NHTSA Complaint #10198828 — 2003 SATURN VUE

IGNITION SWITCH/CONTROL "LOCKS" WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE, AND THEN IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO UNLOCK, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR .... VUE IS 4 YEARS OLD, WITH 33,000 MILES... VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE FIRST DAY I OWNED IT. COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP A YEAR AGO, DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK, AND WAS TOLD THAT I MUST BE YANKING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT INTO "LOCK" POSITION WHILE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR! SERIOULY, IF IT WAS THAT DIFFICULT TO TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WHILE STARTING IT, DO THEY THINK I WOULD DELIBERATELY DO THIS? IGNITION SWITCH/CONTROL COMPLETELY FAILED 8/7. HAD TO CALLED AAA TWICE FOR HELP; FIRST TIME THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER BANGED ON THE KEY WHILE IT WAS IN THE IGNITION AND IT UNLOCKED...SAID HE SEES THIS ALL OF THE TIME AND THAT THE CONTROL WAS PROBABLY GOING OUT. I CALLED DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPT. TO TAKE IT IN, TO BE CHECKED. SECOND TIME, SAME DAY @10 PM....AGAIN AAA DRIVER HAD TO BANG ON THE KEY, TO GET IT UNLOCKED...IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEFT IT IN THEIR DRIVEWAY TO SERVICE IN THE MORNING. AWAITING CALL ON COST OF REPAIRS.. MORE THAN LIKELY OUT OF WARRANTY NOW. MY SATURN L300 SEDAN, DID THE SAME THING .....TRADED IT FOR THE VUE WHEN MY LEASE WAS UP. A CO-WORKER SAYS HIS ION DOES IT, AND HIS DAUGHTER'S OLDER MODEL L200 HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS .... *TR