If your vehicle has an automatic transaxle, the shift lever is located on the console between the seats.

Movement between gear positions requires pressing in the release button located on the side of the shift lever.

Your vehicle may also have an electronic shift position indicator that displays the position of the shift lever. This indicator is located to the right of the trip odometer on the instrument panel cluster.

PARK (P): This position locks your front wheels. It is the best position to use when you start your engine because your vehicle cannot move easily. You must apply the brakes and press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from PARK (P) to REVERSE (R).

Caution: It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park) with the parking brake firmly set. The vehicle can roll.

Do not leave the vehicle when the engine is running unless you have to. If you have left the engine running, the vehicle can move suddenly. You or others could be injured. To be sure the vehicle will not move, even when you are on fairly level ground, always set the parking brake and move the shift lever to P (Park). See Shifting Into Park . If you are pulling a trailer, see Towing a Trailer .

Ensure that the shift lever is fully in PARK (P) before starting the engine. Your vehicle has an automatic transaxle shift lock control system. You have to apply your regular brake before you can shift from PARK (P) when the key is in ON. If you cannot shift out of PARK (P) while holding the brake pedal down, see Shifting Out of Park .

REVERSE (R): Use this gear to back up. You must press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from REVERSE (R) to PARK (P).

Notice: Shifting to REVERSE (R) while your vehicle is moving forward could damage the transaxle. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Shift to REVERSE (R) only after your vehicle is stopped.

To rock your vehicle back and forth to get out of snow, ice or sand without damaging your transaxle, see If Your Vehicle is Stuck in Sand, Mud, Ice, or Snow .

NEUTRAL (N): In this position, your engine does not connect with the wheels. To restart while you are already moving, use NEUTRAL (N) only. Also, use NEUTRAL (N) when your vehicle is being towed. You must press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from NEUTRAL (N) to REVERSE (R).

Caution: Shifting into a drive gear while the engine is running at high speed is dangerous. Unless your foot is firmly on the brake pedal, the vehicle could move very rapidly. You could lose control and hit people or objects. Do not shift into a drive gear while the engine is running at high speed.

Notice: Shifting out of PARK (P) or NEUTRAL (N) while the engine is running at high speed may damage the transaxle. The repairs would not be covered by your warranty. Be sure the engine is not running at high speeds when shifting your vehicle.

AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D): This position is for normal driving. If you need more power for passing, and you are:

You will shift down to the next gear and have more power.

You must press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D) to THIRD (3).

Notice: If your vehicle seems to start up rather slowly or not shift gears when you go faster, and you continue to drive your vehicle that way, you could damage the transaxle. Have your vehicle serviced right away. You can drive in SECOND (2) when you are driving less than 35 mph (55 km/h) and AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE Overdrive for higher speeds until then.

THIRD (3):  This position is also used for normal driving. However, it offers more power and lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D). Here are some times you might choose THIRD (3) instead of AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D):

You must press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from THIRD (3) to SECOND (2).

SECOND (2): This position gives you more power than THIRD (3) but lower fuel economy. You can use SECOND (2) on hills. It can help control your speed as you go down steep mountain roads, but then you would also want to use your brakes off and on.

You must press in the release button on the shift lever to shift from SECOND (2) to FIRST (1).

Notice: Driving in SECOND (2) for more than 25 miles (40 km) or at speeds over 55 mph (90 km/h) may damage the transaxle. Also, shifting into SECOND (2) at speeds above 65 mph (105 km/h) can cause damage. Drive in THIRD (3) or AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE Overdrive instead of SECOND (2).

FIRST (1): This position gives you even more power than SECOND (2) but lower fuel economy. You can use it on very steep hills, or in deep snow or mud. If the shift lever is put in FIRST (1), the transaxle will not shift into first gear until the vehicle is going slowly enough.

Notice: Spinning the tires or holding the vehicle in one place on a hill using only the accelerator pedal may damage the transaxle. If you are stuck, do not spin the tires. When stopping on a hill, use the brakes, or parking brake to hold the vehicle in place.

Power/Economy Mode

Your vehicle may have a POWER button.

The POWER button is located on the left side of the shift lever, below the shift lever release button.

The POWER button allows you to select between economy mode or power mode.

Economy Mode

Economy mode is for normal driving. The transaxle shifts normally through all four gears while in economy mode.

Power Mode

When you need more power for climbing hills or quicker acceleration, press the POWER button. The PWR light on the instrument panel cluster will come on. See Power Indicator Light . The transaxle will switch to the power driving pattern. The transaxle will shift up at higher engine revolutions, allowing for more powerful acceleration.

For normal driving, press the button again to return to economy mode. The PWR light will turn off.

Hold Mode

If your vehicle's transaxle has hold mode, you can select this mode to drive with some characteristics of a manual transaxle. With hold mode turned on, the automatic transaxle will stay in a specific gear range.

Press the HOLD button on the shift lever console to turn on hold mode.

Press the button again to turn off hold mode, and return to normal automatic transaxle operation.

While on, the HOLD light on the instrument panel cluster will come on. See Hold Mode Light .

When hold mode is activated, the transaxle operates in the following ways:

Hold Mode Functions

Winter Function

Select hold mode while in AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (D), THIRD (3) or SECOND (2) to help the vehicle maintain traction on slippery road surfaces, such as snow, mud, or ice.