Even if You've got a dead battery, You'll be pleased to know that it's possible to pop the Ford Escape into neutral. It's a bit of an involved process, but it's not entirely too difficult. All You'll need is a flathead screwdriver or small pry-bar, and a little bit of determination. First, what You'll need to do is pry up the protective dust cover around the gear shift. I'm referring to the plastic, which will also bring up the leather. Once You have access, You'll need to stick Your screwdriver down into the bottom left side, where You'll see a white tab. Pull that toward You, and You'll release the locking mechanism. While holding, You should be able to shift the Escape from park into neutral.
Chad A.
April 10, 2020
With the car in park and ignition off, pop the cover of the gearshift console from the panel with a small tool like a screwdriver. Find the small white plastic lever, which is the manual park release switch, on the left side of the shifter. Push it backwards with the tool, holding it back while you move the gear shifter to neutral. Snap the cover back on the panel. Release the parking brake, then apply the brake pedal to start moving the car. Ensure that someone is inside the car to steer and apply the brakes as needed.
Sandi
October 26, 2022
Followed the procedure above. No white tab. Now what?
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