# Minor accident causing transmission trouble? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [August 12, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/minor-accident-causing-transmission-trouble/67047 "2011-08-12T02:33:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kstaben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7cd45c/32.png) [@kstaben](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kstaben)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/minor-accident-causing-transmission-trouble/67047/1 "2011-08-12T02:33:04Z")
Hello, My roommate just got into an accident where another driver crossed lanes and struck the passenger side door and front panel of the car. The impact has caused the door to jam and after driving it home appx. 2 miles the car wont move out of park. Starts ups fine, but the gear shifter is completely jammed. Just wondering if anyone knows if this type of accident can cause transmission problems, or it’s just bad timing. The car is a '96 ford station wagon. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![oldbodyman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbce88/32.png) [@oldbodyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldbodyman)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 2:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/minor-accident-causing-transmission-trouble/67047/2 "2011-08-12T14:58:06Z")
Yes it can. The car maybe totaled. My guess is the linkage is jamed or bent from the impact. In a impact like that the energy from it can travel and can damage things like linkage. It wont be worth fixing if you have to pay someone to fix it. You mite be able to unjam it. But I will bet the car wont track right. Time to get a different car. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffmw05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@Jeffmw05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffmw05)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/minor-accident-causing-transmission-trouble/67047/3 "2011-08-12T23:11:36Z")
Look in the owner’s manual, with most “modern” cars there is some gizmo called a shift-lock override or something like that, usually involves prying off a piece of plastic and using a screwdriver to unlock the gear selector. Try that.