Why does my Cadillac ELR keep saying 'Shift to Park' when it's already in Park?

Short answer: It's usually the park switch inside the shifter, the same weak spot as the Chevy Volt. Owners clear it for now by clicking the shifter button many times. The lasting fix is a new switch or shifter. Test the 12V battery too.

Symptom: 'Shift to Park' stays on even in Park, the car won't power down, and it may stay on and drain the battery.

What to check first

1. Make sure the shifter is fully in Park and press the button a few times.
2. Confirm the car is actually off before walking away.
3. Test the 12V battery.
4. Ask a Cadillac or Chevy dealer about the shifter park switch and any bulletins for your VIN.

Likely causes

1. Worn park switch in the shifter. A small switch in the shifter tells the car it's in Park. When it wears, the car thinks it's still in gear and won't fully shut off. On the related Chevy Volt the fix was a new shifter assembly.
2. Weak 12V battery. The small 12V battery runs the car's computers. A weak one can cause odd messages, and owners suggest testing it first.

What it usually costs

Owners in these threads didn't post prices.

Is it safe to keep driving?

Yes to drive, but the car may not shut off, so it can drain the battery and leave you stranded. Don't leave it until it's truly off.

DIY or shop?

Clicking the button and testing the 12V battery is DIY. Replacing the shifter is usually a dealer job.

Recalls, bulletins and complaints in plain words

• Recalls: NHTSA lists 2 recall(s) for the Cadillac ELR in these years, and none is for this problem. NHTSA's recall lookup returned no data for the 2015 and 2016 model years on 2026-11-05. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If your car is part of a recall, the dealer fixes it for free.
• Plain words: The complaint count below shows how often owners reported problems that mention these words to NHTSA. A count is not proof of a defect.
• NHTSA complaints: 4 keyword-matched complaints for Cadillac ELR 2014–2016 (of 21 unique complaints queried, NHTSA complaints API by model year, queried 2026-11-05; keywords: park, shift, shifter, will not turn off, won.t turn off, power down) (NHTSA returned no data for 2 model-year queries). This counts complaints that mention these words. It is not a defect finding.

What owners report

• In ELR - Action required: Shift to Park warning message on Cadillac Owners Forum, an ELR owner got a 'Shift to Park' warning when the car was already in Park. Members suggested checking the 12V battery and pointed out that on the Chevy Volt, which shares the drivetrain, the fix was replacing the shifter assembly because of a bad micro switch.
• In Shift to Park error message fix on Cadillac Owners Forum, a 2014 ELR owner at about 77k miles said quickly flicking the shifter's trigger button 20-30 times cleared the 'Shift to Park' message.

Quick tip

If the click trick works more often than not, get the shifter fixed before it leaves you stuck with a car that won't turn off.

Vehicle focus: Cadillac ELR 2014-2016. It shares the drivetrain with the 2011-2015 Chevy Volt.

Safety / mechanic note

Never leave the car unless it's in Park and fully off. Verify with a mechanic.