Cannot shift out of park

Could it be the brake light switch? My break lights do not come on. To test I pride up the little tab top right of shifter and placed a screw driver in the hole pushing down gently and was able to shift.

Great, so are you confirming that if I replace the brake light switch it will fix this problem? The switch will cost about $40 and looks like a plug and play.

The brake light switch was the fix - thanks for your help!

sometimes no brake light and no shift

no recalls or anything on this??

Mine is starting to do this. after a few presses on the break peal the shifter releases. so the break light switch will fix this problem?

I have a 2012 Escape with a similar problem. I alreadyt checked the fuses and they are ok. Is there a video somewhere where I can see the "plug and play" replacement of the shift interlock solenoid?

I just realized the interlock solenoid and the brake light switch are different. Duh... After closer inspection, the plug and play seems really simple!

This problem just happen to me today .. Take the cover off the fuse box .. On the back of the cover, look for the location of the brake light fuse .. it probably says STOP on the bottom right .. see if that fuse is blown and replace it .. I was stuck in a gas station and had no extra fuses, so I just switched it with the horn fuse and was back on the road again :)

No fuses blown, backing lights work, replaced the brake light switch and still can't get it out of park. Now what?

My 2001 Escape has that problem and after starting, when the solenoid isn't working, I can hear another relay down under the dash on the drivers side click then the solenoid works. Not sure what the relay is, its a unit that is approx. 4" square. But starting yesterday, the transmission wont go into park. If you push the accelerator, the engine sounds labored and wont go over 2K and there is no reverse all of a sudden...

could be your shifter cable, mine broke yesterday

might be where your shift linkage connects to the neutral safety switch ,there is a bracket that it goes through and if its missing the pin or is not in there correctly it will cause this problem

Here's a video for later year models (like the 2015 ford fusion or escape) where the linkage bushing is in the engine compartment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKPaFZeGfG8