Parking on a slope Driveway - Makes a thud noise when shift to Drive or reverse gear

do you engage parking brakes parked on the slope?

 

If you put it in neutral, set the parking brake, release the foot brake, then press the "P",
you might not get that. "if" it is the transmission.

 

Probably the weight of the car resting on the parking pawl.

 

have you checked the fluid level?

 

Do you put it in park, release foot brake, and then set the parking brake? In that order?

 

Probably. But that is the wrong order.

 

This. Happens on just about every automatic transmission when parked on a slope without the hand/foot/emergency/whatever brake applied. I think far fewer people would experience this if automakers either went back to hand brakes or electric parking brakes that activate anytime the transmission is shifted to park. I rarely use the foot brake on either of our cars (unless parked on a slope) because "the other person" that drives these cars has a really hard time remembering to release it. It's almost like there isn't a big red light on the dashboard...

 

More like a wee red icon. I recall lamenting the lack of warning, years after getting our 2010, and someone here pointed out there IS an alert, albeit easily overlooked. I’ve got a vague recollection it beeps too, or is that a false memory?

 

Well, I was talking in general. I've not seen her do it in the Prius more than once, but our Honda has a fairly noticeable light and definitely beeps. She notices when the Honda starts beeping, but that's usually after 5-10 seconds of flooring it trying to get the car to accelerate.

 

add “tire shop employees” on to the list also. They drove my vehicle with parking brakes half engaged, it was like nails scratching on chalkboard. The red BRAKE led was lit on the dash, but dash lights are only suggestions.

 

once you watch a few YouTube videos of "how parking pawls work" you'll understand why the parking brake is there, and when to use it

 

no way, sum it up for us in one sentence. we can’t stray off of netflix.

 

don't park on slope

 

You use cheaper parts to bear the weight of the car instead of increasing wear on expensive ones...

 

Apparently those of us that take 3 seconds to scan the instrument cluster and check mirrors after starting the engine but before putting the car in gear are uncommon.

 

Traditional handbrake lever in centre console is harder to miss?

 

This happens with basically every auto transmission car I’ve ever driven. It seems to help if I apply the parking brake to hold the car in place while changing gears - put it on before shifting to P and wait until after shifting out of P to take it off.

 

Everyone should be using parking brakes even when parked in flat terrain. Imagine if your parked car gets hit directly in the back or front, the parking paw restricted the car from moving back or forward. With out parking brake on, your transmission could go kaput.

 

Not sure that makes any sense.
The parking pawl works kind of like sticking a broom stick into the spokes of a bicycle.
If you try to move it, something breaks.