NHTSA Complaint #10597487 — 2001 PONTIAC AZTEK

AFTER ARRIVING HOME FROM WORK, I FOLLOWED MY NORMAL ROUTINE: PARKING IN MY DRIVEWAY, CUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVING THE KEY BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, I COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. NO MATTER WHAT I ATTEMPTED IT WOULD NOT BUDGE. MY ADULT SON ALSO TRIED TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITH NO SUCCESS. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE 2ND POSITION-- MEANING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS STILL "ON" JUST NOT RUNNING. I LEFT IT AS IT WAS WITH MY KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE NEXT MORNING, OF COURSE, MY BATTERY WAS DEAD BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS STILL IN THE "ON" POSITION. THE NEXT DAY I FOUND A TEMPORARY "WORKAROUND" ON YOUTUBE. HOWEVER, THE IGNITION IS STILL NOT FIXED AND I AM STILL USING THE TEMPORARY WORKAROUND. I HAVE CONTACTED A LOCAL GM DEALER AND GM OFFICES ONLY TO BE TOLD THAT THE RECALL DOES NOT COVER MY VEHICLE. I KNEW THAT BEFORE I CALLED THEM; WHICH WASN'T THE REASON I CONTACTED THEM. I ASKED WHY THIS PARTICULAR IGNITION PROBLEM WAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND I WAS TOLD BY A GM REPRESENTATIVE THAT IT HAD TO BE ISSUED FROM YOUR ORGANIZATION. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING INVESTIGATED. GM DID AN OVERALL POOR JOB WITH THE IGNITION SWITCHES ON THE VEHICLES THAT WERE SOLD TO THE PUBLIC AND THEY NEED TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IT. THANK YOU. *TR