NHTSA Complaint #10165327 — 1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS

I OWN A 1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSLOCK ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ON THIS VEHICLE FOR SOME TIME. SOMETIMES WHEN I TRY AND START THIS VEHICLE, THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK ON AND OFF. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE CAN NOT BE STARTED FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING AS IT USUALLY HAPPENS AT THE WORST OF TIMES, LIKE IN THE COLD WINTER WEATHER, AT A GAS STATION, OR IN A LOADING/UNLOADING ZONE AT A HOTEL. SOMETIMES THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT WILL COME ON WHILE DRIVING AND THEN I WONDER IF THE CAR WILL START WHEN I AM READY TO LEAVE AGAIN. I HAVE READ MANY STORIES ABOUT SIMILAR PROBLEMS THAT OTHER GM OWNERS HAVE ON THEIR VEHICLES, SO I KNOW THAT THIS IS NOT A RANDOM PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS ONLY SOME PEOPLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY GM. I HAVE HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED ONCE ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THIS WILL BE A VERY EXPENSIVE OPTION IF I HAVE TO DO THAT AGAIN. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT THIS? THE DATE LISTED BELOW IS THE MOST RECENT DATE THAT THIS HAPPENED. IT HAPPENED TWICE LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE OUT OF TOWN ON A TRIP AT THE WORST OF TIMES. *JB