For safety precautions.
you PROBABLY have a defective park/neutral safety switch
Probably just an adjustment of the switch.
It lets you only start the car in park or neutral.
It will only allow you to start the engine in park or neutral.
you do not have a neutral safety switch it is a valve in the gear box adjust the linkage put in first gear now to the engine bay look at the throttle now adjust the linkage see if gearstick is in the right place the engine must only start in park or neutral if not you must adjust the linkage.
yes, the shift linkage has a switch to only allow the car to start in either park, or neutral. All automatic transmissions have a neutral safety switch. It is misadjusted or defective.
THe transmission selector is worn, so the need to start it in the neutral position, which still has a workable contact switch, while the park position is worn out. like the other guy said, also you might have to adjust your shift linkage
Volvo
Probably the neutral safety switch, either faulty or out of adjustment.
for safety reasons.so you do not accidentally start it in gear and slam into someone
Probably the ignition switch. HavE IT CHECKED OUT> neutral safety switch......located under the shifter panel
A missed adjusted neutral safety switch, or a faulty one.