NHTSA Complaint #10366404 — 2005 SATURN ION

ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, I COULD NOT RELEASE THE CAR KEY FROM THE IGNITION. I COULD TURN OFF THE ENGINE, BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT DISENGAGE FROM THE ACC MODE. RELEASING THE KEY WOULD TAKE ANYWHERE FROM A FEW SECONDS TO A FEW MINUTES. THESE WERE INCIDENTS THAT COULD NOT BE TIED TO ANY SPECIFIC ACTION FROM THE DRIVER AND THAT WOULD OCCUR RANDOMLY. EVERY TIME I DROVE, I WAS AFRAID THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK AND THAT THIS WOULD FINALLY BE THE TIME THAT I COULD NOT GET IT OUT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN THERE ARE SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND THE BATTERY IS IN DANGER OF DYING. THE GM DEALERSHIP FOUND WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE PROBLEM AND THE SOLUTION WAS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE A RANGE OF PARTS. ANOTHER MECHANIC FOUND A DIFFERENT PROBLEM (A MALFUNCTIONING CYLINDER OF SORTS) AND REPLACED IT AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, I CAN DRIVE SAFELY AND WITH THE PEACE OF MIND KNOWING THAT THE KEY WILL NO LONGER GET STUCK. *TR