NHTSA Complaint #10584975 — 2005 SATURN ION

I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN DEC.2004. I HAD THE CAR @ 2 YEARS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD NOT RELEASE THE KEY WHEN I TRIED TO TURN OFF THE CAR. THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT GO TO THE OFF POSITION NOR WOULD IT RELEASE THE KEY. I HAD TO TURN IT ON AND OFF MANY TIMES OR PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR AND BACK INTO PARK TO GET THE CAR TO OFF AND THE KEY RELEASED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD THE KEY AND THE CAR LOCK/ALARM FOB ON THE SAME RING. THIS EXPLANATION SEEMED SILLY AND EVEN WHEN I REMOVED THE KEY FROM THE RING THAT THE LOCK/ALARM, THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY DID REPLACE SOMETHING BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. IT IS SO FRUSTRATING AND STRESSFUL TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GET THE KEY OUT W/O THE SYSTEM GOING OFF AND RELEASING THE KEY. NOW THE CAR HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS RECALL CAR DUE TO THE IGNITION DEFECT. I HAVE GONE TO A GM DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAVE ORDERED THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT THE RECALL WAS FOR BUT NO WORD ON THE FACT THAT THE KEY WILL NOT RELEASE. I HAVE ONGOING FEARS AND CONCERNS THAT UNLESS THIS KEY RELEASE PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED, THE SAFETY ISSUE WILL STILL BE THERE. MAYBE COVERED UP OR MASKED BY THE SWITCH REPLACEMENT BUT NOT COMPLETELY FIXED. A SIDE NOTE TO THIS IS THAT I HAD TO HAVE A NEW STARTER PUT IN BECAUSE THE STARTER HAD DEVELOPED A 'DEAD SPOT' IN IT, PREVENTING IT FROM STARTING. I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT BE A CORRELATION BETWEEN THE IGNITION NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THE 'DEAD SPOT' IN THE STARTER. THIS WOULD BE FROM ME HAVING TO START AND RESTART MANY MANY TIMES TO GET THE IGNITION TO 'OFF' AND THE KEY RELEASED. I NEED THIS TO BE FIXED COMPLETELY AND CORRECTLY FOR MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. I SHOULD NOT BE FEARFUL WHEN I AM DRIVING AND I SHOULD NOT BE FEARFUL WHEN I AM SHUTTING THE CAR OFF. I NEED TO WHAT THE PLAN IS TO REPAIR THIS CAR COMPLETELY. THANK YOU. *TR