My 01 has 134,000 mi & is beginning to show it's age. Mechanically it still seems to be sound, but normal wear & tear is evident on the inside. In order to to replace my worn out steering wheel, I bought an entire steering column on ebay.

Here's my problem......the tumblers in my existing ignition are out of line - key goes in fine, but frequently won't turn. When it does turn, car starts fine. I was told it couldn't be fixed, it would have to be replaced (Is that true???) My new column has a working switch & one key. Is there any way to stay away from a dealer & get the key reprogrammed? Can I remove the "chips" fom my existing keys & use them for the replacement column?

Thanks
venture5858@yahoo.com