Why ignitions fail (and why it’s rarely sudden)
Many mechanical ignition barrels use a stack of sprung coded wafers that read your key’s cuts thousands of times a year (designs vary by manufacturer, but the wear story is similar). Over a decade the wafers wear, the springs tire, and the barrel slowly stops recognising a key it’s met ten thousand times — first the occasional wiggle, then the morning it simply won’t turn. Sometimes the culprit is the steering lock pin jamming under wheel pressure (rock the wheel gently while turning); sometimes it’s a worn key rather than a worn barrel, which is why we ask you to try your spare first.
Your reg gets you one fixed number — usually back within minutes.
Repair first, replace only when honest
Our default is to rebuild your barrel with new wafers, keeping your existing keys working — typically £250–£500 all-in. A dealer will usually swap the whole assembly, which can mean new keys, new programming and a bigger bill. Where a barrel genuinely is beyond saving we’ll say so and quote the replacement straight; what we won’t do is replace what can be repaired.
Key stuck in the ignition?
A key that won’t come back out is telling you the same story as one that won’t turn: the wafers inside the barrel have worn past the point where they let go cleanly. Check you’re fully in Park and the steering lock isn’t under load, then stop — pulling harder is how keys snap. We free it, rebuild the barrel and leave your original key working, usually in one visit.
Snapped key in the ignition?
Don’t go at it with tweezers or superglue-on-a-stick — both usually push the fragment deeper or leave adhesive in the wafers, turning an extraction into a rebuild. Proper extraction tools hook the fragment out cleanly, and if your remaining key half is intact we can often cut a fresh key the same visit. Wheel locked solid as well? That may be the electronic steering lock — see steering lock repair.
Ignition questions, answered straight
My key is stuck in the ignition and won't come out — what do I do?
Check the car is fully in Park (or reverse, on a manual) and the steering lock isn't loaded — rock the wheel gently while easing the key back. If it still won't come out, stop pulling: a stuck key usually means worn wafers or a tired barrel, and force is what turns a repair into a replacement. We free it and rebuild the barrel at your location, keeping your existing key working.
My key won't turn in the ignition — what's wrong?
Usually worn wafers inside the barrel (they wear to match your oldest, most worn key), a jammed steering-lock pin, or debris in the keyway. Try your spare key first and let the steering wheel rock gently while turning. If it still won't move, it's a locksmith job — forcing it snaps keys.
Can you repair an ignition rather than replace it?
Usually, yes — and it's our default. Rebuilding the barrel with new wafers keeps your original key working and costs less than a dealer swap that often needs a new key set programmed too.
My key snapped off in the ignition — can you get it out?
Yes, with proper extraction tools that don't push the fragment deeper or scratch the barrel. If the remaining stub is healthy we can often cut you a fresh key from it the same visit.
What does ignition repair cost?
Typically £250–£500 including parts and labour, depending on the vehicle — fixed from your reg and the symptoms before we set off.
