Woman Turns to YouTube After 20-Year-Old Mazda Keeps Getting Stuck in Park

A Texas woman recently shared on TikTok a persistent issue with her 2005 Mazda 3: the car frequently gets stuck in Park (P) and won’t shift into Reverse or Drive. In the video, she’s stranded at a gas station, unable to move because the gear shifter won’t budge. She explained that although her brake lights illuminate normally, the gear selector remains locked. Previously, she had repeatedly used a screwdriver inserted into a small hole on the shifter to manually override the lock—but this workaround no longer works. Commenters offered suggestions, pointing to potential faults in either the brake light switch or the shift interlock solenoid, and recommended replacing the relevant components, noting the repair cost would be relatively low. The owner admitted she’s reluctant to spend more money on her aging vehicle and plans to replace it within the year. Mazda has not yet responded to the matter.