A key that sticks in the ignition, or will not turn, is usually a sign of wear: in the key, in the ignition lock, or in both. Forcing it is how a stuck key becomes a broken one, so the safest move is to leave the key where it is and call a locksmith.
Do not grip the key with pliers. A key that snaps off inside the cylinder has to be extracted before anything else can be done.
What usually causes it
- A worn key. Years of use round off the cuts on the blade, and a worn key can bind in the cylinder instead of turning.
- A worn ignition lock. The cylinder holds small flat wafers that have to line up with the cuts on your key before it can turn. As the wafers wear, they stop lining up, and the key turns only at one angle, or not at all.
- A key broken off inside the cylinder.
- A car that no longer recognizes the chip in the key. The engine cranks but will not start, or starts and then stalls, and a key or security light may flash on the dash.
Each one has a different fix: a new key cut and programmed to the car, a repaired or replaced ignition cylinder, a broken key extracted, or key programming. We diagnose which it is at the car and do the work where the car is parked.
Why forcing it makes it worse
A key that only turns at one angle is a warning. Each forced turn wears the wafers a little further, until one morning the key does not turn at all. Working a stuck key back and forth can also crack the blade, and then the job becomes a broken key extraction before the lock can be repaired.
Signs the ignition lock needs repair
- The key has to be wiggled, or held at one angle, before it will turn.
- The key sticks, or will not return to the Off position.
- The key spins freely and nothing happens.
- The key has broken off inside the cylinder.
Ignition lock repair and replacement starts at $199 with us, done at the car. If the job also needs a new key, we quote both together before any work begins. There is more detail on our ignition lock repair page.
If the key broke off in the ignition
We extract broken keys without damaging the cylinder, then cut and program a new key on the spot. If the key broke because the lock is worn, we show you why and quote the repair before doing it.
Stuck right now in metro Atlanta?
Call (470) 668-2196 with the year, make, and model, and where the car is parked. Our average arrival across metro Atlanta is 15 to 30 minutes, and we confirm the price on-site before any work starts. We work Tuesday through Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM, Wednesday until 5 PM, and we are closed on Mondays.
See every city we cover on our service area page, and every starting price on our pricing page.