Ignition switch or Key?

[CD Smalley]

So the other night my mother-in-law spends the night with us. I wake up to a storm in the middle of the night and realize I forgot to put a downspout back in place after mowing. So outside in the rain I run to fix that. When I turn around I see my MIL's car(2004? Impala) has lights on inside. WTF is up with that? I go to the car, open the door and see the stereo is playing a CD and the battery light is on on the dash. I figure she must have left the keys in the car when she arrived. I reach in and there are no keys. So I hooked my fingernail in the key slot and managed to pull the switch to the Off position.

In the morning, I took her keys to the car and found that I could pull her key out of the switch in ACC and ON/RUN positions. Given past experience with GM cars, I would have thought that I could only do so in the OFF position. I assume a tooth has worn off her key as I had this happen on an old Chevy truck of mine years ago.

So I am left wondering if this is just a problem with the key or a "design feature" of the newer cars?

[HeMi101]

Should NOT be able to remove the key in any position besides OFF. For sure something wrong with key/ignition.

[CD Smalley]

I suspected as much. Just thought I'd better confirm it.

Thanks!