NHTSA Complaint #10503494 — 2006 CHEVROLET HHR

PULLED INTO GARAGE, PLACED SHIFTER IN PARK, IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT ROTATE TO LAST DETENT POSITION AND KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED, LEAVING SOME ELECTRICAL ITEMS ON. SHIFTER BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED AND WOULD NOT UNLOCK BUT SHIFT COULD BE PUT IN ANY GEAR. I SEARCHED INTERNET FOR PROBLEM AND LEARNED HOW TO REMOVE COVER UNDER IGNITION SWITCH AND MANIPULATE A BUTTON INSIDE THE COLUMN TO ALLOW KEY TO BE RELEASED. CAR CAN BE STARTED AGAIN BUT TO SHUT OFF AND REMOVE KEY, SAME PROCESS REQUIRED. A BIG PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND ON INTERNET FROM OTHER OWNERS IS THAT INSTEAD OF PAYING THE OUTRAGEOUS COST TO FIX, MANY DRIVERS ARE DOING THE ABOVE, WHICH IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE THE SHIFT LEVER CAN EASILY, ACCIDENTALLY BE SHIFTED INTO ANOTHER GEAR WHILE IN MOTION ! THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSED BE A METAL PIN, MOUNTED IN AN INFERIOR PLASTIC PIECE, WHICH BREAKS OR OTHERWISE ALLOWS THE METAL PIN TO FALL OUT OF POSITION. THIS IS REPORTED IN ALL YEAR MODELS, AT ALL MILEAGES. MY CAR IS A 2006 WITH 11000 MILES- 7 YEARS OLD, AND OBVIOUSLY HARDLY USED, LET ALONE ABUSED, AND OF COURSE, OUT OF WARRANTY ! GM HAS UPGRADED THE REPLACEMENT PART WITH A SHROUD OF METAL REINFORCING THE PLASTIC, AND HAS REPAIRED AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY ON MODELS FROM 2009 TO DATE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN DEFECT, AND ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. GM NEEDS TO RECALL ALL MODELS WITH THIS DEFECT ! THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY SOLUTION FOR A REPAIR THAT MANY OWNERS HAVE PAID UP TO $600 OF THEIR OWN MONEY, AND I FOR ONE AM GOING TO FIGHT THIS IN ALL WAYS POSSIBLE. GOV.'T, MEDIA, BBB,SOCIAL MEDIA, ETC ! REVIEW THE INTERNET BY SEARCHING " CHEVY HHR IGNITION KEY STUCK" . THIS ALSO AFFECTS CHEVY COBALT AND PONTIAC G5. *TR