NHTSA Complaint #10182010 — 2004 SATURN ION

I OWN A 2004 SATURN ION 3. I PURCHASED THIS FEB, 2006. DECEMBER OF 2006 MY CAR FAILED TO START. I CALLED FOR HELP AND BY THE TIME IT ARRIVED, THE CAR STARTED ON ITS OWN. ON FEB 7TH, 2007, THE CAR FAILED TO START AGAIN. IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE A BATTERY FAILURE. I FOUND THE TSB 040845005 ONLINE. I CALLED CORPORATE SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY "LOGGED MY COMPLAINT". THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL AND SIMPLY DIRECTED ME TO CALL THE LOCAL DEALER. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS. THE ISSUE WAS INDEED THE SAME ISSUE IN THE TSB, WHICH IS IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. BECAUSE THEY NEED TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH, THEY ALSO NEED TO RESET THE PASSLOCK. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WOULD COST ME $291.00. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY KIND OF A BREAK ON THE COST OF REPLACEMENT AS THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS WERE MADE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND PER THE SERVICE MANAGER "YOU HAVE OVER 40,000 MILES ON THE CAR" (I HAVE 30,700 AND HAVE OWNED THE CAR JUST SHORT OF 12 MONTHS), SO THEY CANNOT PROVIDE ME WITH ANY ASSISTANCE. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THIS AS SATURNS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RELIABLE AND THIS IS A KNOWN PART FAILURE. *JB