NHTSA Complaint #10503898 — 2007 SATURN ION

I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD NOTED IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS FIRST OCCURRENCE THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF, REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK FIRST. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# FOR ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAD ME REMOVE A FUSE FROM THE ENGINE TO TURN THE CAR OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, JUNE 1ST, WHERE THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER AS THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THEN, IN MARCH 2011, I FOUND THE KEY HAD A TENDENCY TO GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION UNTIL, ONCE AGAIN, I COULD NO LONGER REMOVE THE KEY OR TURN THE CAR OFF. RECALLING REMOVAL OF A FUSE AFTER THE FIRST INSTANCE, I DID SO AGAIN IN THIS CASE UNTIL I COULD GET IT TO A GARAGE FOR REPAIR. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# TO ADVISE THEM AS TO WHAT HAD AGAIN HAPPENED, INQUIRING IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY SORT OF A RECALL. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY OWN GARAGE FOR REPAIR AND THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER & SWITCH. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ABLE TO DISLODGE THE KEY THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF REPAIR WAS 120462. NOW, IN MARCH 2013, I AM ONCE AGAIN FINDING THE KEY HAVING A TENDENCY TO STICK. I CAN GET THE CAR TO TURN OFF, BUT THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL NOT DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS. UNLESS THE DOOR LOCKS DISENGAGE, I CANNOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. ON OCCASION, I'VE BEEN HAVING TO RESTART THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS ALLOWING ME TO REMOVE THE KEY. MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 165,000. *TR