These cars have a pretty terrible reputation of reliability over the longer term. Plenty of things seem to go wrong with them (almost certainly thanks to them being built down to a price) and parts supply seems a bit sketchy at times, too.

A loose gearshift mechanism can certainly cause the problems you’re experiencing and a loose, or sloppy gear-stick can be the first symptom. Often it’s a simple case of adjusting the selector mechanism, other times you may need to replace a worn bush or bearing to restore the shifter to its original state. But if the shifter is worn or damaged, then selecting gears can become the problem you’re experiencing.