Many have experienced that initial moment of anxiety in an unfamiliar rental car, orienting themselves to enough basic features that they’re able to operate the car and get it into what’s often an unfamiliar city.
Imagine that and not being able to get your rental car in the right gear.
That’s what TikTok creator Aaron (@aharless71) documented on her recent trip to Las Vegas. Aaron, who declares herself a mom and grandma in her bio, posted this video on Saturday and racked up an impressive 1.3 million views since.
In it, she’s struggling to get a 2005 Buick Enclave into gear while a companion films her and laughs uproariously at her struggles.
“If I push it in, nothing happens!” she exclaims at the start of the 25-second video. Then, momentarily getting the reverse gear she wants to be in, delightedly says, “Oh, look, we got an R!”
But it then goes back into Park, and she declares, “I don’t want to go P!”
That unintended double entendre sets her companion laughing anew as she continues to struggle with the gear shifter.
She then says, “Stop laughing at me!” as she appears to have worked the car into reverse.
How does the Enclave fare?
Car and Driver likes the new Enclave well enough, rating it a 7 out of 10 in a comprehensive review placing it 21st among Best Mid-Sized Luxury SUVs.
“During our initial test drive of the Enclave, we found it to have a soft, compliant ride and little driving verve,” the review notes. “The turbo-four provides adequate power, and the Buick differentiates itself from its siblings with extra sound deadening that makes for a quiet cabin.”
While the review didn’t make specific mention of a tricky gear shifter, it did say, “Three spacious rows of seating are standard across the board in the 2025 Enclave.”
That particular high-end model “also offers niceties such as ambient interior lighting, automatic windshield wipers, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row seats—all standard.”
All models do come with appreciable safety features, including “automated emergency braking, automatic high-beam headlamps, blind-spot monitoring, and lane-keeping assist.”
What commenters thought
Some commenters worried on Aaron’s behalf, while others were amused.
“Transmission fighting for its life and ain’t even moved,” one observed.
“That PRNDL is broken,” another contributed.
Someone else said, “This is SO real in some of these newer cars!” which led Aaron to agree and reveal the make and model of the car.
@aharless71 #trying#to#figure#out#how#to#work#the#suv#fupppp#🤣🤣🤣 ♬ original sound – Aaron
Another drew from pop culture to assess, “Are we playing Wheel of Fortune?”
The Daily Dot has reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and to Buick via email.
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The post ‘Transmission fighting for its life’: Driver rents 2025 Buick Enclave. Why is the PRNDL so difficult to use? appeared first on The Daily Dot.