NHTSA Complaint #770690 — 1998 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

THE CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH AN INTERNAL ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM, WHICH, AS STATED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL IF THE CORRECT KEY IS NOT USED TO START THE CAR, FUEL IS CUT OFF TO THE ENGINE. THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD THEN FLASHES, AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO START THE CAR FOR (AS I FOUND OUT ON MY OWN) EXACTLY 10 MINUTES. SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR BRAND NEW 5 YEARS AGO. THIS SCENARIO HAS HAPPENED TO ME DOZENS OF TIMES. I START THE CAR (WITH THE CORRECT KEY, OF COURSE) AND THE CAR DOES NOT START-THE THEFT SYSTEM LIGHT BLINKS ON AND OFF FOR 10 MINUTES, AND I CAN NOT START THE CAR DURING THIS TIME...IF YOU ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR DURING THIS TIME, YOU ARE FORCED TO WAIT EVEN LONGER BEFORE THE LIGHT STOPS FLASHING AND YOU CAN RESTART THE ENGINE. ON THE OCCASIONS THAT I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY EITHER TOLD ME NOTHING WAS WRONG, OR THEY THOUGHT IT WAS THE EXTERNAL ALARM, OR THEY JUST SAID IT WAS FIXED...MEANWHILE, THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE FEATURE WAS-I HAD TO TELL THEM THAT IT WAS DESCRIBED IN THE OWNER'S MANUAL. LONG STORY SHORT, THIS THEFT SYSTEM HAS CAUSED ME TO BE LATE FOR WORK NUMEROUS TIMES, AND HAS CAUSED MANY INCONVENIENCES FOR ME! OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I SPOKE TO THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER, AND NEITHER WERE AWARE OF THE FEATURE, OR THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. THE DEALER SAID TO BRING IT IN, BUT FOR ME TO TAKE A DAY OFF FROM WORK IS DIFFICULT-ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY PROBABLY WON'T FIX A THING. I AM DESPERATE FOR SOME HELP WITH WHAT I CONSIDER A MAJOR DEFECT IN THIS CAR! DT