key not working in ignition? Why Honda, Toyota, Dodge, Ford and other Keys stop turning in the ignition’s lock cylinder.

Key not working in ignition?  This is most likely caused by a locked steering wheel, a worn down key, or a failed ignition lock cylinder.

If it’s a locked steering wheel putting pressure on the ignition cylinder this can be solved by rotating the wheel in the opposite direction relieving pressure on the lock, and than turning the key before releasing the steering wheel.

If the key is worn down, a locksmith can cut you a new key to OEM specs.  A copy of your worn down key won’t solve the problem, you will need a new key cut.  This can be done by using a Key Code or having the key/locks decoded.

Many times, a lock will fail and will need to be serviced or replaced.  When a lock no longer turns, it’s time to call a locksmith to service the vehicle.

Rebuilt failed Honda ignition

I the photo above we have pulled a Honda ignition, replaced the worn tumblers and springs.  We also clean the cylinder and re-lube the lock before putting it all back together.

Cars that commonly fail include the Dodge/Chrysler 8 cut key, Ford Focus 8 cut key, Toyota 8 cut key, and the new Honda 4 track high security key.

Fixing the bad ignitions depend on the type of lock.  The dodge gets gummed up and the wafers jam.  The Focus has a side-bar that stops retracting when the wafers inside fail, and the Japanese locks have “Split Wafers” that get jumbled out of place and won’t allow the key to turn.

The dodge can be removed, cleaned and replaced with little trouble.

The Ford Focus needs to be removed and often needs to be forced out (breaking the lock) and replaced.  A locksmith can pin the new lock to match the existing key.

The Toyota locks need to be removed.  2 of the 8 wafers are the offenders in this lock and they can be removed or replaced to fix the lock.  This lock is easy to remove, if you can get the key to turn one last time.

The above 3 locks have active retainers meaning if you can turn the lock, you can hit a retainer button and the lock can be removed.  For this reason it’s important have the lock serviced when it first starts to lock up.  Waiting will result in a hard fail, and the lock will need to be drilled and replaced.

The Honda has ten half wafers and although the 1^st and 2^nd wafers are the ones that usually fail, and of the 10 can jam and usually multiple wafers will jam at the same time.  The entire cylinder housing needs to be removed, the lock breaks down into many small parts and the entire cylinder plug needs to be rekeyed.  Often a new key will need to be cut, as the laser cut key often wares down at the same time.  This repair is most often the most expense, but there is no active retainer so the lock can be serviced without having to first turn the key in the lock.

Other auto locks fail too, but these 4 lock types have the most problems.  With the dodge and ford the problem are exclusive to the ignition while the Honda and Toyota door and trunk locks can fail for the same reasons as the ignition.

With the key not working in ignition you might want to call the dealer to see if there is a recall to fix this problem?  To my knowledge none of the car manufactures have recalled the ignitions.  It is my understanding that this is because the vehicle ignition fails when the car is parked, there for it’s not a driving, safety related malfunction.

We service all of these locks and we have flat rates for the repair.  For a quote please call with the year, make and model of the car that is having car and key trouble.