Auto shifter suddenly became harder to select gears.

[EatonZ]

As the title says... Could this be a fluid problem? The car is a 98 with 72k mi on the clock.

[flybynight]

you may only need to have the shifter lubricated, or more commonly ive experienced with contours is that you will need to replace the cable etc. not too costly as long as you have a mechanic you trust not to take you through the wringer.