So, last week I brought my Fiesta into the shop to have the heater blower fan and the resistor replaced (just in time for winter) and while the mechanic was fixing it, the brake light switch broke and they needed to replace that as well. Anyways, everything got fixed (or so I thought) until yesterday, when I tried to leave my driveway and my Fiesta is stuck in park. Also, I have no brake lights. The powertrain malfunction light is on (little yellow wrench) and there is a message on my screen saying "Engine Malfunction Service Now". I am hoping that this isn't a transmission issue and I find it a little fishy that this happened a week after the brake light switch was messed with. I hoping someone can shed some light on this for me before I bring it back to the mechanic and try to use my warranty with them. Frankly, I don't trust them not to tell me it's something costly like the transmission and I want to go in there with some knowledge of what it could be so I don't get ripped off. My google searches suggest it could be the brake light switch is faulty but is there some way of ruling out the transmission? Thanks in advance, any help is appreciated.

 

Welcome to the site.

It sounds as if the last work done was the cause. The transmission shifter lockout release solenoid gets it power from the brake lamp circuit. So that your foot is on the brake as the shift is selected. You might try and check the fuses first, but fuses pop for a reason. Either way, it sounds as if the fail may have been created..