NHTSA Complaint #10178223 — 2003 SATURN ION

THE FIRST TIME THE IGNITION SWITCH "PASSLOCK" SENSOR WENT OUT ON MY 2003 SATURN ION II, IT WAS NEAR ZERO DEGREES OUTSIDE, MY 2 MONTH OLD SON WAS ALONG, AND I WAS STUCK ON THE ROAD FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TRYING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY THAT A SENSOR THAT CONTROLS THE GAS FLOW STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY AND THE CAR DIED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT INITIALLY DID NOTHING. I WAITED SEVERAL MINUTES, CALLED FOR MY SON TO BE PICKED UP, THEN TRIED AGAIN. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES IT STARTED WITHOUT A PROBLEM. I LEARNED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS FAULTY AND HAD A FAULTY "PASSLOCK" SENSOR. APPARENTLY, WHEN THE IGNITION IS TOO COLD, THE GREASE BEGINS TO HARDEN, CAUSING THE SWITCH TO BE UNABLE TO MAKE PROPER CONTACT. THIS MAKES THE CAR THINK SOMEONE IS TRYING TO STEAL IT, SO THE SECURITY SYSTEM KICKS IN AND STOPS GAS FLOW FOR UP TO 15 MINUTES. AFTER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, THE SECURITY SYSTEM RESETS AND YOU CAN ONCE AGAIN ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, IF THE GREASE HAS NOT WARMED UP ENOUGH BY THE, THE WHOLE THING STARTS OVER AGAIN. I HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL TODAY. THE SWITCH IS AGAIN GOING BAD. MY HUSBAND HAD TO BE TO COURT THIS AFTERNOON AND WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR. THIS TIME WE HAD TO WAIT AND TRY AGAIN 3 TIMES, WASTING 45 MINUTES. AT LEAST THIS TIME IT WAS ONLY TIME THAT WAS WASTED. LAST TIME IT COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. MY BABY COULD'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO THE COLD FOR TOO LONG WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT I COULD HAVE BEEN HIT BY OTHER CARS IF I HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE WAY. NOW THAT IT HAS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME TO OUR VEHICLE, I DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND HAVE SEEN THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS QUITE REGULARLY AND THAT SATURN HAS REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. PLEASE SEE: HTTP://WWW.AUTOWEB.COM/CONTENT/RESEARCH/FORUMS/INDEX.CFM/ACTION/POSTS/FID/5610 FOR MORE COMPLAINTS. *NM