This is emergency work. Call (202) 900-5625. It is outside the grand opening discount.
An ignition that no longer turns, diagnosed before the column is forced
Ignition repair diagnoses turn effort before parts are ordered. The steering lock is ruled in or out. The cylinder and wafers are serviced or replaced. A key is cut to code where the immobilizer allows it. The column cover goes back on. A forced column, disturbed airbag connectors, the wrong wafer, and a damaged housing are the expensive outcomes of guessing with a bigger pair of pliers.
Call when the key no longer turns cleanly or it turns and the column still will not unlock. A lockout, with the key visible on the seat, is a different visit. Have ownership proof and the year, make, and model. Say if an airbag light is already on.
Wafers, airbag connectors, and proof the car is yours
Diagnosis, a cylinder or wafer repair when that is the fault, and a code-cut key when programming is not the missing piece, are the scope. Airbag diagnosis is not. Vehicle service limits and an ownership check bound the work. We do not pull a column apart as a personality test.
Street parking in DC means the work sometimes happens at the curb, which is a bad place to discover an airbag connector. If the repair needs a bay, we say so. Maryland and Virginia driveways are easier, and the ownership check is the same. The wrong vehicle in a two-car household is confirmed from the paperwork, not the key ring.
Frequent questions
How do you tell a worn ignition from a steering lock that is doing its job?
The wheel and the key are tried together. A lock that is engaged needs a different move than a wafer that is packed with debris. Forcing the wheel while the key is half-turned breaks the housing.
Why mention the airbag connector at all?
It sits in the column on many vehicles. A careless cover pull unseats it. We do not disconnect it unless the repair requires it, and we do not leave it loose.
Can every ignition be rekeyed to the door key?
No. Some columns want a code cut and a programmer, and some want a dealer-only part. We quote that split before the cylinder is destroyed.
What ownership proof do you want at the vehicle?
The same standard as a lockout: a document that matches the vehicle and a photo ID. A key that almost works is not proof you may have the cylinder replaced.