NHTSA Complaint #10418377 — 2007 SATURN ION

WHILE OUT SHOPPING PULLED IN TO PARK AT A MALL. WENT TO TURN KEY TO OFF POSITION AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AS NORMAL, WITH DOORS LOCKED AND IN "PARK". IT COULD NOT BE SHUT DOWN. BROKE OUT THE OWNERS MANUAL AND TRIED ALL THE HANDY ADVICE. NONE OF WHICH WORKED. BEING A MECHANIC OF 30+ YEARS THIS WAS FRUSTRATING. NO CLEAR CUT DEFINITION AS TO WHAT WAS THE CAUSE. JUST " IT MIGHT BE THIS", AND TO TAKE TO YOUR NEAREST SATURN DEALER FOR SERVICING. UPON RETURNING HOME BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE "IGNITION KEY" PROBLEM ONLINE. I'VE HAD NO REAL ISSUES WITH THIS 2007 SATURN ION QUAD COUPE THAT I COULD NOT REMEDY MYSELF. A 2.2 LITER FUEL INJECTED ENGINE W/AUTO TRANSMISSION THAT TO DATE CONTINUES TO PROVIDE 30-32 MPG. CAR NOW HAS 92,000 MILES. THE ANSWERS THAT I FOUND ONLINE WERE STAGGERING. THAT THIS EVENT HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO OCCUR OVER SUCH A LENGTH OF TIME AND TO SEVERAL GM MODELS. IF THE IGNITION HAD LOCKED BACKWARDS DUE TO SUCH AN INTERNAL BREAK INSTEAD OF LOCKING IT INTO THE "RUN" POSITION. I OR ANYONE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF VEHICLE WAS MOVING AT THE TIME. ESPECIALLY IF TRAVEL WAS ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE OR THRUWAY ENVIRONMENT. I AM NOT TRYING TO OVERLOOK THAT AT ANY SPEED ...THIS IS NOT A SAFE EVENT TO HAVE OCCUR. DID CONTACT A GM DEALER LOCALLY..THEY STATED THAT FOR $85.00 , WE'LL RUN DIAGNOSTICS. AN IGNITION CYLINDER PROBLEM DOES NOT SHOW ON ANY DIAGNOSTIC TESTER TO MY KNOWLEDGE. WAS THEN ADVISED THAT AT AROUND $300.00 TO START: THEY WILL BE ABLE TO FIX IT. SINCE 1990 GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS ISSUE ALONG WITH OTHER IGNITION CONCERNS. WHEN DOES IT BEGIN TO MATTER? AFTER SOMEONE IS KILLED OR CRITICALLY INJURED? *TR