These parts wear quickly because they are handled every time the car is driven.
The failures are cosmetic and tactile. A shift knob wears smooth or the printed shift pattern rubs away, a leather boot splits at the fold, and a column shroud cracks where the adjuster lever passes through it. On automatic vehicles the knob release button can also break, which stops the shifter from moving out of park.
Match by transmission and by trim level. A knob for a manual gearbox is different from one for an automatic, and the boot changes with the console shape. Where the knob carries a release button, confirm that the internal rod matches the shifter, because the button mechanism is part of the knob.
