NHTSA Complaint #10329533 — 2006 SATURN ION

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2006 SATURN ION, WHICH I BOUGHT BRAND NEW IN 2005 AND HAS 52000 MILES ON IT. ALL WINTER LONG, DURING DAYS WITH TEMPERATURES BELOW 40 DEGREES, MY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. UPON PLACING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNING, THE "PASSLOCK" THEFT DETERRENT SYSTEM IS ACTIVATED AND LOCKS MY CAR'S STARTER FROM FIRING FOR 10 MINUTES. THE REST OF THE ELECTRICAL DEVICES IN MY CAR WORK, BUT THE STARTER BECOMES LOCKED OUT FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE I CAN TRY AGAIN. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SATURN IONS. APPARENTLY THE GREASE WHICH IS LOCATED WITHIN THE IGNITION SYSTEM FREEZES AT COLDER TEMPERATURES AND THUS THE IGNITION SWITCH DOES NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEY. SINCE IT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE MY KEY, THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM LOCKS MY CAR OUT FOR THE 10 MINUTE LOCK OUT PERIOD. SOMETIMES I CAN TRY 6 TIMES OVER THE COURSE OF 1 HOUR AND THE CAR STILL WILL NOT START. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON VERY COLD DAYS. I LIVE IN THE NORTHEAST AND THIS PAST WINTER WE HAD RECORD SNOWFALL WITH MANY DAYS DIPPING INTO THE 0'S, 10'S, 20'S AND 30'S. IT WOULD BE VERY UNFORTUNATE IF SOMEONE WERE TO DIE OF EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS SINCE A CAR HAS NO HEAT WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING. SOMEONE COULD DIE FROM BEING STRANDED IN THE COLD DUE TO AN IGNITION SWITCH WHICH GM/ SATURN COULD REPLACE FOR $50. I KNOW I SPENT MANY COLD DAYS (~5-6 PER WEEK) SITTING IN MY FREEZING COLD CAR FOR SOMETIMES OVER AN HOUR JUST PRAYING THAT MY CAR WOULD START SO I COULD GET SOME HEAT. PLEASE MAKE GM/ SATURN FIX THIS PROBLEM SO WE ARE NO LONGER LEFT OUT IN THE COLD!!!! *TR