# 2003 Dakota Shifter won't go into park **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** dakota, dodge\ **Created:** [January 15, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507 "2023-01-15T23:26:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![djh17\_177190](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4bbf92/32.png) [@djh17\_177190](https://community.cartalk.com/u/djh17_177190)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2023, 11:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/1 "2023-01-15T23:26:50Z")
Just bought a nice fairly rust free quad cab Dakota for a decent price. Everything mostly checks out besides sloppy shifter. When the shifter is all the way up it is only in reverse. Then I have to slowly move it to catch the gears. If I want to go back down I have go all the way to OD1 then push the lever all the way up to go into reverse which basically skips through everything else. I’m thinking this a shifter linkage issue. Which is where I would like to start. Other thoughts would be the shift lever is sloppy. Could this be a shift solenoid or valve body issue? Anybody here have any similar issues or give any incite on possible causes and fixes would be amazing thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 12:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/2 "2023-01-16T00:38:15Z")
Start with the obvious… shifter linkage is out of adjustment or a bracket is bent or a support bracket rusted off. Report back if that isn’t the problem ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 12:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/3 "2023-01-16T00:42:07Z")
The shift cable may need replacing. ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/1/1/115633d0a36e5e2189b1b328f871a60ac2330c9c.jpeg) Tester ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 2:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/4 "2023-01-16T02:41:20Z")
Not necessarily related but there was a YouTube by a guy with a dead battery. I think it was Toyota but can’t recall. He was not in park and could not shift it into park without battery power. It was a catch 22. Finally had to jump out and hold the car back from rolling while he got a jump pack on it. ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/5 "2023-01-16T12:12:43Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Finally had to jump out and hold the car back from rolling while he got a jump pack on it. No working parking brake? Or was this you tuber just an idiot like most of the others? ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/6 "2023-01-17T17:57:03Z")
> [@PvtPublic](#): > > > [@bing](#): > > > > Finally had to jump out and hold the car back from rolling while he got a jump pack on it. > > No working parking brake? Or was this you tuber just an idiot like most of the others? it was an electric parking brake. Wouldn’t engage with no power. and I think it was a Subaru ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2023, 6:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2003-dakota-shifter-wont-go-into-park/188507/7 "2023-01-17T18:58:17Z")
> [@eddo](#): > > it was an electric parking brake. Wouldn’t engage with no power. and I think it was a Subaru I guess that’s 1 argument against electric parking brakes.