NHTSA Complaint #10302092 — 2006 FORD FUSION

I OWN A 2006 FORD FUSION 4 DOOR SEDAN. UPON ARRIVING HOME FROM A SHORT TRIP, I ATTEMPTED TO SHUT MY CAR OFF. I SHIFTED INTO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS PARK AND SHUT THE CAR OFF. MY KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO PARK AGAIN AND IT SHOWED IT WAS IN PARK. THE KEYS STILL WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. I FINALLY WENT INTO MY HOME AND LOOKED ONLINE. I FOUND ONLINE A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM AND A TEMPORARY SOLUTION. IT SEEMS THE DECORATIVE RING AROUND THE BUTTON ON THE SHIFTER KEEPS THE BUTTON FROM FULLY DISENGAGING. I WENT BACK OUT TO MY CAR AND TRIED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT HITTING THE BUTTON AND WAS SUCCESSFUL AT WHICH TIME THE CAR WAS EASY TO ROLL. IF THE CAR WAS PARKED ON A SLOPE AND THE SHIFTER DID NOT FULLY ENGAGE IN PARK IT IS POSSIBLE THAT IT COULD POP INTO NEUTRAL AND ROLL AWAY. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL MY LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS CLOSED AND NOBODY WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP ME. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 OR 4 OTHER TIMES AND EVENTUALLY THE KEYS CAME OUT BUT ON THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT I STRUGGLED WITH IT FOR MOST OF AN HOUR BEFORE I FINALLY LOOKED ON THE INTERNET FOR THE SOLUTION. *TR