General Motors Offering To Remedy Stuck Key Issue In 2.2 Million Cars
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General Motors is offering to fix certain Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions, Pontiac G5s and other affected models which may have an ignition switch cylinder that keys can get stuck in, Automotive News reports. This problem affects the same 2.2 million small cars recalled due to an ignition switch which may slip out of position while the car is in motion, disabling the brakes airbags and other crucial systems.
GM said it isn’t issuing a recall for the problem, as it doesn’t pose a safety risk to the customer. The key will only get stuck in the ignition if the car is stationary, which may cause the battery to go flat if it cannot be moved out of the “accessory” position to the “off” position. The problem is reportedly caused by the automatic transmission shifter, which doesn’t transmit an electrical signal to allow the switch to be turned off.
Yesterday GM notified customers of a “special coverage adjustment” that will offer a free fix to any owners whose cars are experiencing the stuck key problem. The automaker estimates the defect affects about 3 or 4 percent of the 2.2 million cars, all of which are automatics. Around 1.4 million of the affected cars have already been repaired under GM’s ignition switch recall.
The stuck key repair could take about 3 hours depending on the model, with GM advising dealers to provide a courtesy car to customers while the necessary fixes are made. Letters will be mailed to the 2.2 million owners next week informing them the warranty for the fix is good for 15 years after the car’s sale, making all affected models eligible for repair.
Models with a key-sticking issue, AN says, include the 2005-2010 Cobalt, 2006-2011 Chevy HHR, 2006-2010 Pontiac Solstice, 2007-2010 Pontiac G5, 2005-2006 Pontiac G4/Pursuit, 2007-2010 Saturn Sky and 2003-2007 Saturn Ion.
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Does that include the cost to tow the car to a GM dealership when you can’t get the key out and cannot start the car?
This was a much more common issue and complaint than the other ignition issues. In all the years I had read the HHR forum I never once heard anyone say that their key kicked off but I have seen many where the key got stuck. Most just drove it to the dealer and got it fixed.
They were not happy but few were stranded unless they had some poor planning on stopping where they may kill the battery.
Maybe I’m one of the lucky ones…but I haven’t experienced any of these problems with my Sky. It (the ignition) was replaced under the recall…though it wasn’t a problem for me.And I never had the key or ignition get stuck.I’[email protected] 99,655 miles…and the only part that has ever been replaced due to failure is a thermostat. That was at ~80,000 miles..and…it happens…great car…never a problem…And I’ve had a Hahn Stage II turbokit on it for the last ~20,000 miles…GREAT CAR!
Not so much luck as neither issue is as common as the media likes to make it out. A lot of them were made but very few have had either issue.
The stuck key is the only one we have ever seen on HHR web site. The other issue was never mentioned till it was reported and I have not seen a post where anyone has claimed it happened to them.
God forbid you press the key-release in the bottom of the steering column…
I’ve had it happen in my Cobalt – but only because I’ve made it do it on purpose, never on it’s own (i.e. if I need to, for some reason, have the car in drive but the key out). Just like how I’ve never experienced the recall “issue”. Probably because I wasn’t driving drunk, off-road at high speeds without seat belts (aka, I haven’t activated natural-selection mode) – and the lowered suspension and Poly mounts haven’t done it either, so….
To the best of my recollection , I recall Delphi’s response to the question about the ignition switch build quality and they said that they met the original specs called for , but GM afterwards revised the specs which produced a weaker spring . Perhaps to save more money , who knows what their thousands of purchasing agents are capable of ?… evidently the company executive aren’t informed !! Nation wide , people deal with keys every day , they are fundamental to our existence . GM can’t even get this simple device to work properly spells volumes of its abysmal relations with its parts/components suppliers , the worst relationship of the 6 major vehicle manufacturers . . GM may think that settling 38 death claims will signify some closure , but the the floodgates are just opening . One State has already filed suite and probably more to come . I hate to say it , but this will add untold billions to the mix and could even result in a permanent bankruptcy or selling off a few divisions . Ms Barra looks like she has aged ten years since becoming CEO , I think the executive board threw her to the wolves , great job guys ! This cloud hanging over GM won’t go away ,so it is a testament to some of the fine products being sold that they may be able to weather the storm , here’s hoping !
just encountered that particular key stuck in the ignition problem. have a 2011 chevy cruze LTZ 48,000 miles. does not have a release button at bottom of steering wheel.
can someone please help. does anyone know if this type of car was a recall?
Chevy malibu 2013 having this issue! Car won’t start; key is stuck! Help!
2013 Malibu LT having same issue. Key stuck in ignition and battery is dead.
had the same issue with my 2013 malibu. Key stuck in the ignition 🙁 ended up being one of my hair ties i had on the shifter. it got stuck in the shifter button causing it not to release .
Same Problem, 2008 Equinox
My 08 equinox just started doing this too. Going to call the dealership to see if this is covered.
