Automotive Forums

Just joined this site so I can reply to this thread. 2000 Jeep Cherokee and guess what? Same issue with the key. I have yet to read about one other manufacturer having this problem. The rubber mallet worked. Thanks for the advice.  

have a 2000 mustang gt.  just did mallet trick.  It worked!!!  Thanks  

I joined this forum tonight to thank everyone for their great posts. I was told last night that my wife's 1999 Dodge Caravan was having the same issue of the key not turning. It was snowing and blowing so I waited till this morning to go and check it.I figured she must have had the steering wheel turned wrong and it would take me two seconds to start it up. I was wrong. I tried the WD40 trick and the rocking back and forth trick to no avail. I blew snow for about two hours with the van right in the way. I came in and started searching on the internet. I found a lot of recalls that I have never received a notice of, but couldn't find anything on my problem. I finally Googled key will not turn in 1999 Caravan. I found this forum and read about the rubber mallet. I went to garage and got my mallet and tapped the key four times, and low and behold it turned on the first try. Thanks to all for this wonderful forum. I will be checking here first when any of my vehicles has a problem.


Nortely  

My 97 Dodge Caravan just started having this problem.  Fortunately stuck in my garage.  Was planning to tow to dealer or locksmith tomorrow (New Year's Eve).  Has already used every metal cleaning fluid and spray lubricant I could find in my garage.  Decided to Google and found this forum. Thanks to the helpful ideas I went to work with the rubber mallet.  I didn't lightly tap--I whacked with a vengance on the key and the column.  3rd try was the charm.  I'll take it to a locksmith to get it cleaned up.  

Wow!  I know this post is almost 2 years old but it sure came in handy today!

My husband called me and said the key wouldn't turn.  We were trying to problem solve so I jumped on the internet and this place came up.  I called him back and asked him if he had anything to hit the key with, like a rubber mallet as was suggested. He had his steel toe shoes in the car so he tapped the key with that and it started right up!

Thanks!

Ours is a 1999 Caravan.  We just started experiencing problems.  Silly me went out and bought a 2005 Grand Caravan last year thinking I was having such good luck with our other one.  

What is up with these Chrysler ignitions???  I have a 2005 Chrysler 300.  Last year (January 2007) the ignition key would not turn.  I did what everyone else suggested on this forum; WD-40 and rubber mallet.  That worked about 11 months.  Then a month ago, the same problem surfaced again.  I repeated the previous fix, but it would not work this time.  I then used a butane lighter to heat the metal part of the key.  After several attempts, the key freed up!  That was short lived as yesterday the problem returned.  We sprayed a whole can of WD-40(a friend insisted that would fix the problem) but no luck.  CHRYSLER needs to stand up and take responsibility for an obvious design flaw in the starter ignition.  I will NEVER buy another Chrysler vehicle again!!!  

I, like many others, wanted to reply just to 'keep the thread alive' and say thanks. My 98 lemon, er, dodge caravan, started doing this once in awhile, then yesterday, key refused completely.  
I don't own a rubber mallet, but I do own a nice big hammer.  I was in just the right mood to beat the crap out of the key and steering column.  Like a previous poster, third whack was the charm.  Two, on the key, one on the column for good measure.
A couple of whacks on the floor to relieve stress doesn't hurt either!

Thanks for the suggestions!  

THANK YOU ALL for this thread! My 2002 Intrepid ignition key wouldn't turn (on a cold winter night away from home, no less) and after the AAA guy jiggled and tapped the key for 20 minutes, the key finally turned and I was able to get it home. Of course, as soon as I took out the key, it locked up again.  That's when I found this this thread, got out the rubber mallet, whacked the steering column and the key (straight in like I was driving a nail) and got it working again. But every time I took out the key, I needed to whack it again to get the key to turn again.  For the next few days, I left the key in the ignition (using the remote to lock the car when I parked it).  Yesterday, I took the key out,liberally sprayed Gunk Dry Lubricant (http://www.gunk.com/CAT_L512.asp)in the ignition lock, put in the key again and whacked it until the key would turn.  I took the key out and repeated this process a couple times until the key worked without whacking.  Today the mechanism seems to be working smoothly and properly.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, although there is something satisfying about taking out my frustrations over such a stupid design flaw with a rubber mallet!  For now the mallet stays in the car.  

Just getting ready to call to have my 2000 Town and Country towed from my driveway, in the middle of a snowstorm, 10:00 at night, with it blocking three of my other cars, when I googled this problem. I found this website (this is the 2nd time the ignition switch wouldn't turn - first time I had the cylinder replaced, about 14 months ago), tapped the key three times and presto, the key turned right over. Amazing how much trouble this mallet has just saved me. Thanks for the advice. You know, I think this whole internet thing is going to catch on. Thank God for AL Gore! Now if he could only do something about global warming...  

I have a 2000 dodge neon and after finding this thread i was thankful. It worked and i didn't think it was going to. My key was so stuck i had no idea what to do. Im probably keep some WD40 and a rubber hammer in my dodge at all times now. Thanks alot  

Hate to sound stupid, but does hitting the key force it farther into the ignition cylinder, to get it to unlock? I'm having the same problem with my 1999 300M. Stopped to get coffee this morning, worked fine, came out to go to work and it is completely seized. Won't turn forward or back.

Tried turning the steering wheel - then tried to turn the key - NOTHING! Can't get the vehicle out of park, either (safety feature?). Tried using graphite powder to free up the ignition cylinder, but to no avail.  Tried pushing in while turning - again, NOTHING!

I'm hesitant to try the rubber mallet thing, but it might be a quick fix instead of the $500 quote the dealership gave me, to fix the ignition cylinder (plus towing expense).  I fussed with the lock/unlock on my keyfob, panic button, but still nothing. Battery is good in the car and the keyfob. Hitting the steering column and key to get the lock to unseize.....design flaw with Chrysler, for sure!!!! Any help is appreciated.  

Hi, also had the problem with key not turning, my son's 2000 Dodge intrepid. Googled key won't turn in 2000 intrepid. Came across this thing about the mallot deal. Everyone in the house was skeptical. I went out, tapped the key with a mallot, the key turned only to the right. Took the key out tapped the ignition part and arount the ignition. The key turned, Yeah! My son got in a few minutes later and had to do the same thing. This morning, it turned great. Thanks everyone!  

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.  

I have a 2001 Chrysler Town and County with 127,000+ miles on it.  I love it so much, I just spent 3,000 on new tires, new brakes, new water pump and fuel pump, belts, flushes, battery, etc.  It was running like a champ.  Then I got 2 new keys made and that is when I started having problems with the key not turning in the ignition.  Thank you for posting your issue.  I have been furious that this issue negates all the care and money I just sank into this old van.  We tried the mallet and it worked.  I will have to keep working on the cleaning thing but I do now know I will call a locksmith before I bother to have it replace.  

Shame on Chrysler!  But thank you so much for finding a fix! You saved me!  

Caroline Genners  

same here, 2001 Chrysler Town and Country, 87,000 miles. will try the mallet.