1999 Sable Wagon Transmission Question

Just got this car a few days ago. Today, it wouldn't start and the shifter (automatic) was stuck in park. My dad finally got in and wiggled the shifter around real hard, which seemed to unstick it. Then we could start it. He says his old Corvette does the same thing. Is this a transmission issue or a shifter issue?

i had the same problem with a 99 ranger, mine was in the shifter behind the gage cluster.
a small piece of metal had bent somehow and was blocking it (was obvious) easy fix.

i still dont know how it got bent in the first place though.

good luck...