Shift knob bumps from Drive to Neutral without depressing shift button

[Dr_jitsu]

This is a potentially very dangerous problem. I was in drive the other day trying to launch into traffic doing 55 mph. Just bumping the shift knob lightly put the car into neutral and nearly caused an accident. This is my first major problem with this car, and it is significant.

The car should not just dump into neutral so easily. It should be necessary to push the knob in in order to shift from Drive to Neutral.

 

[nhcowboy28]

This is not unique to Kia.

91 Nissan 300zx.... I think my 11 moustang did it too.

It’s so that you can safely get it into neutral (coasting) with fear of over pushing into reverse.

You have to adapt. Very deliberate (holding) going into drive or reverse.

 

[Fatalifeaten]

...This is an automatic transmission functioning as designed. There may be some brands out there that have a neutral lock-out from drive, but they're definitely the minority of manufacturers. It's been this way for decades. I can't say I've driven every automatic there is, but I can say every automatic I've driven behaves this way. There are safety mandates nowadays requiring there to be a lockout to go into reverse (either from park or neutral), but you can enter neutral from either reverse or drive with no additional action other than bumping the stick.

 

[Gargamel]

I have more the problem when i put drive in and let go of the stick, it jumps often back to neutral for me.

Other cars with automatics i've had, did not do this.

 

[Callum]

GT2 is pretty easy to bump into N. There is no real mechanical resistance on that shifter. I have done it a few times with my hand resting on the shifter and hitting the brakes.

 

[NismoDPB]

Common for modern automatics. I will say that the shift lever is high relative to the seating position which makes it easier to hit with your elbow, but the shift mechanism itself is working as it should.

 

[Sushi]

I have more the problem when i put drive in and let go of the stick, it jumps often back to neutral for me.

Other cars with automatics i've had, did not do this.

That's because the stinger has an electronic shifter, not a manual shifter.

 

[fastestneon]

almost all cars made do this... Its standard in the industry haha lmao

 

[gbgary]

that's pretty much normal on all automatics.

 

[Kimberly Lazarski]

This is actually a safety feature so you can always get to neutral in a panic. It works going from reverse into neutral as well - or at least it is supposed to. The purpose is to allow you to disengage the transmission if the throttle sticks. Kia nor anyone else will "fix" this because it isn't a design flaw; it's a safety feature.

"Other cars with automatics i've had, did not do this."
​

Check again. Every automatic I've owned dating back to mid '60s muscle and pony cars do this.

 

[Gargamel]

This is actually a safety feature so you can always get to neutral in a panic. It works going from reverse into neutral as well - or at least it is supposed to. The purpose is to allow you to disengage the transmission if the throttle sticks. Kia nor anyone else will "fix" this because it isn't a design flaw; it's a safety feature.

"Other cars with automatics i've had, did not do this."
​

Check again. Every automatic I've owned dating back to mid '60s muscle and pony cars do this.

The problem is not being able to put the stick into N, the problem is, you pull it to engage D and release the stick and *plop* it jumps into N.

 

[Mike T]

GT2 is pretty easy to bump into N. There is no real mechanical resistance on that shifter. I have done it a few times with my hand resting on the shifter and hitting the brakes.

I done that with the k900 a couple of times. I'm use to keeping my hand on the gear shifter. What makes it worse is when you are in auto hold and you try to take off and realize later on you are in neutral and put the car back into drive and you take off harder than you wanted due to being in auto hold that you forgot you were in because you have traffic behind you.

 

[Callum]

I done that with the k900 a couple of times. I'm use to keeping my hand on the gear shifter. What makes it worse is when you are in auto hold and you try to take off and realize later on you are in neutral and put the car back into drive and you take off harder than you wanted due to being in auto hold that you forgot you were in because you have traffic behind you.

I no longer drive with my hand on the shifter. It happened a few times and I learned quickly!

 

[Mike T]

I no longer drive with my hand on the shifter. It happened a few times and I learned quickly!

I have to learn how to do that myself. I'm 53 and so use to having my hand on the shifter. It happened again today.

 

[Callum]

I have to learn how to do that myself. I'm 53 and so use to having my hand on the shifter. It happened again today.

It took me a few days, I find myself doing it every now and then