What transmission do you have? If it's a CVT, make sure it's fully engaged in Park. If that doesn't help, time to call the dealer.

 

First the issue in getting the key out. Not sure of the XV's but previous Subaru's had a small hole below the ignition in the lower steering wheel cover. By placing a small screwdriver or similar device in the hole and pressing caused a release to be activated allowing you to remove the key. Have a look, it's free. If you have an owners manual, please read the pages concerning the ignition switch and/or shifter, there may be a similar work-around written in there.
The cause 'could' be a faulty neutral switch. Yes even though you can't remove the ignition key from anywhere else but Park, it also acts as an interlock. If the ignition is not getting a signal that the transmission is not in Park, it won't release the key. Intermittent tries as you have performed indicate it is 'intermittently' working. Best for a dealer to replace it as it takes some finese to get it in the right position.

If this or another solution solves the problem, please make sure you post how the problem was solved here in your thread. Too many members ask for help but never return to provide the answer to what fixed the problem, that can and will help others in the future. Hope this helps.

Cheers
Doug

 

remove key solution

First the issue in getting the key out....

If this or another solution solves the problem, please make sure you post how the problem was solved here in your thread. Too many members ask for help but never return to provide the answer to what fixed the problem, that can and will help others in the future. Hope this helps.


Daughter out state had issue where key would not turn to locked position, therefore not come out. Tried cycling in and out of park, jockeying steering wheel, etc. Finally, tried a solution I found elsewhere. Locked doors with electronic switch on door then cycled keyless entry. May have been coincidence but key then was able to be turn to off/locked position and removed.

If replacement is recommended, please reply.

Regards,
Marv

 

Had a Mazda with similar issues. Try rocking the steering wheel just a little to see if it'll release the key. Also the lever that's in the park position, just jiggle it lightly. See if that disengages the key. Found this from another site. Key getting stuck in ignition
I had the same problem in my 2002 Outback. The problem was in the neutral safety interlock system. If I remember correctly, it was in the switch at the auto trans shifter, in the console. Could be the module, too.

 

It's a CVT. I put it in Neutral, turn the car off and it does prevent it from turning to Lock until I put it Park, then allows the key to move to Lock, but it just won't come out. There's no hole in the bottom of the ignition core that I found for the key lock override. It looks like it's all electronic with solenoids. Not sure. Anyway, I took it to the dealer today. Hopefully they can figure it out. I will follow up with the answer once it gets fixed.

-Joel

 

Followup: The dealership decided to replace the ignition lock core and get it ground to my keys. Seems to work fine now, but it was definitely a manufacturing defect.

-Joel

 

Followup: The dealership decided to replace the ignition lock core and get it ground to my keys. Seems to work fine now, but it was definitely a manufacturing defect.

-Joel

How much did this cost? Dealing with the same issue.

 

Thanks for following up to let us know about to resolution!

 

Hi there, same issue still is happening to my XV for the past 2 weeks or so. It is somewhat intermittent, and when I get it to the dealership ( since it's still is under warranty) all they did was sprayed penetrating oil. I already brought it to them twice. And twice they did the same. One thing though, last October2016 the front differential was also changed by the dealership because of loud noise coming out of it. The thing that puzzles is that, would there be any connection or sensor that affects the situation that makes it difficult in removing the key?
Hoping for anyone's technical advises...

Sent from my E6833 using Tapatalk

 

Hi friends! Just a heads up: this symptom could also be caused if your steering wheel is turned all the way to one side or the other. So if the wheels are all the way to the left, put a little pressure on the steering to the left then see if the key will turn. Many cars hit their steering limit and sometimes causes the key to not want to turn off. Not saying that is what happened here.. but something to try before you go to the dealer.

 

I am interested in any answers you may have found. I have a 2015 Cross Trek and my key gets stuck. I can only turn it to the ACC position and no further towards off. I can turn the car back on, just not off. I originally took it to the dealership and they tested the ignition, and found a solenoid was bad. They replaced the solenoid and everything was great for about a week. It happened several times again, I took it in, and they could not reproduce the issue after having my car for several days. I took my car home and about a week later it happened again. I took my car in again, they had it for several days and could not find anything wrong. They then called a Subaru technician that suggested adjusting something in the gear shifter. It was great for a couple of weeks and happened again. Up until this point the service man was extremely helpful and understanding. I also feel that I have been very understanding, knowing that if they can not reproduce it or test something they have no way of knowing what is causing the problem. So, this last time I took it in I got a lesson on how to turn my car off. Needless to say I was pretty annoyed. They also suggested I switch keys. Well, it has happened again. I am beyond frustrated. I know to make sure the steering wheel is not locked, I know to have the vehicle in park. I usually cycle the shifter through the gears many times and start and restart the car, and eventually the key will come out. I can not take a chance that the key will not come out at all when I get to work one day.

