NHTSA Complaint #10159529 — 2000 SATURN LS

I HAVE A 2000 SATURN L SERIES STATION WAGON, VIN [XXX]. SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST 9 MONTHS (I ESTIMATE 6 TIMES) THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. IT WOULD SLIDE IN AND OUT OK, BUT WOULD NOT TURN. IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS THE WRONG KEY FOR THIS CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT TENSION ON THE STEERING WHEEL OR TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK. NO AMOUNT OF KEY JIGGLING FREED THE LOCK. I FOUND THE PROBLEM LISTED IN A GOOGLE SEARCH. THE RECOMMENDATION WAS A TAP WITH A HAMMER ON THE KEY WHILE IT WAS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. IT TURNED OUT TO NEED A SIGNIFICANT SMACK. I WAS AFRAID THE KEY WOULD BE DAMAGED, BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO LOSE AT THAT POINT. THAT WORKED THE FIRST FEW TIMES THE LOCKUP OCCURRED. SATURN SERVICE ADVISED ME NOT TO DO THAT, INSTEAD HAVE A NEW KEY CUT FROM THE KEY NUMBER. THEY THOUGHT MY KEY MAY BE WORN AND NO LONGER ACTIVATE THE TUMBLERS CORRECTLY. WE DID THAT AND THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS FOR THREE MONTHS. WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN NOTHING WORKED TO FREE IT UNTIL I DID THE HAMMER TRICK. THE DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, AND RECOMMENDS I BRING IT IN FOR TROUBLESHOOTING. AS THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE ROOT CAUSE IS, I EXPECT THEM TO DO WHAT OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVE REPORTED; WHICH IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE IGNITION LOCK SYSTEM FOR ABOUT $350. WITHOUT KNOWING THE ROOT CAUSE AND HAVING A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT THE NEW PART DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME ROOT PROBLEM, I AM RELUCTANT TO DO THAT. I HAVE THE DASH COVERS REMOVED SO WHEN THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN I CAN TAKE THE IGNITION SWITCH APART AND GET A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT IS GOING ON. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012*JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)