NHTSA Complaint #10181759 — 2006 SATURN ION

WHILE VISITING ATLANTA ON BUSINESS I RENTED A 2006 SATURN ION AND LEFT THE LIGHTS ON IN THE HOTEL PARKING LOT. SINCE I DID NOT KNOW THE BATTERY WAS DEAD, AND I WAS NOT GETTING ANY RESPONSE FROM THE REMOTE DOOR OPENER, I OPENED THE DOOR WITH THE KEY, CLOSED THE DOOR AND PROCEEDED TO START THE CAR. AFTER FAILED ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR, I ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO. SINCE THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE CAR, I WAS ALSO LOCKED IN THE CAR WITH NO WAY OF GETTING OUT. ALL DOORS WERE LOCKED WITH NO MANUAL MEANS TO OPEN INTERNALLY. LUCKILY FOR ME COLLEAGUES WERE AROUND AND WERE ABLE TO GIVE ME A BOOST THAT ALLOWED THE ELECTRICAL POWER TO RETURN TO THE CAR AND I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION AND ELECTRICAL CURRENT RETURN THE POWER DOORS AND I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CAR. I FOUND THIS DEFECT TO BE A POTENTIAL HAZARD FOR ANY CAR IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE POWER FROM THE CAR GETS CUT OFF. HAD THEIR BEEN A FIRE, OR BELOW FREEZING OR EXTREME HEAT CONDITIONS, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS. HOPEFULLY THIS INCIDENT IS ISOLATED BUT I FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO REPORT. *NM