Why Won't Your Subaru Move When the Engine is Revving? Seven Possible Causes

It's hard not to love the sound of a revving engine. But if that rev isn't accompanied by movement, something has likely gone wrong. Below, we've listed seven reasons this might be happening.

7. Your Subaru is Not In Gear

It's happened to the best of us: we've been frustrated by a problem only to find out that the answer is simple. Before you start checking for other causes, make sure that you've put your vehicle in gear.

6. Bad Solenoid

The shift lock solenoid in an automatic transmission makes it so that you can't shift out of park without stepping on the brake. If the solenoid fails, your engine might still think it's in park.

5. Low Transmission Fluid

Low transmission fluid can cause a variety of problems for automatics and manuals alike, and leaks are a common cause. Be very careful with transmission fluid leaks, as it's a hydraulic fluid that's quite flammable. Make sure to call the proper authorities, including a tow truck for your vehicle if you have a serious leak under your vehicle.

4. Bad Shift Linkage

The shift linkage makes sure that the transmission and gear selector are linked together. This part could fail, or it could become jammed by an external source, causing the link not to work.

3. Bad Torque Converter

A torque converter in an automatic transmission does much the same thing as a clutch in a manual transmission. However, it's easier to tell if you haven't shifted into gear with a standard transmission; a bad torque converter can cause a lot of problems, including difficulty shifting into gear.