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
> work today.
>
> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
> into reverse or drive.
>
> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
> long has this been going on?
>
> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
> with the transmission.
>
> What should I expect when I take it into the shop on Monday?
>
> I bought Honda because it is supposed to be so reliable. Having a
> problem like this one year in, isn't a good sign...
>

you know you're supposed to have the brakes on when you try to release
it from "park", right?

[the slot is there so the vehicle can be released and rolled or towed,
even with a flat battery.]