Ignition Repair & Replacement

An ignition problem is one of the more disruptive things that can happen to a car, because unlike a lost key, it often means the vehicle can't be driven at all — you can't tow yourself to a shop if the key won't turn. ATD Automotive handles ignition and lock cylinder repair on-site, so the car doesn't need to move before we can work on it.

Ignition cylinders are mechanical parts, and like any mechanical part, they wear. Every insertion and turn of a key puts a small amount of stress on the tumblers inside, and years of that wear eventually makes the cylinder less precise about which key shapes it accepts — which is why a key that used to work fine can start feeling gritty, then intermittent, then stop turning altogether. Corrosion, a bent key, and dirt or debris in the cylinder can accelerate the same process or cause it outright on a newer vehicle.

How ignition repair works

1. Describe the problem when you call. Key won't insert, won't turn, turns but nothing happens, or won't release — each points to a different likely cause.
2. We come to the vehicle. Since a bad ignition often means the car can't be driven, we work wherever it's parked.
3. We diagnose the cylinder. Worn tumblers, physical damage, or an electrical fault in the ignition switch are each handled differently.
4. We repair or replace. Worn cylinders can sometimes be re-coded to a working key; damaged or failed cylinders are replaced with new hardware.
5. We code the new cylinder to your key(s). Including door locks, if you want everything running off one key.
6. We test start and turn cycles before we consider the job finished.

Pricing

See full pricing for key cutting and programming if your ignition repair also involves a new key.

What affects your price

Re-coding a worn cylinder to a working key is a smaller job than replacing the cylinder outright, which is why coding starts at $65 per cylinder while a full ignition replacement like the Ford Focus job starts at $285 including parts. Vehicles vary in how the ignition, steering column, and immobilizer are integrated — some designs are more labor-intensive to access than others — and that affects the final quote along with the cost of the specific replacement part.

When you need this service

• A working key won't turn in the ignition
• The ignition is stuck and won't release the key
• Keys wear down quickly or the cylinder feels loose/gritty
• The steering wheel locked and the key won't turn past that point
• You want door locks re-coded to match a replaced ignition cylinder

A quick thing to try first

If your ignition won't turn and the steering wheel feels locked, try gently rocking the wheel left and right while turning the key — many vehicles engage a steering lock automatically when the wheel is turned with the engine off, and that alone can feel identical to a failed ignition. If that doesn't free it up, or if the key turns but the ignition doesn't respond, or the key genuinely won't insert or turn at all, that points to an actual cylinder or ignition switch problem rather than a simple steering lock, and it's worth having it looked at before repeated attempts cause further wear.

Mobile beats a tow

A vehicle with a failed ignition frequently can't be driven, which normally forces a tow before a dealer or shop can even look at it — and that's before diagnostic and labor fees. We bring the diagnosis and the repair to wherever your car is stuck, avoiding the tow entirely in most cases.

Ford Focus ignitions are a well-known failure point and one of our more common ignition calls; see our Ford & Lincoln page for more on that model line. If the underlying issue turns out to be a key rather than the ignition itself, see car key replacement. We handle ignition work throughout Racine & Burlington, Milwaukee, and Crystal Lake, on domestic and import vehicles alike.

Because a bad ignition can leave a vehicle undriveable, it's worth calling as soon as you notice the key getting harder to turn, rather than waiting for it to fail completely in a parking lot or driveway. Catching a worn cylinder before it seizes entirely often means a simpler, less expensive repair than dealing with an ignition that's stopped working altogether.