Lemberg Law is investigating numerous complaints that the 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer has a delayed shift to park problem. Many owners are complaining that when their vehicles are in park and they try to shut off, they get an error message, “Shift to Park.” Some say dealers have tried to fix the problem, but the failure keeps recurring. Others say they have to jiggle the shifter to get rid of the message and shut off.
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Are There Shift to Park Problems with the 2022 Trailblazer?
There are widespread shift to park problems that are currently affecting the 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer. This is borne out by problems reported to us by owners, as well as official complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and comments on the Trailblazer Talk forum.
This is a longstanding issue with GM vehicles, including the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer, which is the cousin of the high-end Trailblazer variant. There are numerous GM technical service bulletins (TSBs) on file warning dealers of the problem. The first was issued in May 2018 for the 2017-2019 GMC Acadia. At that stage, GM provided instructions to correct the condition but admitted that its engineering department was “still investigating the root cause.” Within a relatively short period of time, there were TSBs that stated several Chevrolet models, including the 2019 Blazer, also exhibited the problem.
A 2020 TSB states: “Some customers may comment on seeing an intermittent Shift to Park message when the vehicle has been shifted into Park, and the ignition has been turned to the Off position.” It includes step-by-step instructions for a service procedure that involves installing an in-line shifter wire harness jumper between the shifter base connector and the console harness connector.
This is exactly what 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer owners are reporting. But there are no TSBs on file with the NHTSA that alert dealers to the problem. There is also no indication that the service procedure referred to above would solve the problem 2022 Trailblazer owners have.
What Shift to Park Problems Are Trailblazer Owners Experiencing?
Lemberg Law was alerted to the problem by the owner of a 2022 Trailblazer LT in December 2022. He’d taken the SUV to a dealer who “supposedly fixed it.” But the problem started again, he says, adding that he regrets buying the car.
Another 2022 Trailblazer owner notified us in June 2023 that the shift to park issue started about 2,000 miles before the GM warranty expired. But, “They don’t have the part to replace it,” and say “they don’t know when the part is going to be available.” Her “solution,” which seems to be a common one, is to wiggle “the shift stick from park all the way to drive or L for the light to come off. Otherwise it keeps on beeping and it won’t turn off.” None of the dealerships in Texas, where she lives, have loaner cars, and they don’t know how long it’s going to take to get her SUV fixed.
NHTSA Complaints About the Shift-to-Park Problem
Most complaints to the NHTSA about this shift to park problem are filed as “unknown or other” issues. However, some owners believe the problem is related to the powertrain, electrical system, and/or fuel/propulsion system.
The first complaint was filed in June 2023 by an owner who said what most of the other complaints say. “Upon shutting off the ignition, my car tells me to ‘shift to park’ each time — and it is already in park. It takes several minutes for it to finally register that (it) is already in park.”
Another owner expresses the experience slightly differently. “The shift to park feature on this vehicle keeps on displaying on the screen when the vehicle is in park and is trying to be turned off.”
Calling for a recall, another owner reiterates that “when you shift to park a message comes up and says shift to park when it is already in park. The main problem is the vehicle will not shut off. You have to do many different things to try to get the message to leave, and then it will cut off. This has been happening since it hit 29,700 miles and it does it almost every time we drive it now. There is a serious problem here if you can’t shut off the vehicle.”
But it’s not just the fact that drivers can’t shut down their cars that’s a problem. An owner from Wisconsin states that he can’t lock his car either and all the accessories remain on. “I have to disconnect my battery otherwise my car dies if it remains on. I reconnect the battery regardless of how long it has been disconnected and the same shift to park issue reappears. This first happened (on) 10/24/23 and again today 10/26/23.”
Comments on the Trailblazer Forum
The conversation on Trailblazer Talk began in August 2022 when the owner of a 2021 Trailblazer asked if there was a way to disable the shift to park message. He said the dealer had ordered a part but didn’t know when it would be available. “I rattle the shifter, push the side button on the shifter, turn the car on shift then shift to park… sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t.”
In December 2022, the owner of a 2022 model said the same thing happened to him at 24k miles. He said it started when he went to get new tires “and it kept coming on every time I switched the gears.” About a week later he posted in the forum again saying the dealer fixed the problem but it started again, adding that if he plays with the gear shift it “makes it go away.” He said he thought the problem might have started when he went through a pot-holed parking lot. But the dealer said it’s an electrical problem.
By January 2023, the part required to fix the SUV still hadn’t arrived. “It’s getting worse and I don’t know how to fix it… So now it takes me at least 5 minutes messing with the gearshift, pushing buttons, going reverse to forward, etc. Eventually I can turn my car off. There was a lawsuit against this on older GM cars and was supposed to be fixed. What am I supposed to do? Keep going to the dealership to get the same part replaced over and over again?
The part, according to yet another 2022 owner is “the shifting assembly part is on nationwide backorder with no ETA for replacement.” Another says, “They ordered a new shifter assembly, part number 60006582 – a special order and no commitment on delivery.”
Is There a Link with the Transmission?
The owner of a 2021 Trailblazer joined the Trailblazer Talk conversation saying that she had the same shift to park issue after replacing the transmission. “With that, I’m always worried that she will roll from the parking spot. Now out of habit I pull her emergency parking brake when I park. So it’s an actual part?”
In November 2023, another forum member said, “I was hoping if enough people complain about this shift to park (issue) maybe it will be a recall. Already replaced transmission at 31,000 warranty covered. GM did extend my warranty (for an) extra 100,000 for the inconvenience of replacing (the) transmission. Hoping to trade it in soon.”
What Should You Do if Your 2022 Trailblazer Has Shift to Park Issues?
If your 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer has shift to park issues you may qualify to join our class action investigation. All you have to do is fill out a contact form or call our Helpline and we will evaluate your case to see if you qualify.
There are no costs involved because the law says GM must pay the legal bills for all lemon law cases. So don’t hesitate to apply.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
