Truck Does Not Shift But Still Drives

So I have a 1998 Ford F-150 she is stuck in drive the shifter moves but she doesn’t change. It will not go into reverse, but she still runs and drives. It has never happened before and I’m not sure what to do can anyone help?

Just to clarify. This thing is stuck in drive, but when you take off from a stop it shifts through all gears? The only thing that does not work is reverse?

Most likely a broken linkage, any garage should be able to fix this.

OK so my brother has the truck and he said that it is stuck in second. I’m
not really sure what is happening.

Until you have actual symptoms to post you will not receive many good suggestions. My thought of linkage problems just went out the door.

STuck in drive, would make us think that it is an automatic trans. How are you starting this, without being able to shift to neutral or park???

Yosemite

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Yes it is an automatic transmission

I’m giving you the information that my brother is giving to me because he
has the truck right now.

Here ill say this my automatic transmission is in drive, the shifter moves
around to park and reverse but it never comes out of drive. So when it says
it is in park it is still in drive. When it is put in reverse and you pus
the gas you still go forward instead of back.

How do you know it is in “drive” and not in 1st, 2nd or other forward gear? Someone else already asked, how do you start this thing unless it is in Park or Neutral"

If you can still shift it, but on the dash the pointer for “P R N D L” does not move…that the problem is in the instrument cluster. You will have to pull the cluster out and examine it.

Yosemite

Sounds like the gear selector cable is broken or disconnected however you wouldn’t be able to start the engine if the transmission is in drive.

Let me talk to my brother to see if it is stuck in “1st, 2nd, or another gear” like i said i dont have the truck with me im giving you information im getting fro my brother.

I have a 70’s Ford truck, automatic equipped, so a little experience anyway. What your bro needs is ti get a helper to look under the truck at the transmission while your bro shifts the lever back and forth. The engine doesn’t need to be running, just do this when the truck is parked and parking brake on, make sure it can’t roll. The good thing about a truck is it sits high enough you can probably do this without jacking it up. The driver’s shifting likely transfers down the column to a cable connected to a lever on the side of the transmission. The helper should look to see if that lever is moving or not. They’ll have to look on both sides to figure out where the lever is probably. I expect it isn’t moving with the shifting action, indicating the cable is probably broken. Checking the transmission fluid level would make sense of course, if such a thing is easily doable on that truck. If it becomes too much of a burden, just tow it to a shop. It won’t cost much for a shop appraisal of the situation, and will be easier on your bro’s and his assistant’s back and clothing.

Thank you I will have them do that.

Good point.

And how is he backing the car up ?

Pushing it ?