Fiat 500 Stuck Ignition Key Fix

Here is a heads up for anyone who experiences not being able to remove your ignition key from your Fiat 500 or Fiat 500L. This typically happens when the car's 12-volt battery is run down or dead, and the chip in your key can’t be correctly identified by your vehicle’s theft-deterrent system. This is not exclusive to Fiat but is now a common situation in many modern cars. Below is how to remove a stuck ignition key from your Fiat 500 and 500L using the manual key release.*

Remove the steering column lower shroud by removing the screws marked by the blue arrows. Carefully pry the lower and upper cover apart. Be cautious with this trim piece as it can be fragile.


When inserted, the ignition key FOB depresses a button within the ignition switch (1) used for the key-in-ignition reminder. The key-in reminder is monitored by the Body Control Module (BCM). The ignition switch has an antenna ring mounted (2) to it, which is used by the BCM to read the key FOB and verify that it is valid.

In case the key is unable to return to the OFF position for any reason, many Fiat 500 and 500L models have a manual key release lever (3) mounted to the ignition cylinder. Pressing the lever will allow the key to be turned to the OFF position, and the key can be removed from the ignition switch. Note, your lever may be mounted on the forward side of the ignition cylinder and may be colored red.

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*Note, not all the cars have this feature, but it is a simple procedure and worth checking. If your car doesn't have the manual key release, and your battery is dead, charging your battery or changing it will normally release the key

Source and image: FCA US LLC

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- Wednesday, September 14, 2016