The Lemon IndexA car that moves while in park has a parking pawl, shifter or electronic park problem.
Stop and get help. Always set the parking brake and check for recalls on your car. Get it checked before parking on a slope again.
A shifter that isn’t fully in Park. Then: a worn or broken parking pawl; a stretched or broken shifter cable.
Owners describe this in 3,069 complaints to the U.S. government, most often on the Ram pickup.
Cars owners report it on most
Complaints describing this symptom, by model, all years. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more complaints.
Model years that report it most
| Model year | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 45 | 3% |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | 40 | 2% |
| 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 35 | 1% |
| 2014 Ram pickup | 28 | 1% |
| 2016 Ram pickup | 26 | 1% |
| 2004 Ram pickup | 20 | 1% |
| 2017 BMW X1 | 18 | 11% |
| 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 17 | 2% |
| 2020 Ford Explorer | 17 | 1% |
| 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee | 16 | 1% |
| 2005 Ram pickup | 16 | 0.9% |
| 2015 Ram pickup | 15 | 0.8% |
Each row is that model year's record in NHTSA complaints, not the history of any one car. Share = complaints describing this symptom out of every complaint we hold for that model year (shown when the year has 50+ complaints).
Where it makes up the biggest share
2017 BMW X1 · 11% 2014 Chrysler 300 · 5% 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee · 3% 2018 GMC Acadia · 3% 2016 Ford Fusion · 2% 2017 GMC Acadia · 2% 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee · 2% 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee · 1%
Model years with 150+ complaints in our data and 10+ describing this symptom, ranked by share. A high share means owners of that year who complained often mentioned it.
The details
Common causes of car rolled away in park
- A shifter that isn’t fully in Park
- A worn or broken parking pawl
- A stretched or broken shifter cable
- An electronic park system fault
- The parking brake not set on a slope
General causes, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause with tests before replacing parts.
Is it safe to drive after the car rolled away in park?
Stop and get help. Always set the parking brake and check for recalls on your car. Get it checked before parking on a slope again.
Get help right away if you notice it at all.
Of the 3,069 complaints describing it, 31% mention a crash, 5% say the car was towed, 0.6% mention a fire and 13% report an injury.
What the complaints show
The parts owners filed these complaints under: power train (72%), electrical system (11%), service brakes (8%), parking brake (5%). A complaint can list more than one.
Median odometer reading when owners reported it: 52,000 miles.
Most reports by make: Ford (598), Jeep (593), Dodge (296), Chevrolet (223), Honda (147).
Engine codes that come up with it
Trouble codes owners named in these complaints more often than in other symptom complaints. Look up any code →
Related symptoms
Car won't go into gear Transmission slipping Transmission shifting hard Transmission shudder Whining noise when accelerating Clutch pedal stuck to the floor
Quick answers
What causes car rolled away in park?
A car that moves while in park has a parking pawl, shifter or electronic park problem. Common causes: a shifter that isn’t fully in Park; a worn or broken parking pawl; a stretched or broken shifter cable; an electronic park system fault; the parking brake not set on a slope.
Is it safe to drive after the car rolled away in park?
Stop and get help. Always set the parking brake and check for recalls on your car. Get it checked before parking on a slope again.
Which cars have this problem most?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners describe it most on the Ram pickup, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ford Fusion. These are raw counts, so popular models rank higher; complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
Counts: NHTSA owner complaints whose text describes this symptom (we matched owners' own wording, then read samples to check the matches). A complaint is an owner's report, not a diagnosis or proof of a defect. Causes and advice are general information in our own words, not repair advice for your car. Every symptom · Engine code lookup