NHTSA Complaint #10474438 — 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA

RECENTLY, WHEN I ARRIVED AT A LOCAL BUSINESS CENTER, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO OFF AND I COULD NOT. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE ACC POSITION, AND THUS COULD NOT BE REMOVED. IN ADDITION, ALL THE ACCESSORIES WERE ON. RELUCTANTLY, I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT WITH THE POWER ON AND MY KEYS DANGLING IN THE IGNITION. WHEN I DROVE HOME, ONCE AGAIN THE KEY WOULD NOT ROTATE TO THE OFF POSITION -- IT REMAINED AT ACC. I ATTEMPTED MANY FIXES FOR THE PROBLEM -- REPEATEDLY SHIFTING INTO PARK, TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, ETC. I WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE CAR ON, AND WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. MY BATTERY IN TIME WOULD BE DEAD. PERHAPS WORSE, MY CAR WAS JUST SITTING THERE WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNISTIC THIEF. I SEARCHED ONLINE FOR HELP AND FOUND SCORES OF REPORTS OF IMPALA OWNERS WHO HAD THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK IN ACC AND CAN'T BE REMOVED. IT'S AN INTOLERABLE SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SECURE YOUR CAR. NOT TO MENTION THAT YOU CAN'T TURN THE ACCESSORIES OFF, SO YOU HAVE A GUARANTEED DRAINED BATTERY. HERE IS JUST ONE FORUM WHERE THIS SPECIFIC IMPALA PROBLEM WAS DISCUSSED: HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/IGNITION-KEY-STUCK-DUE-TO-FAILED-SHIFTER-020. CHEVROLET SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE'S NO WAY ONE CAN FORCE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND THE ONLY MEANS OF AVOIDING THE DRAINED-BATTERY PROBLEM IS TO REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLES. THAT'S NOT TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S A NIGHTMARE. MY CAR IS CONSTANTLY AT RISK OF BEING STOLEN, AND I'M HOOKING AND UNHOOKING THE BATTERY CABLES ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A VERY PERVASIVE AND PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH IMPALA OWNERS. JUST THIS ONE WEB SITE ALONE (ABOVE) CONTAINS DETAILED ACCOUNTS BY SCORES OF COMPLAINANTS, AND IT'S BUT ONE OF MANY. WE PAID TOO MUCH FOR THESE CARS TO BE RIPPED OFF AND JERKED AROUND. *TR