NHTSA Complaint #10764579 — 2006 SATURN ION

I WAS LEAVING A LOCAL GROCERY STORE, STARTED MY CAR AND PROCEEDED TO DRIVE OUT OF THE PARKING LOT TO THE MAIN ROAD, ROUTE 611, A FAIRLY BUSY THOROUGHFARE. AS I TURNED RIGHT AND ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT'. DESPITE PRESSING ON THE THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE SAFELY INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC (AROUND 40 MPH), MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 10 MILES PER HOUR. I AM SO VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTION IN THE SATURN ION MANUAL WHICH SAYS TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND THE ERROR SHOULD CLEAR ITSELF AFTER 10 MINUTES. I DID THIS AND THE 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT' WENT OUT BUT NOT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I TOOK THE CAR IMMEDIATELY TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RAN A INCONCLUSIVE DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THEY CLEARED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL YESTERDAY, 4 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST INSTANCE. WHILE I WAS DRIVING MY CHILDREN HOME FROM THE DENTIST, IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, AT CLOSE TO 40 MPH, THE DASH BOARD CHIMED, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT' LIT UP AND IMMEDIATELY MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 10 MILES PER HOUR. LUCKILY, WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO HOME, AND WERE NOT IN AN ACCIDENT. AGAIN, I LET THE CAR REST, AND 12 HOURS LATER STARTED THE CAR, BOTH LIGHTS CLEARED THEMSELVES. WITHIN IN 5 MILES OF DRIVING TO THE GYM FROM MY HOME, WHILE DRIVING IN THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC, THIS ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS REDUCED POWER ISSUE SHOULD BE A RECALL. ONE SIMPLE ONLINE SEARCH SHOWS THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF GM/SATURN CARS WITH THIS VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE. AMONG SO MANY OTHER MANUFACTURER SAFETY ISSUES! THIS CAR HAS HAD 3 OTHER RECALLS, ONE OF WHICH MY LOCAL GM DEALER HAS FAILED OVER 3 TIMES TO FIX. I HAVE TO MANUALLY PUT MY FINGER INTO THE STEERING COLUMN TO RELEASE THE IGNITION KEY. HOLD GM ACCOUNTABLE AND PLEASE MAKE THIS ISSUE A RECALL