How to Fix Your Key When Locked In the Ignition

If your key is stuck in your car's ignition and it simply won't budge, you can try to remove the jammed key by following these five steps. Learn more. 

key stuck in ignition

Try To Figure Out What The Issue Is:

It happens to the best of us, when we get behind the wheel of the car, put the key in the ignition; the key just won’t turn. Keys getting stuck in car ignitions are more likely to happen in the older car models, but it does happen in the newer model cars as well. When this happens, a number of things could be wrong with the vehicle. It is very important to try and figure out what exactly the issue is with your vehicle so that you can try to figure out the best way to resolve the issue at hand. Some things that you might want to think about when assessing the problem with your ignition is the age of the car, the weather outside, the condition of your car key, and the condition of the ignition itself. You will also want to make sure your car is in the appropriate gear and make sure that the lock cylinder is properly clean and lubricated.

5 Easy Steps

After you’ve done a little bit of troubleshooting to try to figure out what the issue is with your vehicle’s ignition, you can attempt to fix the issue on your own or you could simply call upon a professional locksmith service to help you out. Most of the time, if you want to get your car going and running again, you’ll need to hire the services of a professional car locksmith. Once you call upon our services, we can come right over within minutes and help you out if you are in a rush. We know how frustrating it can be to not have any way of driving to and from your daily errands, which is why we have such fast response times. Before calling on a local car locksmith, you can try these easy steps on your own to see if they help.

  • Make sure your car brake is on and gear is on park.
  • Try turning the key while steering the wheel back and forth.
  • Make sure the lock cylinder is clean and try to lubricate it.
  • Check the key by placing it on a flat surface and see if it lays flat or is arched, if it isn’t totally flat, you will need to find a hard object to strike the key with. Doing so will make it bend back to its flat shape, so that it is no longer arched.
  • Tap the key in the ignition with any hard object and attempt to turn while watching out for your fingers.

If for any reason the steps above have not helped you fix the problem that is what we are here for. Our professional car locksmiths are available and ready to help you out 24/7. We get the job done professionally every time. No matter how simple or complex, our experienced auto locksmith technicians can provide you with the professional services you need to get you on your way within minutes.