NHTSA Complaint #11396386 — 2015 SUBARU IMPREZA

THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS (AT AROUND 16K MILES) THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME WHEN I WOULD TRY TO PARK, I'D PLACE MY CAR IN PARK, HAVE MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, BUT I COULD NOT TURN THE KEY FROM THE ACC POSITION TO THE LOCK POSITION AND ALSO COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY. I'D HAVE TO CYCLE THE CAR ON, REVERSE A FEW FEET, GO FORWARD TO MY PARKING SPOT, PUT IN PARK AND TRY TO TURN OFF. I OFTEN HAD TO DO IT 5+ TIMES TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY. ON THIS SITE I FOUND SOME INFORMATION FROM SUBARU CLAIMING THAT SOME CARS HAVE A PROBLEM WITH CONTAMINANTS GETTING TO THE "PLATE GUIDE B." ONCE I SAW THE ILLUSTRATIONS I REALIZED THAT A COMPONENT OF PLATE GUIDE B IS A LITTLE SWITCH. THE BUTTON ON THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB HAS A PLUNGER THAT DROPS WHEN THE BUTTON IS RELEASED; WHEN IT FUNCTIONS PROPERLY THAT PLUNGER SHOULD COME TO REST ON THE SWITCH IN PLATE GUIDE B AND DEACTIVATE THE LOCK IN THE IGNITION. IT SEEMS THAT OVER TIME THERE WAS A LOSS OF SPRING TENSION EITHER IN THE GEAR SHIFT KNOB OR IN THE LITTLE SWITCH SO THE PLUNGER WAS NOT ACTIVATING THE SWITCH. AFTER LEARNING ALL THIS I WAS ABLE TO DO THE REPAIR WITHOUT REPLACING ANY COMPONENTS, AND NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT I'M DOING, IT CAN BE DONE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND REQUIRES ONLY A FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER, A PHILIP'S SCREWDRIVER, A PAIR OF NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS AND A FLASHLIGHT. I JUST HAD TO REMOVE THE CENTER CONSOLE (TWO SCREWS IN THE BACK SEAT ONE ON EACH SIDE AND ONE UNDER THE HAND BRAKE BOOT, DISASSEMBLE THE GEAR SHIFTER COVER. (ALL PLASTIC CLIPS EASILY UNDONE WITH A FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER), KNOB, AND DUST COVER TO EXPOSE THE SWITCH AND THEN BEND THE EXPOSED END OF THE SWITCH SLIGHTLY UPWARD SO THE SHIFTER KNOB'S PLUNGER WILL ACTIVATE IT AGAIN. THE SWITCH LOOKS LIKE A SMALL FLAT PIECE OF METAL. I JUST HELD IT FIRMLY IN PLACE WITH A FLAT SCREW DRIVER THEN PULLED UP (GENTLY) ON THE END OF IT WITH NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS TO BEND IT SLIGHTLY UPWARD.