P (Park)

This position is for parking the vehicle and starting the engine.

In this position, the transmission is mechanically locked to prevent the vehicle from rolling freely.

When you park the vehicle, first set the parking brake fully, then shift into the “P” position. Do not hold the vehicle with only the transmission.

To shift the select lever from the “P” to any other position, you should depress the brake pedal fully then move the select lever. This prevents the vehicle from lurching when it is started.

    See also:

    Front seatbelt pretensioners
    The driver’s and front passenger’s seatbelts have a seatbelt pretensioner. The seatbelt pretensioners for the driver’s seat and front passenger’s seat operate at the same time as the frontal ...

    Safety & Reliability
    In crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Forester earned the top score, Good, in front and side impacts. The SUV was awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick designation. Because ...

    N (Neutral)
    This position is for restarting a stalled engine. In this position the wheels and transmission are not locked. In this position, the transmission is neutral; the vehicle will roll freely, eve ...