2003 Toyota Corolla gear shift button

2003 TOYOTA COROLLA
125,000 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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GHEINTZ
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
When I first start the car, the gear shift button is 'locked' and cannot be depressed (even when pressing the brake as hard as possible). It's an intermittent problem (doesn't happen every time when starting the car) and once the button is depressed, it's like it never happened.

In writing this question, I went to watch the brake lights and they came on when the brake was depressed. The button would also depress as well (back to the intermittent problem). My fear is one day the car will leave me stranded - stuck in park.

What could be wrong? Brake light assembly? Some sort of bad (or going bad) connection/cable?
Aug 8, 2015 at 1:30 PM
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KHLOW2008
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 41,814 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
If the brake lights are working and you cannot shift out of park, that would mean a fault with the shift interlock solenoid which is within the shift interlock ECU.

You would always be able to shift out of park by using the shift lock button as it is for emergency use when the shift interlock fails.
Aug 9, 2015 at 5:27 AM
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