So my wife has a 2008 Scion xB with a manual transmission. We've been having a problem that comes and goes with it, and is difficult to get to the bottom of. When we're driving the vehicle, it drives normally 90% of the time. But occasionally the car sticks in gear. This happens most commonly when driving in 1st or 2nd gear. You depress the clutch pedal, but when you pull on the gearshift, it doesn't allow you to move it in any direction. If you release the clutch, then step on the clutch again, it will allow you to shift as if nothing had happened.
What's confusing is that it happens infrequently. The vehicle has no warning or check engine lights come up when this happens, no different sounds or smells. But it can be very frustrating when trying to accelerate out into a line of traffic. It has happened when first getting behind the wheel, and after driving for an hour or two. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it.
I've done some research online and I've heard suggestions that it could be the clutch plate, or it could be an electronic issue with the drivetrain. But I'm not that mechanical, and I'm afraid if I take it to a shop I'll get the runaround. It's not easy to nail this down because it happens infrequently.
Any ideas as to what this could be?
