Q: car stuck in drive and won't shift - Ford Expedition

If your vehicle will not shift gears and is stuck in the drive position I believe one of two things may have happened. Either your transmission has experienced some damage internally that is preventing the transmission from being able to shift into any other gear besides drive, or your cable linkage from the shift lever to the transmission has broken.

I would recommend starting by having the shift linkage inspected for proper function. If the shift cable turns out to be frayed or broken, this would certainly be the cause of your issue. I would then recommend having the shift cable replaced in order to be able to shift into other gears again. If the transmission itself has been damaged, further inspection of the transmission would be necessary to determine what the exact cause of the issue is. The most likely cause in the case of transmission damage would be a broken shift mechanism that the shift cable connects to. Once the inspection has been completed, the diagnostic procedure will be more clear cut. If you would like to have this checked, a qualified pro from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the shifting problem and help you follow through with repairs.