OK, I AM PUTTING THIS BOLD JUST TO GET YOUR ATTENTION: I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND USED A STICK TO PUSH THE BUTTON ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN.(for those that have not seen this before, look under the column just below the keys, there is a plug there, just remove it and you will see a button, use a stick, straw etc to push it and it will release the key every time) I FINALLY CAME UP WITH A PERMANENT FIX THAT COST .10 CENTS. JUST GET A 8 mm BOLT ABOUT ONE INCH LONG, I USED A SLOT HEADED, FLAT ENDED BOLT. JUST SCREW IT INTO WHERE THE PLUG WAS TO DEPRESS THE BUTTON AND YOU HAVE A PERMANENT FIX.

I paid $410.00 to have the problem fixed. They put in a new ignition, was good for a few days and now it's not working again!! What would be a permanent fix?? I'll try the pen, but that isn't going to satisfy the Mrs.!!!

Update from Sep 18, 2013: So, as it turned out.....they forgot to put the clip back in the shifter that stops it from coming off. it would just slip up a bit when it was put in park without noticing. The clip is at the bottom of the handle facing the dash. It's been fine since. So, in the end.......a new ignition switch #KS6213...$198.29 CDN. Labour was about the same, but they had to rewire in me remote starter too.

Sent several emails asking if they would fix due to how undeniably COMMON this problem is! They responded with a generic email each time. What I did was I popped out the little plug on the underside of the steering column almost directly under the ignition key insert. Then I use the inside of a common pen and stick that up into the hole to push in the plunger once I put the car in park. Works every time, but is a pain and just another common problem out of many with Pontiac Grand Prixs that should have had a recall.

I guess I have been lucky because I never had this problem until recently and, as you can see, I am approaching 140,000 miles on the car. I am the sole owner of this car and have had it since August 2001 when I picked it up from Kemper Pontiac brand spanking new!

I am most grateful for the workarounds that the previous 49 complaints have given me and will try a number of them. I have been mostly groping in the dark, not sure what to do. Today was the first day that I had the problem each and every time I turned off the ignition. Tomorrow I will look for that round plastic cover and try to find the release button some of you have mentioned.

Ok, so the first time this happened 3 or 4 years ago, the dealership replaced the switch behind the ignition and it cost me $100 deductible under my extended warranty that I bought in 2004 when I bought the Grand Prix. A couple years down the road, when the warrant had already expired, the key got stuck again. This time I searched the internet and found out that there was indeed a real ease button under the steering column, but was only accessible to push with your finger when you tilted the steering column all the way up as far as it could go. My wife and I just got used to the procedure and continued to do that for almost a year before I finally decided to do something about it. I removed the steering column cover and exposed the switch. I then took 2 zip ties with a very small piece of card board , laid the cardboard over the button and crisscrossed the 2 zip ties around and over the cardboard and tied it tight. This has since kept the button compressed, and eliminating my problem for good. Car is up for sale....went with a ford this time...thought I would never say that, but things have changed.

Like everyone else, my key gets stuck in the ignition too. Usually happens a couple times a week. When this happens I usually just turn the car back on and put the car in drive or reverse and then back to park and usually i hear the click noise and the key comes out. this isn't the only problem with my car either. when driving in heavy traffic sometimes the car heats up to 210ish and there is always plenty of coolant. about 8 months ago the service engine soon light came on, so i took it to two different places and they both said nothing is wrong with the car and finally last month and light just turned off by itself.

I have owned my '02 GP since new and the first time I noticed this problem was 3 years ago in '07. I mistakenly took it to my local Pontiac dealership and they fixed it(so I thought) in a day. They claimed it was two bad wires in the module but I knew better. This car has had issues with it since 2005 and has been a major pain in the butt since then. I did not see a repeat of this problem until late 2009 when it started happening again. I took it back to the dealership and asked how long their work was guaranteed for and they claimed a few months. I told them their product stunk and would never buy another one again as long as I lived and wrote a letter to Pontiac(for which I never received a reply) stating that if they did not satisfy me on this problem that I would spread the word as long as I could that the Pontiac brand could not be trusted and to stay away from it. I should have learned from my fathers mistakes when he purchased a new Fiero back in '85 and a Bonneville in '90. Both were trouble from the get go and stupid old me took Consumer Reports at their word that the '02 was a good buy and highly rated and reliable.

I have so far sunk more than $3,000 into this car for unnecessary repairs for defective equipment(some made in Mexico) since the warranty ran out in '06. I still have the battle with the ignition which I win every time, every day with my trusty old pen to release the button. I have a 1990 Chevy Suburban that has run like a top and twice the mileage on it than this Grand Prix does and haven't put more than $400 into it in 5 years for oil changes and brakes. This is the reason why Pontiac went out of business. They sold bad cars and couldn't stand by them. Shame it had to happen after all they put out 40 years ago when they were in their heyday.

My key gets stuck in the ignition almost everyday I have to wait 30 sec to a couple minutes to get the key out. I also have several other little problems. I will never buy a Pontiac again never had so many issues before even out of my much older cars with more miles. My Dad just told me that is a GM for ya. Some of my other problems are: gas gauge is broken drivers side door doesn't always unlock with key I had to replace both head gaskets had water in car on floor water is in headlights all the time ABS needs fixed

If you are thinking of buying a Pontiac DON'T unless you like to spend money on repairs! windshield washer fluid will not work