 

Welcome to the forum, can certainly hear your frustration with this issue, 1) the fact that you can move the shifter through the gears tells me the Brake switch is working just fine, and not at fault, sounds to me like they are getting close with the adjustment to the shift linkage... Presuming this is a CVT transmission, look on the last invoice to see if this

INTERLOCK SOLENOID - 2015 SUBARU XV CROSSTREK (35173AJ000) Subaru On-line Parts is this the part they replaced ??

Perhaps faulty( it happens) or now that the tech has tinkered(adjusted it after the fact) it might be out of alignment with where it Should sit....Looks like another return trip to the Dealer

Been the route you are on.... Call and Speak directly with the Service Mgr,explain what has been happening, THIS NEEDS TO be Repaired Properly, or Speak Directly with SOA

Please Post back here on what was finally the fix for your circumstance

Hope this helps

Troutbum

 

This is happening to me as well. Took it to the shop a few months ago and I was able to reproduce the problem in front of them. They said they "adjusted the linkage" and it seemed to fix it for a few weeks. Now it's doing it again. It's actually at the shop now for that and a problem with loose side mirrors. But, I was unable to reproduce the key problem this time so they're saying there's nothing they can do. Very frustrating because I'm almost at the end of my warranty.

 

What the dealer did was just release the shift lock button...(done as per owner manual, 7-22 Starting and Operating)...
And it never happened again (so far) for more than a month now...

Sent from my E6833 using Tapatalk

 

Mrs Pebo. I am going through the same exact thing. 2015 Crosstrek.
Started in March of this year, so far new ignition, new keys, and new ignition housing. They say they have done something to the linkage, but it
continues.. It is intermittent so they can't fix something, they don't have happen to them.
Yes I got the same thing about removing the keys, also was told the wheels had to be straight. they were not happy when I said.. "guess a Subaru
can't park on a hill."
I have gone places and the key sticks and won't come out, had to return home. Sometimes wiggling the steering wheel works, playing with the
shifter works, other times even many curse words don't work... It's maddening ...
Six plus trips, 3 repairs and it is still doing it.
I told the dealership today I had a $26,000 paper weight sitting in my front yard.

 

Just picked up my Crosstrek for the umpteenth time from the dealership because of the key sticking in the ignition...
This was the 4th trip for repairs since March of this year... this time the solenoid in the gear shift...
I hope this time it works!

 

Hi All, same thing has been happening to me. 2015 Crosstrek. My dealer diagnosed it to a wire connector in the steering column. I noticed that sometimes when I turn the wheel to the right before pushing into Park, the key gets stuck. If I turn left, it comes out fine. Seems like the movement of the steering wheel is messing with this connection. I got the cable changed yesterday. The key snapped out fine but it happened again. I took it back in and they said the wire connector was not staying secure so they're replacing that again. I get my car back tomorrow. hope this resolves it.

 

If all else fails... Tell them about the gear shift... there is a sensor in there... after 4 failed attempts to fix mine... the sensor has worked.... Since the end of August.....

 

I'm having the same issue with my '15. Key will not release after putting the car in park. It doesn't do it all the time, but enough to be annoying. If I start the car again and move the shifter to neutral then back to park the key will usually release. I took it to the dealer yesterday and they replaced the shifter solenoid(part #35173AJ000). They said it was a fairly common problem. It seemed ok today, but will update after a few weeks to see if this corrected the issue.

 

Well, the shifter solenoid didn't work. My key got stuck again today. Took a bit of playing with the shifter and moving back and forth through the gears to get the key to come out. I called the dealer and it's going back to the shop on Wednesday. They said that maybe it's the brake switch. After reading through some of these posts, I'm not sure Subaru knows how to fix this issue. They just try random things to make it seem like they are trying. Hopefully they can get this resolved soon as I am almost out of warranty.

 

I've had this problem for about a month now and it keeps getting worse but I think I've found a solution. Under the direction of a local lock smith I sprayed grease similar to WD40 into the cylinder. It didn't seem to help immediately but a few days later I don't get stuck anymore, I think some of the grease worked its way down to where it needed to go. Could be coincidence but given the alternatives it's certainly worth trying for you too.

