Release the Shift Lock (Stuck in Park)

If the gear lever on your Subaru Outback (2015–2019) — the BS — won’t come out of P, typically after a flat 12 V battery or a shift-lock fault, there’s an emergency release hidden by the gear lever so you can free it and move the car. It is a deliberate get-you-going feature built into the console, not a sign of a broken transmission, and every automatic Outback of this generation has one. Knowing where it is turns a car that seems immovable — stuck in a garage, on a driveway, or blocking a road — into something you can push clear or load onto a recovery truck in a couple of minutes.

Why the Lever Locks in Park

The automatic gearbox uses a shift-lock: an electric solenoid physically holds the lever in ‘P’ until the ignition is on and you press the brake pedal. That interlock stops the car being knocked out of Park by accident. The catch is that the solenoid needs power to release. If the 12 V battery is flat or has just been disconnected, or if the brake-light switch or shift-lock circuit has a fault, the lock never lets go and the lever feels jammed no matter how hard you press the brake. The manual release simply lets you bypass that solenoid by hand so the car can roll.

When You Need This

• The gear lever is stuck in ‘P’ and won’t shift even with the brake pressed.
• Common after a flat or disconnected 12 V battery, or a shift-lock solenoid fault.
• You need to push, roll or recover the car when it otherwise won’t come out of Park.

Before You Begin

• Park on level ground where you can control the car once it’s free to roll.
• Apply the parking brake or chock a wheel first — releasing ‘P’ removes the transmission’s hold on the car.
• Have the key/fob with you and switch the engine off before you begin.
• Keep a small flat-blade screwdriver to hand; it makes pressing the release easier.
• Make sure someone is ready at the steering wheel if the car is going to be pushed.

Releasing the Lever

1. Apply the parking brake (or chock the wheels) and stop the engine.
2. Open the small storage compartment lid beside the gear lever and lift up the interior trim to expose the release.
3. Press the release (a screwdriver helps) and, holding it, move the lever out of ‘P’.
4. Refit the trim and lid — the car can now be moved.

If It Won’t Release

• Keep firm brake pressure on while you press the release — the lever won’t come out of ‘P’ if the car is rocking against the pawl.
• Make sure you are pressing the release fully, not just the surrounding trim; the screwdriver should meet a positive stop.
• If the car is nose-down or nose-up on a slope, the parking pawl can be loaded tight — rock the car gently or roll a fraction to unload it, with the handbrake ready.
• Confirm the trim is fully lifted so the release button isn’t being blocked by the panel.
• If nothing moves at all, the fault may be mechanical in the selector cable rather than electrical — stop and call for recovery rather than forcing it.

After You’ve Freed It

• If this happened because of a flat 12 V battery, charge or renew it — see our Outback battery guide.
• Once power is restored, the shift-lock should work normally again — ignition on, brake pressed, lever moves freely.
• If the lever keeps sticking with a healthy battery, the shift-lock or brake-light switch may be faulty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my Subaru Outback stuck in Park?

Most often it’s a flat 12 V battery or a shift-lock fault. The interlock solenoid needs power to unlock the lever, so when the battery is dead or the circuit faults, the lever stays held in ‘P’. The manual release by the gear lever frees it so you can move the car.

Where is the release?

It sits under the storage-compartment lid and trim right beside the gear lever. Open the little compartment, lift the trim panel to expose the release button, then press it while you move the lever out of ‘P’. It’s designed to be reached by hand with a simple tool.

Is it safe to do myself?

Yes, provided you set the car up first. Apply the parking brake or chock the wheels before you press the release, because once the lever leaves ‘P’ the transmission no longer holds the car and it can roll. Do it on level ground with someone ready at the wheel.

Do I need any tools?

A small flat-blade screwdriver is all it takes, and even that’s just to press the release cleanly. You can lift the trim by hand. There’s no need for the ignition to be on — the whole point of the release is that it works with no electrical power.

It keeps sticking — what now?

With a good, fully charged battery, a lever that repeatedly sticks points to the shift-lock solenoid or the brake-light switch that tells it the pedal is pressed. Both can be tested and are usually stored as a fault. Look up any stored code on autodtcs.com to narrow it down.

For the underlying battery fix, see our Outback battery disconnect/reconnect guide.