NHTSA Complaint #10160380 — 1997 BUICK REGAL

UNABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION. THE SAFETY MECHANISM THAT PREVENTS THE IGNITION KEY FROM BEING REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE DRIVING HAS MALFUNCTIONED, THUS KEEPING THE IGNITION KEY CAPTIVE WHEN DRIVER IS READY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. WHEN VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO "PARK" THE DOORS UNLOCK AS EXPECTED (CONFIRMING PROPER OPERATION OF THE PARK SWITCH), BUT THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT ALLOW THE KEY TO BE ROTATED TO THE EXTRACTION POSITION. AFTER A SEEMINGLY RANDOM AMOUNT OF TIME AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, A SMALL CLICK IS HEARD IN THE STEERING COLUMN, THE KEY CAN THEN BE ROTATED TO THE EXTRACTION POSITION, AND THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE COLDER THE TEMPERATURE, THE LONGER THE DRIVER MUST WAIT FOR THE KEY TO BE RELEASED. TYPICAL WAIT TIMES BEFORE THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH ARE BETWEEN 1 SECOND TO 10 MINUTES. *JB