Hi, this seems to be an unusual issue. As the title says, I can remove the key while the car is in drive, which is only really an issue if I accidentally turn off the engine before putting it in park - in which case it will drain the battery! Has anyone else dealt with this & can suggest a fix that doesn't involve replacing the lock assembly, which I'm not really looking to do? Thanks!

 

You can pull the key straight out of the ignition lock without turning the car off? Or you can turn the car off and remove the key with the car still in drive?

If #2 there is a cable that goes from the shifter to the steering column lock that prevents the key from removal if not in park. And years ago that cable/feature did not exist, that is a relatively new "safety feature".

 

Sounds like you know what the fix is but don't want to do it. So then remember to put the car in park and turn it off before removing the key.