2008 SMART FORTWO CABRIO Power Train Problems

I OWN 2 OF THE 2008 SMART FORTWO AUTOMOBILES (PURE & CABRIO). BOTH HAVE PERIODICALLY BEEN BALKY SHIFTERS (STUCK WHEN TRYING TO MOVE THE GEAR SELECTOR OUT OF PARK). ONE HAS BRIEFLY REFUSED TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, INDEPENDENT OF THE GEAR INDICATED. BOTH HAVE BRIEFLY REFUSED TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK... UNTIL TODAY WHEN MY WIFE WAS STUCK IN PARK AT A RED LIGHT. THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON, MY WIFE DECIDED TO SEE IF SHE COULD CLEAR THE INDICATOR. SHE QUICKLY PUT IT IN PARK, ENGINE OFF THEN ON, BUT VEHICLE REMAINED STUCK IN PARK. A DEPUTY MOVED TRAFFIC AROUND HER. I ARRIVED & AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS FOR 20 MINUTES, IT FINALLY RELEASED FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. I DROVE IT HOME & THOROUGHLY LUBRICATED THE SHIFTER MECHANISM PER POSTS ON THE SMART CAR OF AMERICA FORUMS. AS I RE-READ THIS THREAD CONTAINING 4 YEARS OF CONTRIBUTORS, THERE...

COULD NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THIS PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORST. THE FAILURE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE HAPPENS ALMOST DAILY. THE SMART DEALER STATED I NEED A NEW CLUTCH. THIS START AT ABOUT 20,000 MILES. ALL OTHER MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC SHIFTING IS NORMAL. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE HAD TO PUSH THE CAR BACKWARDS TO GET OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. MY WIFE REFUSES TO DRIVE THIS CAR BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE AND CAN NOT BE TRUSTED (I HAVE HAD TO GET HELP GETTING OUT OF A PARALLEL PARKING SPACE). THE CAR NOW HAS 55,000 MILES AND SHIFTS FINE EXCEPT WHEN I WANT TO GO INTO REVERSE (IT STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL CLUTCH). *TR

THE TRANSMISSION WON'T ENGAGE INTO REVERSE. CALLED FOR HELP. THEY HAD ME REACH UNDER GEAR SHIFT AND RELEASE A CABLE TO MOVE CAR, AFTER I DID THAT I WENT TO WORK AND CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF GEAR INTO PARK. CALLED AND THEY PICKED IT UP TO FIX IT, CAME BACK AND I HAD NO PROBLEM FOR A WHILE AND THEN IT WOULD SHIFT BUT NOT LOCK INTO GEAR, ROCKED THE CAR, PUSHED IT AND FINALLY IT WORKED, THIS IS A REPEAT THING. I AM HAVING PROBLEM RIGHT THIS MOMENT, I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR. I LOOKED ON LINE TO SEE IF THERE IS A RESOLUTION AND THE INTERNET IS FULL OF COMPLAINTS OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. PAGES AND PAGES OF THEM. IF THIS IS AN ON GOING ISSUE WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL TO FIX ALL THESE CARS? I CANNOT BE THE ONLY COMPLAINT THAT...

NOTICED TRANSMISSION SHIFTER BUTTON HARD TO PUSH IN A COUPLE OF TIMES. WENT TO POST OFFICE AND WAS STRANDED THERE AS I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK. THIS CAR HAS LESS THAN 9,000 MILES ON IT. *TR