Neutral or First Gear - How Should You Park Your Car?

Depending on who you talk to, you'll get about 20 different answers to the age-old question of how to park a car. Should you leave the car in neutral with the parking brake on, in gear with the parking brake on, or just in gear with no parking brake? This article will attempt to explain all the options so you can make an informed decision.

In Neutral, With the Parking Brake Engaged

I have never met anyone who says to leave it in neutral with the brake off, so we won't even discuss that option. However, many people claim that it's best to park your car and leave it in neutral with the parking brake engaged. Proponents of this method say that it is hard on your transmission to leave it in gear when the vehicle is parked; this is not true. Transmissions are made to withstand any stress that is put on them by parking the car with the transmission engaged in first gear. Keep in mind that if you park your vehicle in neutral with the parking brake to keep it in place, if the brake fails for any reason, your car is going to take off without you.

In Gear, With No Brake

This is a good method for parking your vehicle. As stated above, the transmission will keep your car from rolling forward or back while parked. However, as with above, if your transmission fails for any reason, or someone knocks it out of gear, the car will have nothing holding it in place.

In Gear With the Parking Brake Engaged

This is the best method for parking. Place the car in any gear, and engage the parking brake. If one component fails, you have a backup method for keeping your car parked safely and immobile. In all my years in the automotive industry, I have never heard of a transmission and parking brake failing at the same time, so you can rest assured that your car is not going anywhere.

One thing to keep in mind is to always secure your vehicle when you are not in it. This deters theft, but also keeps pranksters or vandals from entering your vehicle and taking it out of gear or releasing the parking brake. Your car could move on its own if this happens, could be pushed out of sight, or be stolen. Be safe and keep your vehicle locked at all times.

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