NHTSA Complaint #10478016 — 2007 CHEVROLET COBALT

BATTERY DIED IN CAR, HAD TO JUMP THE CAR. CAR STARTED FINE, STEERING SEEMED TO BE A LITTLE TIGHT. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF DRIVING THE TIGHTNESS IN THE STEERING WENT AWAY. HOWEVER UPON ARRIVING AT HOME THE KEY WOULD NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND THE SHIFTER WOULD SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR EASILY WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS IN THE SHIFTER BUTTON. ALSO IN ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE THE KEY THE STEERING WHEEL IS NOW LOCKED ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT WITH THE WHEELS LOCKED IN THE RIGHT POSITION. WAS ABLE TO REMOVE KEY FROM IGNITION BY LOCATING THE EMERGENCY KEY RELEASE SWITCH UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN BUT CAR WILL NOT START NOW AS KEY WONT TURN ALL THE WAY, AND SHIFTER STILL SHIFTS INTO ANY GEAR WITHOUT HAVING TO PRESS THE SHIFTER BUTTON. CAR WAS PARKED FRONT FIRST AGAINST BUILDING SO I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I WILL GET IT TOWED OUT OF THERE TO A SHOP TO FIX IT! I SUSPECT THE SHIFTER CABLE ASSEMBLY AT THE END OF THE SHIFTER WHICH IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC IS BROKEN. WILL VERIFY WHEN ITS TAKEN APART. I HAVE SEEN AT LEAST 50 OTHER CASES ON THE INTERNET WHERE THIS PIECE BREAKS AND CAUSES THE CAR NOT TO REGISTER IT BEING IN PARK AND WILL NOT RELEASE KEY FROM IGNITION. GM RECALLED CERTAIN YEARS FOR SHIFTER PROBLEMS BUT NOT THE 2007 UNFORTUNATELY! *TR