Hi everyone! Just tried to switch my car to sport mode, and suddenly the shifter snapped back to drive. If I hold it in sport, it works, but it won’t stay there on its own. I’m not sure how long it’s been doing this since I barely use sport mode. I checked when I bought it a year ago, and it worked fine then.
My car is a 2017 Escape SE 2.0L EcoBoost with 67,300 miles, and I keep up with my oil changes every 5,000 miles. Tried looking this up online, but I’m not finding much.
Could this mean I need a transmission flush? Could it be the TCM? Or something I did to cause it? Really hoping to fix it without it happening again. Any advice appreciated!
@Eden
They’ll most likely do it, but if not, the part’s pretty cheap—under $20. You can actually do it yourself if needed. Check out this video link for a quick how-to: https://youtu.be/aFrAEQ9xkXQ?si=rbFKKBVhhG8W0-by
Definitely the shifter bushing. I’ve had to change it on my Escape once and on my wife’s old Transit Connect twice. Super easy job, takes maybe 15 minutes, and way less hassle than setting up an appointment.
Eden said: @Brady
Thank you! Does this only affect going into sport mode, or could it mess up other things too?
It’s not likely to break anything major, but I’d fix it soon. My wife’s van got stuck in park once because of the bushing—ended up replacing it right there in her work parking lot.
Abram said: @Brady
Wasn’t there a recall for these in the last couple of years?
Yes, there was! It was so easy to fix that I just went ahead and did it myself instead of going to the dealership. They didn’t charge me for the part most times, and it was only around $5 when they did.
@Brady
I don’t think shifting to sport actually moves the shifter cable. I believe it’s more of an electronic switch. Mine used to make a clicking sound in sport mode, and holding the button would stop it. My wife could always tell when I was in sport mode because it bypassed her beloved auto start/stop feature.
@Sawyer
Could be! But I think pulling it to sport still affects the linkage. Might not be inside the transmission, but it does signal the computer to switch modes. I’d say it’s similar to a bicycle derailleur—it shifts tension to make it work. Sounds like a mechanical issue, and with how common bushing issues are, that’s where I’d place my bet.