NHTSA Complaint #10626647 — 2002 DODGE INTREPID

IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE. AFTER TURNING OFF CAR, SWITCH SLIPS INTO ACCESSORY POSITION AND DRAINS BATTERY. CAR DOES NOT START WHEN I RETURN TO THE CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE. I NEED TO PAY FOR A JUMP OR NEW BATTERY, OR TOW TO MY MECHANIC. THEN I HAVE TO KEEP REPLACING THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE ORIGINAL IGNITION SWITCH LASTED UNTIL 2011. THE AFTER MARKET IGNITION SWITCHES FAIL WITHIN ABOUT A YEAR. SOMETIMES WITHIN A FEW MONTHS. SINCE JAN. 2011, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH ON 1/10/11 COST $147.50, 2/16/2012, COST $220.39, ALTERNATOR ASSEMBLY, COST $588.28 (MECHANIC THOUGHT IT COULDN'T BE THE SWITCH AGAIN), STARTER ASSEMBLY AGAIN 2/21/14, COST $384.23; RECOMMENDED I REPLACE THE RADIO SINCE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORTED OUT 3/14/2014, COST $45:IGNITION SWITCH AGAIN ON 8/01/14, COST $110.56. ALSO THIS CAR KEEPS HAVING THE LEFT REAR TAILLIGHTS FAIL. THEY TELL ME THIS IS ALL PART OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHORT WHICH THEY GUESS IS CAUSING ALL OF THE ABOVE PROBLEMS. BUT ALL THESE PROBLEMS DIDN'T EXIST UNTIL I MADE THE FIRST REPLACEMENT OF THE ORIGINAL IGNITION SWITCH. I BELIEVE THAT THE AFTERMARKET WAS FULL OF FAULTY GM IGNITION SWITCHES AND THERE WAS NO WAY FOR MY MECHANIC TO TELL IF WE WERE GETTING BAD GM DESIGNED SWITCHES. LUCKILY FOR ME AND MY PASSENGERS MY CAR DIDN'T FAIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT ALWAYS HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED. BUT HAVING 95 YEAR OLD PASSENGERS, ON HOT FLORIDA DAYS, GET INTO A CAR THAT WON'T START, CANNOT BE COOLED DOWN, CANNOT EVEN ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS SINCE THEY ARE ELECTRIC , THESE CONDITIONS COULD HAVE KILLED MY ELDERLY FRAGILE PASSENGERS. THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY OF INSURING THAT ALL THOSE BAD SWITCHES ARE REMOVED FROM THE AFTERMARKET. *TR