NHTSA Complaint #10576388 — 2008 CHEVROLET COBALT

I WAS DRIVING MY CHEVY COBALT WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GAS STATION I COULD NOT TURN OFF THE CAR. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE DRIVING POSITION AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. I THEN PROCEEDED TO GO TO MY FATHER'S HOUSE TO TRY AND HAVE HIM HELP ME REMOVE THE KEY AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO AS WELL. I THEN CALLED A CHEVROLET DEALER LOCATED ON SW 152 ST IN MIAMI, FL WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS A RECALL PROBLEM AND THAT I SHOULD;D BRING IN THE VEHICLE BUT THAT IT WOULD TAKE ABOUT A WEEK TO FIX. ON THE WAY THERE, MY CAR BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. I THEN PULLED OVER AND TRIED AGAIN TO ATTEMPT TO SHUT OFF THE CAR AND REMOVE THE KEY. THE CAR REACHED 300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND SOON AFTER SHUT OFF, LEAVING ME STRANDED WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC IN HIALEAH, FL WHERE I WAS TOLD THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN DUE TO THE CAR OVERHEATING. I THEN CALLED GM AND EXPLAINED THIS TO THEM, I THEN WAS ADVISED TO CALL THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MIAMI LAKES CHEVROLET. THE CAR HAS SINCE BEEN TOWED THERE AS I WAS TOLD THE CAR WOULD NEED TO BE DIAGNOSED. HOWEVER, MIAMI LAKES CHEVROLET IS NOW HASSLING ME THAT THEY CAN NOT TOUCH MY VEHICLE BECAUSE IT IS A REBUILT TITLE VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH I HAVE REPEATEDLY EXPLAINED THAT HAD MY CAR BEEN ABLE TO BE CUT OFF THEN IT WOULD NOT HAVE OVERHEATED TO IT'S MAXIMUM AND I WOULD STILL HAVE A VEHICLE. I AM VERY UPSET AS I WAS UNAWARE OF THE KEY IGNITION RECALL AND I AM NOW LEFT CARLESS WHICH IS MY LIVIHOOD FOR MY KIDS AND FAMILY AS WELL AS I AM STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON A VEHICLE WHICH IS NOT FUNCTIONING DUE TO A RECALL I HAD NOT CLUE ABOUT! *TR