My 2003 VUE has a issue with the ignition key cylinder. It is often very hard to turn the key to start the car. Initially, I thought that it was the steering wheel lockout, but after some fiddling, I discovered that it was the gear shift lockout. If you REALLY push the shifter into park, the key releases and the car starts fine.


Anyone know how to adjust the cable that goes from the shifter to the steering column? Boththe shifter console and the ignition cylinder housingare covered with a lot of parts and I don't want to go exploring without having some idea of what I'm doing.Edited by: CALegalVette

 

One thing you may want to do is to try how the spare key works. I know that the keys that Saturn uses on the vues wear out very quickly. My wife swapped over to her spare on her Vue a few months ago, work a lot better than the original. It just so happens that this morning she had problems again starting the car.

 

Good tip. I did notice that the two keys work differently. I'll try having a new one cut and see if the problem goes away. If so, it's an easy solution.


Thanks.

 

LOL... for a couple weeks now I could take the key out of the ignition after starting it. Thought it was pretty cool. I would have tojiggle the keydown and then up to startthe car,but it would start. Turns outthe key was worn so much that the grooves were no longer touching and when I wiggled it they would grab and I could turn ignition. Thats pretty scary that a new key solved the problem and to think how easy it must be pick that lock. Its good tho, hopefully we will never have to buy a new ignition module, only new keys.