NHTSA Complaint #10488736 — 2006 JEEP LIBERTY

I WAS LEAVING MY BANK AND ENTERED MY VEHICLE AND PROCEEDED TO START IT WITH MY KEY. MY KEY TURNED AND WOULD NOT START MY VEHICLE. MY BATTERY IS ABOUT A 1 MONTH OLD AND I CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION OR CORROSION (CONNECTION TIGHT AND NO CORROSION). I CHECKED ALL FLUIDS (FINE), I JUST HAD OIL, OIL FILTER AND BREATHER FILTER CHANGED A FEW WEEKS AGO AND THEY CHECK ALL FLUIDS. I TURNED LITES, WIPERS, TURN SIGNALS AND RADIO ON (WORKED FINE), HORN WORKED. WITH MY KEY IN THE IGNITION, I HAD NO PROBLEM TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. I OPENED MY DRIVER'S DOOR AND SAW IT SHOW UP AS "DOOR" ON THE DASH PANEL AND NOTICED ENGINE LITE ON. I DEPRESSED AND HELD BRAKE PEDAL DOWN AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND BACK TO PARK WITH NO PROBLEM. I HAD A FRIEND COME AND LOOK AT MY LIBERTY, AND HE CHECKED AND DID EVERYTHING I DID. WE BOTH THOUGHT IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH. I INFORMED THE BANK THAT I WAS HAVING CAR PROBLEMS AND HAVE TO LEAVE IT IN THEIR PARKING LOT OVER NITE. I HAD THE JEEP LIBERTY TOWED TO A JEEP DEALERSHIP IN STUART FLORIDA THE NEXT DAY (12/12/2012). THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE PIN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH BROKE OFF AND FELL INSIDE AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN. AND IT WOULD COST OVER $1000.00. I WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY (12/13/2012) THAT THEY COULD NOT LOCATE A NEW STEERING COLUMN AND THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN WITH A USED ONE. NOW IT WILL COST $800.00. I RESEARCHED AND NOTICED THAT OTHER JEEP LIBERTY OWNERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. I HOPE I AM NOT BEING SCAMMED. MY JEEP LIBERTY HAS ABOUT 50000 MILES ON IT. AS I THINK ABOUT IT, WOULDN'T THE IGNITION SWITCH NEED TO BE REPLACED AND NOT THE WHOLE STEERING COLUMN? MY JEEP IS STILL AT THE DEALERSHIP AND I HOPE TO GET IT BACK ON 12/17/2012. *TR