My 08 Equinox key got stuck today and I couldn’t get the car to shut off. I finally had to pull the fuse for the fuel pump.
There is a quick cheap fix for this. Pull the cover off around your gear shift, and down on the left hand side of it, there is a little black box with a brass arm extending out from it. When your shifter is in Park, it is supposed to push that little brass bar down, and push the button in on the little black box, sending the signal to your SUV that it is properly in Park, and will release the key. If that bar isn’t going down all the way, your system doesn’t think your vehicle is in Park properly, and won’t allow your key to be removed. Pull the black box out (It’s only about an inch long and 1/4″ wide) and take a small zip tie and zip it shut. Install the box back into it’s holding place. You shouldn’t have anymore problems with your key getting stuck. I did this to my 08 Equinox about two years ago, and haven’t had the issue since.
GM dealership says the 2011 Cruze I have is not covered, it has happened to my daughter twice in the past couple of weeks, she could not get the car to shut off the first time it happened. This is my family’s first and last Chevy will we ever own, never thought there would be worse cars made than Yugo’s, I was wrong.
just happened to my 2013 cruze, not a good start of a work day. hoping dealership will take care of this or else.
Having the exact issues with the key being stuck in ACC position. Have to unhook batttery if it will be parked (?) more than 10 minutes. At dealers now. No free fix and no recall. This is on 2009 Acadia.
Ladycarrier, did you find out what was the cause? My 2008 Acadia is doing the same thing…not sure where to begin
2014 Chevy Captiva – same issue. Owned less than a year with 42K miles. Not covered by dealership and no warranty. Car spent 10 days in dealership being troubleshoot for cause and removal. Two days ago and $400 later, key continues to stick, leaving me stranded – missed medical appointment, business appointments, which far exceeds the $400 I paid for a problem that still exists and which GM denies is an issue.
I have the same car with the same issue and the dealership tells me it’s not covered. Although GM is aware of this problem, just that the Captiva is not on “The List” as having this problem so it’s not covered! It’s a bunch of Red Tape and BS!
I have a 2014 Chevy captivated and I am having problems with key getting stuck in acc and not going to lock position.
My key gets stuck also. Dealer wants over $600.00 + diagnostic cost! I’ve already replaced the battery! Why isn’t the 2014 Chevy Captiva on the “fix” list? GM should fix all their vehicles with a known defect.
Captiva, unlike the other cars, only has issues when the car already will not start – it has not been shown thus far to die while running (creating a safety risk). Recalls are issued for cars with safety problems. General defects, even widespread, are not covered.
$600 ignition switch repairs are part of why I defected to Fiat Chrysler, the only brand offering lifetime warranty extensions today. And no, they don’t pay me to say that today – at all.
I posted last year with the same problem on my 2014 Chev Captiva. GM would do nothing to help me because my VIN wasn’t on the list even though they acknowledged it was a known problem. The dealership replaced the shifter assembly twice and the ignition switch once. Luckily the dealership gave me a loaner because their fix kept failing and I would have been without a vehicle for 3 weeks. Very frustrating not being able to shut my vehicle entirely off and then having to open the hood and pull the battery cable to stop it from going dead. I paid over $600. for exact repair that was “covered” on other vehicles. I traded the car into the dealer shortly after. Although I most likely could have gotten more money, I refused to sell it outright to an individual knowing that it would probably fail again and the warranty on the work I had done was only for one year – not 15 years like GM gave the owners under the covered repair.
It may sound like the exact same problem, but the Captiva does use a different ignition switch module that is indeed less likely to fail – and does not pose a safety risk.
Worse, hate to break it to you but the labor is not covered under the one year warranty. If it fails again, you would have to pay to get it fixed.
My advice would be to consider purchasing an aftermarket extended warranty if you can get one, and only use the key standalone – with nothing on the keychain.
2013 GMC terrain having stuck key problem. Dealer said it’s not covered will cost 500.00 for a new shifter
MY FRIEND HAS A CHEVY IMPALA THAT THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE ACCESSORIE POSITION. SHE TOOK TO THE BRADLYBOURBONNAIS CHEVY DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND WOULD COST HER OVER $600 FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC CHARGE AND FIXING THE PROBLEM. I JUST READ WHERE GM KNEW OF A KEY STICKING PROBLEM IN SOME OF THEIR CARS BUT DID NOT SEND OUT A RECALL OR EVEN A LETTER EXPLAINING THIS COULD HAPPEN. IS GM GOING TO PAY FOR THE COST OF FIXING THIS KNOWN PROBLEM
That’s not how it works. Unless GM knew of the problem during manufacturing, they aren’t under obligation to fix things that systemically happen outside of the warranty period. Class action lawsuits can happen, but usually are only successful if they can prove that GM knew (or should have known) about the problem during production.
GM is no different than any auto maker, and just about every car has flaws. So it’s unlikely this will get any product-wide fix beyond a revised ignition switch.