NHTSA Complaint #10351943 — 2007 SATURN ION

KEY STUCK IN IGNITION. CAR STUCK RUNNING. WHAT AN UNSAFE SITUATION, IN HIGH 90 DEGREE WEATHER. THANK GOODNESS MY ELDERLY GRANDMOTHER WAS NOT IN THE CAR WITH ME! ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE HAD TO COME AND TURN IT OFF BY TAKING OFF A FUSE IN THE HOOD, BEFORE TOWING IT TO THE DEALER. I BURNED MY HAND TRYING TO DISENGAGE THE FUSE, BEFORE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE GOT THERE, BECAUSE I WAS FEELING SICK STANDING OUTSIDE IN THE 99 DEGREE WEATHER WAITING. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND HOUSING, AND I HAD TO GET A NEW KEY MADE AT THE SATURN DEALER. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM, AND FOUND OVER 48 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS. I SURE HOPE THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, AS THIS PRESENTS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY SATURN DRIVERS WILL NOT GET STRANDED IN EXTREME HOT, COLD, OR DANGEROUS CONDITIONS, WITH THEIR KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED WITH MY TWIN SISTER 1 WEEK BEFORE IT HAPPENED TO ME. BOTH OF US BOUGHT OUR 2007 SATURN IONS NEW, ON THE SAME DATE. THIS IS MORE THAN "A COINCIDENCE." WE FEEL AS THOUGH THIS PART OF THE CAR MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE. IT IS NOT A "TYPICAL, ROUTINE MAINTENANCE" TYPE THING THAT SHOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. IT PRESENTS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE, DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF WHEN IT OCCURS. *TR