NHTSA Complaint #10152356 — 2001 UNKNOWN UNKNOWN

FROM: DAVE PIERSON NOT EXACTLY A 'COMPLAINT', HOWEVER, SUGGEST IT IS WORTHY OF THOUGHT. COMMENTS: OBSERVED ON MY SATURN SL 1. NOT DISCUSSED WITH SATURN. NOT KNOWN IF OCCURS IN OTHER VEHICLES,OR MODELS, OR MAKERS. SPECIFCALLY: 'IGNITION SWITCH' (KEY) HAS: LOCK ACC RUN START IN THAT ORDER. IN ACC, KEY IS REMOVABLE, WITH EG RADIO REMAINING POWERED. [1] (SO FAR, FINE) HOWEVER, IF THE TIP OF THE KEY, OR ANY OTHER OBJECT OF SUITABLE SHAPE IS INSERTED IN THE KEY OPENING, THE SWITCH CAN BE OPERATED FROM ACC TO RUN OR START POSITION WITHOUT THE KEY! THIS SEEMS EXCEEDINGLY DANGEROUS AND INSECURE. THAT IS: 'KIDS' LEFT IN CAR, WITH RADIO ON [2] 'PLAYING DRIVING', MANAGE TO GET IT STARTED AND... LET ALONE THE ANTI THEFT ISSUES... NOTES: 1) I WAS TOLD, YEARS AGO, THIS WAS TO ALLOW RADIO USE WITH VEHICLE OTHERWISE SECURE. 2) GRANTED: THE KIDS SHOULDN'T BE LEFT, BUT...*JB