There is a torx bolt at the back of the column, towards the top that comes lose, where the linkage attaches to the cable. You'll need to remove the ignition cylinder and the plastic surround around the column, remove the lower dash cover, and remove the 4 column retaining nuts and drop down the column to get to the bolt. The one I did, the owner found the bolt laying on the floor of the car. Ford doesn't install the bolt with Loc-tite, so, over time they become lose and fall out.
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Does the ability to put the Expedition in Park affect whether or not the dashboard-selected four-wheel drive works or not? That's another issue I must solve. The switch works, but it only lights the indicator on the dash -- four-wheel drive doesn't kick in. I'm guessing they're somehow tied together...
Yet to apply the method of repair, but it makes TOTAL sense. I'm sure this is a chronic problem for Ford. Will work on it this coming weekend...
Applied the fix you suggested. It was easier than I thought. All I had to do it look under the dash, find the shift cable leading to the firewall and follow it back to the steering shaft up near the knuckle near the wheel. I spotted the plate that held the cable back with the two torx bolts you pointed out -- one was really loose, and the other was not that well seated either. All I had to do is reach up with a torx bit on a ratchet screwdriver and tighten. With the plate back in place, the "button" that needed to stick through the plate also reseated, and viola -- FIXED. The beauty is that I didn't have to remove anything to get at it, just a lot of nimble dexterity and patience. IF there were any items I would have considered removing, it would have been the driver's seat because there was NOT a lot of room to work down there. Thank you so much for directing me to the right spot and correct fix! My Expedition can now be put into Park.
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