It's there to keep you from accidentally locking the steering wheel by turning the key all the way off. Usually found in manual trans cars, but sometimes in automatics, too.. it's generally explained in the owner's manual what is, why it's there, and how to use it.
I have never owned a car that needed you to push a button to remove the key... put the car in reverse, yes.. push a button, no
Buddy's wife has one in her first gen MS3, confuses the hell outta me any time I drive/move her car.
I briefly had a 87 AMC Eagle and I couldn't figure out how to remove the key for like 5 minutes. Turns out there is a lever next to the ignition cylinder.
spitfirebill wrote: My 86 Nissan truck has one. It's second nature now and I actually to think if I had one.
Ditto. Reading the thread, I remember my '86 Toyota pick-up had this. It became second-nature to grab the key with my thumb and middle finger while pressing the release button with my index finger. I sold that truck 16 years ago and I can still recall the muscle-memory.
My 89 Ford Aerostar (5 speed!) had one, on the bottom of the steering column.
My 05 Ford Ranger (also 5 Speed) has one, a few inches in front of the lock cylinder on the side of the column.
You definitely get used to it, when I'm in other cars that don't have the button thing I ask before I try to take the keys out - don't wanna break anything!
Only on GRM would people dwell on such minutia...
we had a 1988 Nissan Stanza auto that had the button. Useless aggravation, but then again that whole car was a hot mess and the main reason I will never own a Nissan car again even if it did run forever.
My 97 Explorer's ignition switch is so worn that you can pull the key out at any time and leave it running. Comes in handy sometimes. You can also turn the truck off and remove the key, but unless you make damn sure to jiggle the lock in to the "locked" position, you can hop in and start the truck without a key at all - just turn the key surround.
JamesMcD wrote: Only on GRM would people dwell on such minutia...
You've never been on a marque-specific forum, have you? They're all about dwelling on minutiae. 
My 85 toyota had it. Fun fact, when someone steals your car and does so by breaking the tab that holds the ignition lock cylinder into the steering column, If you don't hit that button the whole lock comes out. It did so quite frequently...
wbjones wrote: I've owned '40's, '50's, '60's, '70's, '90's, and '00's, and now a '14 ... I've never had to push a button to remove a key
Noticed that you somehow skipped '80's. That's the era that it is most prevalent.
Had a couple cars with it. Fortunately the versions I've had were less intrusive, just a small lever right next to the ignition switch that can be operated with the same hand while turning the key. I've seen some that takes 2 hands. Similar is still there though now you push the key further in to get past the lock. Most people never notice that.
ultraclyde wrote: we had a 1988 Nissan Stanza auto that had the button. Useless aggravation, but then again that whole car was a hot mess and the main reason I will never own a Nissan car again even if it did run forever. My 97 Explorer's ignition switch is so worn that you can pull the key out at any time and leave it running. Comes in handy sometimes. You can also turn the truck off and remove the key, but unless you make damn sure to jiggle the lock in to the "locked" position, you can hop in and start the truck without a key at all - just turn the key surround.
that seems to be a ford thing. I know of at least two E150s and an E350 with that same problem
wlkelley3 wrote:wbjones wrote: I've owned '40's, '50's, '60's, '70's, '90's, and '00's, and now a '14 ... I've never had to push a button to remove a keyNoticed that you somehow skipped '80's. That's the era that it is most prevalent. Had a couple cars with it. Fortunately the versions I've had were less intrusive, just a small lever right next to the ignition switch that can be operated with the same hand while turning the key. I've seen some that takes 2 hands. Similar is still there though now you push the key further in to get past the lock. Most people never notice that.
yeah forgot that I did have a '86 Civic, a '88 and a '89 Accord(s) ... but no buttons on any of them
I know I've had vehicles with this feature, I've just never paid a lick of attention to it until hearing it mentioned now. In fact, I'm almost certain my Camaro, which I drove this morning, has it.
On the flipside, my e36 for a while wouldn't allow me to put the key in the ignition. That was easily one of the most perplexing issues I ever dealt with the first time it happened. Turned out to be something with a detent pin somewhere related to the ignition lock mechanism not resetting on its own and having to be manually reset. I think I left the cover off the steering column from there on out and carried a screwdriver and needle nose pliers everywhere to perform the required reset any time the issue recurred.
My '93 Nissan 240sx had that. Took a short while to get used to that but it became second nature fairly quickly.
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