Help!! Trouble getting out of Park.

In order to move my Ford Taurus gear shift you had to twist the key ignition half way then put it in Nuetral then turn it on then put it in drive. It wouldn't move out of park unless you did those steps. Then the other day it just cutt out when my wife was driving on the highway and we couldn't get it to go even when we pressed on the gas. I am hoping this isn't a transmission problem being that we don't have the money. PLEASE HELP give me a clue to what it is I am dealing with.

Welcome to the forum!

It's not a transmission problem. Most likely, the ignition interlock shift cable needs to be adjusted. It's not an expensive thing to have done and most mechanics are able to do it. Sorry about the trouble you had out on the highway. Trouble comes in 2's and 3's. ~Dave~

Also check to see if brake lights work. A bad brake switch can cause it not to come out of park. It also possibly could be the neutral safety switch (Transmission Range). They have a few different names.

Don't forget to give the year, engine and other information. Not all Taurus are exactly the same.
My daugher's 1995 Taurus wagon with a 3.8L V6 and automatic transmsission once had the interlock cable between the ignition switch and the floor shift break. The car would not come out of park. The cable was temporarily disconnected from the floor shift until I got and installed the new interlock cable.
If you have a column shift, then you probably don't have this cable.