My wife tried to start her 2002 Sonata this morning and the key would not turn the ignition. I tried it then, tried wiggling the wheel and nudging at the shifter, but nothing. Any thoughts? Has this happened to anyone else? Scott

 

Try turning the steering wheel to the left or right. Many times the steering wheel lock will cause the key to jam. Pulling on the wheel (sometimes left, sometimes right) will release tha jam.

 

Would that happen even if the car and wheels are parked straight?

 

It could if the wheel was turned after the ignition was off.

 

Thanks. We'll check it tonight.

 

Well, my wife just called and said that when she got home she tried to start it up without tugging on the wheel......it fired right up! Interesting. It was 7 above last night, but that has never been an issue before. I'm wondering if this will be an off and on issue.......hmmmmm......

On a lighter note she got to drive my '05 XG350 to work and was quite surprised at how touchy the gas pedal is! I've tried to tell her, but she thought it was me!

 

A little late to the discussion here...

Did you ever get it fixed? My 97 Ford Aspire used to do that when it was cold and/or excessively humid... A little bit of WD-40 on the key, put the key in & out a few times, & let it sit for 20-30 minutes. Worked 9 times out of 10... I noticed that when I did that the WD40 on the key would turn grey from the tiny metal shaving dust. I have to wonder now, years later, if a can of compressed air would've done the same trick.

 

No, it hasn't done it in a little while. Maybe it is the cold. I really think or thought it was a mechanical failure in the cylinder, but maybe it was just icing up. I guess it could. My wife hasn't said that it's acted up in awhile, so......
It reminds me, my mom had a 1971 Ford Pinto once. When it got too cold it would honk to be let in! Really what was happening is there was frost building up on the contacts in the steering wheel and then, after it honked for a bit, would melt until they refroze. I don't know how they ever fixed that.
If it acts up I will try the WD40, though. Thanks,Scott

 

This is most likely a problem with stuck pins in the ignition slot. Some say the ignition is worn and needs to be replaced, but this is unlikely as the pins are made of hardened steel and the key itself tends to wear before the pins do. This problem is fairly common on Hyundai Sonatas and seems to occur somewhere between 50K and 70K miles. On my 2006 Hyundai Sonata which has 70K miles I had this problem. SOLUTION: Spray powdered graphite into the lock and work the key in and out to distribute the graphite. It may also help to spray the key itself. Also turn the steering wheel while trying the key. Be patient and repeat this process until key turns. I had to give it 5 sprays before it worked and now it works like new. You can get powdered graphite at the hardware store. Get a small bottle (a little goes a long way and it's inexpensive) that has a small tube attatched so as to get the powder into the slot and try to spray toward the top of the slot. Also it won't hurt to give it a spray every 6 months as preventive maintainance. Also you can spray the other locks on your car. I suggest NOT using WD-40 (unless the graphite doesn't loosen the pins), as liquid lubricants will tend to gum up with dust which is probably the reason the ignition is stuck in the first place. And graphite is the choice for lock lubrication. This simple fix will save you hundreds of dollars and ease your troubled mind. I hope this helps you with your problem. (xteraflop@yahoo.com)

 

Mine did it also. Graphite - problem fixed.