NHTSA Complaint #10576802 — 2005 CHEVROLET EQUINOX

I CAN PULL THE IGNITION KEY FOR MY 2005 OUT OF THE IGNITION OR IT CAN FALL OUT WHILE THE CAR IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THE KEYS WEAR OUT. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE THE CAR WAS ABOUT 2 YEARS OLD. I BOUGHT IT NEW IN APRIL 2004. I DISCOVERED THIS WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED THE KEY OUT (FORTUNATELY DIRECTLY INTO MY HAND SO I WAS ABLE TO REINSERT IT QUICKLY.) I HAVE TO REPLACE KEYS ABOUT 2 YEARS BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS WEAR OUT. SO FAR NOTHING HAS HAPPENED WHEN THIS OCCURS BUT I AM PETRIFIED THAT THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF WHICH WILL LOCK UP THE STEERING, ETC. I DON'T INTENTIONALLY TAKE THE KEY OUT WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHAT IF IT FALLS OUT? IT'S SO LOOSE IN THE IGNITION THAT IT COULD.I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY EQUINOX OWNER WITH THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED GM WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED. THEIR REACTION WAS BASICALLY, "OH WELL, TRY A NEW KEY." I DID, AND THE DEALER RIPPED ME OFF FOR A WHOLE BUNCH OF MONEY TO "PROGRAM" KEYS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE PROGRAMMED (I DIDN'T FIND THIS OUT UNTIL A COUPLE YEARS LATER WHEN I BOUGHT THE NEXT SET OF KEYS ONLINE AND DIDN'T NEED TO PROGRAM THEM.) NOW, I JUST BUY KEYS ON LINE WHEN THE OLD ONES WEAR OUT. GIVEN THE PROBLEMS GM HAD WITH IGNITIONS IN THIS TIME SPAN, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT CLOSELY. WHO KNOWS WHAT PROBLEMS (DEATHS?) MAY HAVE OR WILL OCCUR BECAUSE IF IT. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIT AFRAID OF THIS PROBLEM, AND NOW AM EVEN MORE SO. UPDATED 06/09/14 *BF *TR