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Doing a bit of Googling and there's a known fault in (what is, reading between the lines) a micro-switch in the shifter which is meant to detect whether the shift is in Park.
If the shift is in park it releases a solenoid that otherwise retains the key in the ignition.
Micro-switch goes bad=solenoid won't release as the car can't "see" that the shifter is in Park.
Apparently one way of diagnosing it is to shift back and forth through PNRD and back to P until you hear a click, which is the solenoid disengaging after the micro-switch has worked. Gets worse when it's hot, from the forum posts I've just scanned through.
It's a "Park Range Switch Malfunction" in Subaru language.
That's for the Outback, mind, I don't know if it translates to yours, but the diagnosis method seems pretty low-cost.
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Dammit
Had a terrible time getting my key out of the Fubaru's ignition yesterday, had to abandon my shopping trip and drive home... Called Roadside Assist and they said they couldn't do anything as it's probably a proprietary issue, hmmm, OK... Took a punt on driving to get some contact cleaner to squirt into the barrel, did that and it seemed to clear up the problem...
Drove to the chemist to pick up my blood pressure tablets this morning, key came out fine, went back to the car and it wouldn't start, starter turned over but motor wouldn't start... Tried it a few more times and then nothing, not even a click from the engine when I turned the key...
Roadside guy turned up, battery was fine, everything else looked okay, thought it might be a dead key so he drove me home to get the spare, we drove back to give it a go but that didn't solve the problem... He reckoned the immobiliser in the ignition barrel is fuxxored and I'll need it looking at, there's nothing more he can do and I'll have to call Roadside Assist to organise a tow truck, he leaves me stranded to fuck off to another job...
It's market day, it's fucking rammo everywhere, fucking townie wankers all over the shop, there's no way a tow truck is getting in that car park until later today...
And that's where we are now... Waiting for things to die down so the truck can grab my car and drop it outside my place.... I've texted my mechanic, he's happy to have a look but it won't be until next week so I'll have to get a courtesy car in the meantime...
I was planning to write some music today, that's right out of the fucking window... Fubaru, I'm claiming that... Cars are shit...