The Dodge Magnum has a mechanism to prevent the shifter from being moved out of park unless the brake pedal is depressed and the ignition is out of the lock position. Occasionally, the cable may stick and cause the shifter to lock in park. This is a problem that may need to be fixed by a certified repair facility, but you can release the cable and drive the vehicle to the repair shop yourself instead of having to call for a tow truck.
Remove the rubber tray under the ashtray in front of the shifter. It simply lifts out.
Pull out the rubber storage bin to the right of the shifter.
Unscrew the top of the shift knob and remove it, along with the stock shift handle.
Remove the trim piece around the edge of the shifter. It has seven clips, three on the driver's side and four on the passenger's side. Hook your fingers underneath the edge of the trim and work them from the front to the back to remove the snaps and then the trim. If you are unable to get them out with your fingers, you can use a screwdriver; just be careful not to scratch the trim.
Depress the brake pedal hard while pressing the pink rocker at the bottom of the passenger side of the shifter and moving the shifter. By doing these three things simultaneously, you should be able to shift out of park. You can use this technique to get the vehicle going and drive it to a facility for repairs.
Examine the shifter mechanism to see whether there is anything sticky in the mechanism itself. Sometimes sticky substances, such as spilled soda or coffee, will make their way into the shifter mechanism and cause it to stick. Clean the shifter mechanism with the solvent and you may find it solves the problem.
