NHTSA Complaint #10618777 — 2006 SATURN ION

ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2006 SATURN ION 2. THE KEY WOULD GET STUCK IN THERE, OR BE HARD TO PUT IT IN ALL THE WAY BEFORE STARTING THE CAR. AT TIMES THE ENGINE WOULD STAY ON EVEN AFTER KEY WAS OUT AND ALL THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER LIGHTS WOULD ALL COME ON EVEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS OFF. SUDDENLY MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER (ALL GAUGES DEAD) WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE WARNING LIGHTS. THEY WOULD ALWAYS STAY ON EVEN WHEN CAR WAS OFF AND KEY WAS OUT. LATER, JUST AS SUDDEN THE CLUSTER WORKED FINE AGAIN, ONLY TO DIE A MONTH LATER LEAVING ALL WARNING LIGHTS ALWAYS ON AGAIN. WHILE ALL THIS WAS HAPPENING I WAS STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH THE IGNITION. MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS CAUSING THE CLUSTER TO MALFUNCTION AND EVENTUALLY BURNED IT OUT. BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL ISSUES I WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE SWITCH OR THE CLUSTER AT THE TIME. WHEN I RECEIVED THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL LETTER, I TOOK IT TO GET REPLACED AND EXPLAINED THE CLUSTER SITUATION BUT DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REPLACE THE CLUSTER AND SAID IT WAS A DIFFERENT ISSUE. FOR MONTHS I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TELL HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE, HOW FAST I'M DRIVING OR THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CAR. IT'S FRUSTRATING AND EXPENSIVE TO REPAIR. I HAVE STAYED STRANDED ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY CHILDREN SEVERAL TIMES, BUT GM WILL NOT HELP RESOLVE THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE. *TR