My car started 'failing to fire' when I turned the key- sometimes I would turn it and...nothing. No click, no nothing- just the battery guage would drop to nothing. Then, I would turn it again and it would fire right up.
Eventually, it wouldn't start at all, so flatbedded it to the mechanic that usually works on it- usually very reliable.
After failing to find the problem, the guy that USED to own the shop and to whom I was speaking about the problem- and who worked at one time on the assembly line that made the 3rd Gens- suggested that it was the chip in the ignition key.
I went down to the dealer and sure enough, they had a tough time getting their machine to read the key at all, but finally got a code and made a new one.
Tried it and nothing. Now the mechanic says that it is the passkey module and it is going to cost me a #$%load of money to have them replace it.
Any suggestions on what ELSE it might be; is this sounding like the right problem; or is it time to find a new mechanic?

 

A way to find out for sure is to disconnect the wire harness coming down the steering column under the dash and take two wires and tape them to the pellet in the new key and plug them into the other half of that harness. Then use your old key to try and start the car. If it doesn't start then it could either be a bad module or a bad starter enable relay. Does your security light stay on continuously after you turn the key?