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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for this thread.  I have a 2003 T&C and it is still happening on newer vehicles.  I got so mad this morning when the key wouldn't turn.  I ended up borrowing my husband's car and this afternoon I googled stuck ignition for T&C and found this thread!! whoo hoo.  Now I couldn't find my husband's rubber mallet so I took a piece of wood and a hammer and tapped 3X and voila!   I did spray some wd-40 on the key and in the ignition.  (not a whole lot)  But I'll be sure to get a rubber mallet for the glovebox until we repair it.  

last night i went to park my car behind my sisters, because i had an early mornin shift at work and when i put my key into the ignition it wont turn either right or left, and it was freezing cold out side. I tried everything from juggling the steering wheel to checking my gears, but nothing worked. So i called in for work told em my problem and tried searching for a solution on internet this morning and i found this forum, well so i didnt have a rubber mallet but i used the hammer and it worked, thank to this forum and now so far its working fine, but if it happens again i'm changin the ignition.

Thanx again for the help guys, i had to register and thank you all.  

Hey, No worries. It's simple, just stick the key in the ignition and tap the end of the key about four times and turn the key. The key will turn over. Enjoy.  

Had the same problem on my 1999 Grand Caravan.  Forked over $375 yesterday to get it repaired at a dealership.  I was getting tried and embarrassed having to tap the end key EVERY time I started the car.  After talking to the dealership's service man (they see this problem at least once every 6-8 weeks) and TRYING to talk to Chysler, I figured I would fight back. If you would like to help, contact the Department of Transportation Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 and tell them about this problem.  

Chrysler or the dealership doesn't seem to think this is a big safety issue, but I sure do.  Living in Minnesota, the last thing you want to happen is to be stranded in cold weather.  

This morning, the key would not turn in the ignition, and we tried everything we could think of the get the our 2003 Grand Caravan to start.   After having no success with the usual fixes, i.e. battery, fuses, etc. and not being able to make it to church with the kids, we found this site, gave the key a couple of raps with the handle of a heavy duty screwdriver and it started pronto!  This blog saved me from having to call a tow truck out to our house and I am so glad it didn't happen late last night as we were driving back from the high school state basketball championship game with all of the kids in the van. Thanks for being out there!  

Just wanted to add my experience to the general knowledge base about this topic.

I have a 1998 Plymouth Voyager and had the same problem with the key that would not turn.   I read about the "mallet trick" on this forum and was able to get the key to turn and car started.

Of course, "bumping" the lock is not a particularly good thing to do on a regular basis.  So, the next day I took it to a locksmith.   They first tried spraying WD-40 into the ignition slot.    That helped a little bit.  Eventually, the locksmith looked at the ignition and found that two of the wafers in the lock where dirty and were sticking.  He replaced the wafers and now it works fine.   Ended up costing me $45 to fix.  

I can't believe it...all of us stuck driving these crappy vans that won't start. I ran to the pharmacy this morning one hour before my daughter's surgery, and what do you know... the key would not turn. Again! I had tried WD-40 multiple times before, and today not even that would work. As we speak, my van is sitting in the Walgreens parking lot (overnight)and hopefully it doesn't get broken into. I am trying that rubber mallot thing tomorrow. I can't afford big bucks to fix this problem!!!!!  

By the way... we drive a 2003 Grand Caravan.  

Let me join the list of relieved 2001 Grand Caravan owners who found these postings and got the old beater started without having to pay for a tow.  Using a screwdriver handle to deliver three taps on the key in the ignition slot did the trick.  Thank you all.  

This happened to me too.  I was going to pick up my kids and happened.  It really mad me mad.  My kids had to wait for someone else to pick up.  I had my car towed for $120 and took all day long.  That night I stayed up and searched for a solution.  I read this forum.. found the solution.  Next morning I went to the dealer.  I tapped the key couple times with rubber mallet which was still in the plastic bag and voila.  I told the serving guys who were standing out there that I got my problem solved and said never mind about my car and drove off my the car dealer.  It does lock up so I have to keep tapping it rubber frequently.  If you are caravan owner, I strongly suggest that you buy a rubber mallet next time you go to a store.  

I want to thank any one who posted the rubber mallet trick. My husband's been driving our 1998 Plymouth Voyager $ cyl to  save on gas.
He just called in a panic. He has to take an important ,job related test this morning.At the local BP station the car's key will not turn!!! He tried turning the wheel and tried some  thing with the linkage? but NO TURNING THE KEY! I drove over and gave hime our 2nd Dodge vehicle 8 cyl 1500 RAm truck / he tried having me turn the key while he pushed it... nothing! He drove away in the truck, (he might still make the test). I walked the three miles home and looked up this forum. Saw the rubber mallet postings ...rode my bike back, tapped the key 6 times total and Wullah!! I can't wait to tell my husband!!!(He forgot his cell)
... I worry he may call the police to report the car gone on the way home!!  

This just happened to us a couple hours ago.  We got the key to move by me rocking the car back and forth with my left foot out the door, hands turning the wheel away from the locked position, and my wife turning the key.  Actually worked pretty quickly.  Just found this site, so we're unfortunately reassured that we're not the only ones.  Oh well, replacing the ignition switch will keep me off the streets!

Rusty  

I had this same problem with my 1999 Lincoln Town Car Cartier right after I bought it.  I went out of my office with several of my co-workers to go to lunch one day and couldn't get the key to work.  Several of the men rocked the car back and forth while I turned the key and the steering wheel unlocked and the car started. one of the men said his wife's new car had done the same thing and that you should always park with your wheels straight ahead.  I remembered that I had turned into the parking spot in the garage and left the wheels turned to the left.  Since then I have always parked with my wheels straight ahead and have never had this problem again.  I am still driving the TC and hope to drive it the rest of my life.  

I have NEVER been to this site before - but I am now IN LOVE with it.  I have some Turkish friends visiting and they are using my 2001 Grand Caravan.  They called from the library to say the car wouldn't start - as in the KEY WOULD NOT TURN.  I - thought they probably just "didn't know what they were doing".  I went there and THEY WERE RIGHT.  The key would not turn.  I went back with another key.  It wouldn't work.  I called a locksmith and asked if they could do anything.  They told me it would need to go to the dealer - vehicles after 1998 had some sort of computer chip in them.  I came home AGAIN.............. and found this website.  I took my trusty rubber mallet back (with my Turkish friend) because I was SURE it would work.  IT DID!!!!!!!!!!!!

He couldn't believe it...........and I am now in love with this website!!!!  The mallet will stay in the van - and I now have a new bookmark to check before ever taking my car in for repairs..............lol

Thanks again!  

I Googled this site for locked ignition switch on Dodge 2000 van and used rubber mallet.  Worked for me, probably will have needed parts replaced rather than Carrie rubber mallet in car.