[Young Parisians]

I have a 2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring (4cyl / automatic / 95K miles) that has a loose gear shifter.

These are my symptoms:

• Gear shifter is very loose especially between Neutral and Drive. I have to firmly push it to D or N and it will still be loose.
• Park and Reverse feel most normal; 3rd to 2nd little tight.
• Practically impossible to move the shifter between 2nd to 1st.
• Display will go blank at least once while moving the shifter and can often stay blank.
• Display often misreads D for N, R for D, etc.
• Display was not an issue at first but now goes blank or misreads each time I start up and move the shifter.

Other

• Transmission does not slip out of gear when driving
• Transmission shifts fine when driving.
• Car got stuck in Park a few times.
• Brake lights function normally.
• No check engine light, no ABS light and no Transmission lights have come on.

I Checked

• Neutral safety switch nuts were not loose nor too tight. No rust and visually it seemed to operate ok.
• Car has not gotten stuck in Park since I removed and put back the neutral safety switch (may be coincidence?) but every other problem remains.
  
  Would this issue likely be a worn bushing at the gear shifter or a bad neutral safety switch?

 

[geezer101]

This sounds like mechanical damage to the shift lever in the centre console. I'd pull the bezel off the shift assembly and examine what the shift lever/handle is doing while moving it through the gear ranges. My guess is the gear display has a bunch of proximity sensors or contacts that have moved out of their mount and it's malfunctioned and simultaneously caused the lever to jam while pulling the selector down to 2nd/low.