I was wondering if anyone has run into this one before: I came home yesterday, and as I went to park the car in the garage, I couldn't pull the key out of the ignition. Looking closer, I found that the key wouldn't even turn to the "Off" position. I spent about 15 minutes working on trying to get the key out -- Depressed the brakes, shifted the car into reverse, shifted it back into park, tried resetting the emergency brake -- and nothing would work.

After all of our efforts, we left the keys in the ignition on the Accessory (I) position overnight, with all of the accessories turned off, and we came out in the morning to find a dead battery. Curiously, with the car completely dead, we were able to turn the key to the "Off" position and remove it from the ignition. So we proceeded to jump-start the car, and when I went to turn it off, the key wouldn't come out again!

We ended up bringing it into the dealer, and wouldn't you know it, once we pulled into the service bay, the key pulled out right away! So of course, with no problem to reproduce, the dealer checked the battery and a couple of other things, and couldn't find the problem.

Anyone have any ideas what could cause this problem?

 

I've read something similar on this forum about it. I'd do a search.

I think the problem was that the shifter assembly wouldn't trigger a PARKED status, so you couldn't take out the key. It was either that or the parking cable was too loose.

Hope this helps.

 

if you got navigation system, the DVD unit is still probably on, even with everything turn off I can still feel the DVD driver vibration when I place my hand on the shifter.

also check to see if the steering wheel is centered or turned... I know sometime I have trouble turning the key to start the car if the steering wheel is not center, but don't know about not being able to take out the key

 

Intermitent.

Sec sys (steering lock), ECU?

Next time it does it, pull the positive lead off of the battery and wait 5 min, connect and re-try the key.

If it still won't come out pull the lead again and call the dealer.


At least you won't have a dead battery and an intermittent problem.

 

my mom had that problem with her Accord years ago, dealer told her to try turning steering wheel left and right while attempting to turn the key to off position to remove it. Not sure why, but it worked.

 

^ To free up the steering column lock.

 

^ Yep. As kidfury and DRR98 state.

 

That is one most vexating problem! I drove a Honda Accord for 11 years and had a whole host of key problems that were intermittent (some things were serious like that and only happened once or twice).

I think what was mentioned in a previous post about the shifter assembly not registering a park position was the root of a lot of these problems.