NHTSA Complaint #10584356 — 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM

IN APPROXIMATELY 2000 TO 2002, OUR 1999 PONTIAC GRAND AM STALLED WITH ENGINE SHUTDOWN, LOSS OF BRAKING POWER, AND LOSS OF STEERING ON THE NJ GARDEN STATE PARKWAY AT HIGH SPEED, WHEN MY KNEE HIT A FEW KEYS AND MY KEY RING ALONG WITH THE PONTIAC KEY IN THE IGNITION, I.E. SHUTTING OFF THE CAR. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. FORTUNATELY, WITH ALMOST NO STEERING, BRAKING, OR ENGINE POWER, I WAS ABLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE INTO THE BREAK DOWN LANE AND STOP THE CAR. I AM REPORTING THIS NOW BECAUSE IT NEVER DAWNED ON ME THEN THAT IT COULD BE A CAR DEFECT, AND I AM CONCERNED THAT OTHERS MIGHT BE INJURED OR KILLED BY THESE OLDER GM VEHICLES IF FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH IS AN ISSUE FOR THEM, GIVEN THAT GM IS RECALLING MILLIONS OF VEHICLES FOR FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES. I BELIEVE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE OTHER MODELS AND AGES OF GM VEHICLES, INCLUDING 1999 AND LATER YEAR PONTIAC GRAND AMS, AS THE DANGER WE EXPERIENCED FROM THAT VEHICLE SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE THE SAME AS WHAT IS NOW BEING REPORTED. WE NO LONGER OWN THE PONTIAC. YOU CAN SEE THIS INCIDENT MADE A BIG IMPACT ON ME, BECAUSE I REMEMBER IT 12+ YEARS LATER. *TR