So, I got a call from the wife today, she’s stuck in Sainsbury's car park with a dead L322. Apparently the key was stuck in the ignition and when she turned it…..nothing! I drove to her, took me about 15 - 20 minutes, got there leaned in, pull the ‘stuck’ ignition key straight out, pushed it back in, turned it, the engine spun over fast, as it normally would and started first time???

Needless to say the wife’s embarrassed!!

The car performed faultlessly the rest of the day.

It’s a 2006 (07 facelift) 4.2 Supercharged with 52k miles. Any ideas?

I am assuming that as a 2006, that your ignition key is the same as mine and sits in the centre console not on the dash -?

I has similar problems when my ignition switch started to fail, the occasional random key does not want to move( then does and starts as you said) then progressed to 'turn and nothing happens', then onto key at ignition point and just little electronic bleeps. Several attempts to start would fail but eventually it would start.
Changed the ignition switch and this cured it all. See what happens in the next few weeks, if the above does not happen leave it alone. Also check your battery voltage, just in case.

Should you end up needing to change the switch, there is an excellent thread on here with a step by step procedure with photos, I used this and it was quite easy to change.

Thanks for the reply Merchy. No, as it’s a 2006 (2007 facelift) the key is up on the dash to the left of the steering wheel.

I do have an update on yesterday’s ‘very strange’ event! As I made ready to strip the cowlings off the steering column this morning to investigate, the Wife fessed-up that in the time it took me to get to her yesterday, she’d realised that she had left it in ‘R’ reverse!!!

When I got there she already knew the key would come out, go back and start the car!!

At least your sorted now Good job your wife 'fessed up' BEFORE you started ripping the car to bits !!!!