 

Ok, thanks for the tip. I may try that if the brake switch doesn't fix the problem. I am headed back to the dealer this week.

 

So, the dealer decided not to replace the brake switch and instead replaced the shift lock assembly. I haven't had my key stick for 3 days in a row now, but I've developed a new problem as a result of the work. I now can't shift into Manual Mode from Drive. The shifter won't slide over from D to M. I tried the shift lock release button but that didn't help. So, I am headed back to the dealer to have that looked at tomorrow. What a nightmare this is turning into.

 

Update: The dealer installed the shift lock assembly wrong which caused me to not be able to shift into Manual mode. They corrected the installation and all seems good now. Also, my key has not stuck at all since the shift lock assembly was replaced. I'm hopeful that this has finally been resolved.

 

Hi, I hope this isn't much of a dead thread revival. I'm a Subaru tech in Nashville. I read through this after having a client come in with a 2013 XV with this very same issue. I ran through the troubleshooting diagnostics and came down to this (and I was able to duplicate the concern). First, let's go through the symptoms for anyone that has posted. This client intermittently, yet more frequently as of late, can put the car in Park, turn the key all the way back (2 clicks) to the off position, where key can be removed, but the key fails to come out. The ignition has essentially remained locked, due to getting a signal indicating the car is in any other gear except Park. With some wiggling of the shifter or cycling again through the gears, the key eventually comes out. What's happening is the P Range switch in the shifter assembly is getting stuck in, albeit from a previously spilled beverage or grease getting on the contactor or something else (maybe even slight corrosion due to humidity) that migrated down around the panels and gummed up the switch itself. It's a simple 2-wire switch. It's not the easiest to replace but it can be done. It's the connector directly in front of the shifter assembly (with the panels removed). Pins 1 and 2 of connector B116 are for this switch. Replacing this should fix this (assuming it too doesn't get gummed up by something later).

For those worried about running out of warranty before this is repaired, don't worry. If you brought this complaint to your dealership's attention and it has yet to be properly remedied - so long as you did this while you still had SAS coverage, they are obligated to repair this even after your warranty expires. But be persistent and get this in and contact the service manager if you're not satisfied with the Service advisor handling this effectively.

If you have further questions on this subject, give me a holler!

- Sarge -

 

I'm having the exact same issue with my 2015 Impreza Sport (CVT). I couldn't explain it better than you even if i tried. It has been occurring for a few months now - twice a week during the fall and now during the winter, maybe once every 3-4 weeks.

After 5-6 visits to the dealer, the most recent yesterday, I have gotten back 4 "we can’t recreate the issue so we have nothing to fix." and one visit that they changed out the brake switch. My last visit, I was told they contacted SOA Tech line and Subaru also had no idea what can be done. My service adviser says they can’t just go around changing parts under warranty, hoping it will fix the issue. I have provided the dealer with multiple videos as the problem occurs but I guess that's not enough. My service adviser still get the push the key in while turning speech from the mechanics but she says she knows that’s not the issue.

I have already contacted SOA customer support, so I am waiting for a response from my rep to this last visit. My warranty is about the expire next week but I know this issue should still be covered until they fix it. Now I’m left with the question of what I can do next?

Edit: 5th time I have been told they are not being able to recreate the issue... Even better yet, arriving home from the dealer, the key got stuck again...

 

I have the same problem on my '15. It occurred just after 36k. I tried some graphite powder.This seems to have worked. I would love to see a few pics of the P range switch and how to access it.
The graphite seems to work. The manual advises applying the parking brake prior to shifting into park.
Getting the panels off to get to the P range switch looks like a bear. What's the procedure?

 

I started running into the same problem on my 2016 Crosstrek. I HAVE FOUND THE SOLUTION. So very thankful for this youtube video as this problem is minor but such a headache. It is really an easy fix, just follow his instructions. You only need a phillips head screwdriver and something that can pry.. I used a small hunting knife. The fix took me about 10-15 minutes and sounds like it saved multiple trips to the dealership.

 

Hello Ty, I am unable to watch your video. Telling me its unavailable. I am in Australia. Can you please give me directions as to what I should do. Thanks. Tabitha

 

I just came back from the dealer for the exact problem. The repair is listed as below

"Tech verified concern and found technical bulletin 16-112-18R for concern. Due to contamination of the park range switch internal component, the key will not release from the ignition. Tech ordered replacement park range switch (shifter)"

 

$60 part and a few hundred for labour?