🚨 2020 Subaru WRX: Emergency Neutral
The 2020 WRX has a traditional 6-speed floor-mounted manual transmission with a mechanical linkage and no electronic shift lock or interlock.
🧰 Drafted with AI under the editorial review of Chris Hackleman & Jeff Moore — cross-check against your owner’s manual when possible.
⚠️ Chock the wheels first — neutral means the car can roll. Set the parking brake while you work, never stand downhill of the vehicle, and try a 12-volt jump before any override: power fixes most stuck-in-park problems instantly.
The procedure
- Ensure the parking brake is firmly engaged and wheels are chocked
- Press the clutch pedal fully to the floor (if the battery has enough power to disengage the starter interlock)
- Move the shift lever to neutral by hand—there is no electronic shift lock to override on manual transmission WRX models
- If the clutch safety switch prevents starting but you need to roll the car, simply place the shifter in neutral; the clutch pedal position does not prevent the shifter from moving
- Release the parking brake and the vehicle can now roll freely in neutral
With zero electrical power
With zero electrical power, the manual transmission shifter operates purely mechanically and can be moved to neutral at any time without any override procedure. The clutch pedal interlock only affects the starter, not the shifter itself.