NHTSA Complaint #10486510 — 2006 SATURN ION

THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW AND DRIVEN VERY LITTLE. PROTECTED IN CLOSED IN GARAGE. DROVE TO COLORADO SPRINGS FOR VACATION AND WENT TO VISIT RELATIVES. PARKED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF RELATIVE HOME AND THE KEY COULDN'T BE TURNED TO SHUT OFF THE CAR. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS A NEIGHBOR OF MY RELATIVES THAT NEW HOW TO SHUT IT OFF BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY CABLES. TO START THE CAR THE CABLES HAD TO BE HOOKED BACK UP. DROVE TO FERGUSON BUICK GMC IN COLORADO SPRINGS AND THEY CHECKED IT. THE TUMBLER CAME APART, WON'T TURN OFF , REPLACED IGNITION LOCK. WAS CHARGED FOR HOUSING KIT (15857948), CODE CYL, CYLINDER KIT (20869121), LABOR AND COST OF PARTS TOTALLED $614.22. WITH ONLY 16, 607 MILES FROM 2006 TO 2012 THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. TODAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2012, I WENT TO DRIVE MY VEHICLE AND WHEN I STARTED THE ENGINE ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH AND MESSAGE ABOUT STEERING OFF TRAC KEEPS FLASHING AND IT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT STEERING FLUID, BRAKES AND THE LIGHTS WERE GOING CRAZY. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT SO I DROVE IT BACK INTO MY GARAGE. COULDN'T DRIVE IT LIKE THAT. NOW WHAT IS WRONG. THIS VEHILCE HAS BEEN PAID FOR SINCE 2008 AND ONLY HAS 19, 000 MILES ON IT. MY HUSBAND BOUGHT ME THIS VEHICLE AS A SURPRISE AND LITTLE DID HE KNOW HE WOULD GET PANCREATIC CANCER THE FOLLOWING YEAR. HE WANTED ME TO HAVE A DEPENDABLE EXTRA VEHICLE. I CANNOT KEEP PAYING MONEY TO FIX A VEHICLE THAT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE. MAY GET STRANDED SOMEWHERE. I WOULDN'T FEEL IN GOOD CONSCIOUS TO EVEN SELL IT TO ANYONE. NOT WORTH WHAT HE PAID FOR IT. *TR