NHTSA Complaint #10654671 — 2004 PONTIAC GRAND AM

AFTER TURNING CAR OFF FOR 3 MINUTES, KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. ON JUNE 11TH I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC. HE SAID THAT WEIGHT OF KEYS WAS THE LIKELY CULPRIT IN DAMAGING TUMBLERS INSIDE IGNITION SWITCH. IT COST $369.20 TO REPLACE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. ALL I HAD ON MY KEY RING WAS CAR KEY, FOB, AND HOUSE KEY, WHICH IS ALL I HAVE EVER HAD ON ANY KEY RING FOR ANY CAR I'VE OWNED AND I'VE NEVER HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH ANY OTHER MAKE/MODEL OF CAR. RECALL # 14350 WILL CHANGE OUT THE KEY STATING THAT "IF THE KEY RING IS CARRYING ADDED WEIGHT AND THE VEHICLE...EXPERIENCES SOME OTHER JARRING EVEN, IT MAY UNINTENTIONALLY MOVE THE KEY AWAY FROM THE 'RUN' POSITION." THIS SORT OF "JARRING EVENT" MESSES WITH THE TUMBLERS, WHICH IS WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR OVER TIME. CHANGING THE KEYS SHOULD HELP TO PREVENT THE KEY FROM DAMAGING THE TUMBLERS THUS CAUSING IT TO MOVE FROM THE 'RUN' POSITION BUT IF THE FACTORY KEY HOLDS "TOO MUCH" WEIGHT CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE TUMBLERS, THIS DAMAGE, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY GM AS WELL! *TR