How do I fix a stuck zoom ring on Nikon 18-55mm AF-S?

Best option : Get it serviced from an expert.

Risky option :

I had a similar experience with my Nikon D3100. The camera fell slightly. The zoom was stuck about mid-way. I could not zoom any further. After having a heart ache, I held the lens and slowly turned, did not work. Then held tightly and it worked. I dont know what had happened, but things came back to normal. I have been using it in that condition for past 6 months and am careful not to do things v fast. Zoom works good, focus is good.

I think, in my case, the issue is, the fall broke one of the gear teeth and when I give it a little push, the gear continues its motion.

I also had the same problem. My camera fell on a hard ground, and the zoom was also stuck.

I opted for the risky option, forced it... and I somehow managed to unlock it. This might not work for your lens though... It could break it as well.

I am not sure if it's related, but I noticed afterwards that some of the blades were separated from the diaphragm, and free. I changed my lens soon after. Besides, I remember that the zoom was a bit harder than it used to be, sometimes getting stuck, and I was feeling some kind of resistance as I was zooming.

This is probably not going to be of any assistance any more, but I experienced this issue and found that black plastic the connection rail that adjusts the aperture at longer focal lengths was snapped. This means there is no longer a linkage between the aperture adjustment arm and the lens module so the aperture closed as soon as the lens was extended beyond 18mm. I'm unsure of any repair capability but that may well be what has happened. If you remove the lens, and adjust the aperture adjustment arm when the lens is extended, check that the aperture blades move accordingly. If they don't, this is probably the issue.

I took mine to the beach for several days, and took very good care of it, however after a few days, it locked up and wouldn't extend. I asked several camera experts w/ no avail. I finally used a little "elbow grease" and took the risk and it freed right up!! Very finikcy....keep it clean!!

After bumping my d610 around on the streets of Paris I've got my Nikkor 28-300 stuck just behind the 70mm mark.

I tried forcing it to no avail. I was resigned to shoot the rest of my trip with a lens limited to one quarter of its maximum focal length.

Here is what fixed my issue. I detached the lens from the camera body, I turn the zoom ring up to the stuck point and then apply some force , but this time with a microfiber cloth on my finger I also pushed the lens rear element . Voila ! , the extra push from the back of the lens unstuck the zoom and the lens finally extended to its full length. After that the lens performed fine for the rest of the trip. Good luck.

Not sure whether this is still of use to anyone - but my lens also got stuck in the middle of its focal length. It was a spare lens so I decided to take her apart!

Inside the lens there are these two metal rails that the smaller lens slide in between. If these two metal rails bend, they cause the lens to lock. I took both rails out and bent them back straight again, put everything back together and it works fine again, although a bit tighter. As it's a spare and just used for playing around, I think its still perfect. Whenever it does it again, I will know how to fix it again. Just take care of the lenses and they will be fine. I bought this with a used D3100 for about $20 (yes, with the camera haha)