NHTSA Complaint #10211745 — 2003 SATURN ION

ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, I STOPPED AT A BLOCKBUSTER TO DROP OFF SOME MOVIES. WHEN I RETURNED TO MY CAR, IT WOULD NOT START. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT EVEN TRY TO TURN OVER. I HEARD A CLICKING NOISE, AND CALLED A FRIEND TO COME AND GIVE ME A JUMP. I TRIED TO JUMP IT, AND THAT DID NOT WORK. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED A SATURN DEALERSHIP THAT IS NEARBY WHERE I LIVE. I TOLD THEM WHAT WAS GOING ON SO I COULD BRING IT IN AND HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I SAID THAT MY CAR WOULDN'T START, WHEN I TRIED TO JUMP IT THAT DIDN'T WORK, AND THAT MY KEY IS NOW STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WON'T COME OUT. HIS RESPONSE TO ME WAS, "I BET IT'S THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE HAVE BEEN HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH THOSE NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS COLD. DID YOU SAY YOU JUMPED IT? YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT. THAT CAN CAUSE THE BATTERY TO HAVE A SHORTAGE". TODAY, I HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED MY CAR WITH AN IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM AND A DEAD BATTERY. I HAD THEM REPLACE BOTH, AND I ALSO KEPT BOTH OF MY OLD PARTS. *TR