perretar

Something between shift lever and transmission broke or dis-connected.. When making 1st-2nd shift, gear lever when total loose, transmission is stuck in first gear . Gear lever moves freely fore-aft, but not left-right. What is most likely the problem and is it DIY ?

chapmans

Broken shift cable, sounds like just one of them. Should replace both of them, you can DIY it but its relatively involved.

perretar

Do they typically break at 40k miles ?

chapmans

They are a known weak point so they can break then yes, also depends how hard you shift. Do a search on it you'll see lots of people talking about it and various OEM or aftermarket repair solutions.