[MikeCStig]

There may be an interlock system between the shifter and the ignition switch that has gone haywire. A lot of cars have something like that as an anti theft measure. Basically it's a series of relays, solenoids and/or switches that make it so you can't shift out of park unless the key is in the ignition on position and the engine is running. The other thing it does is it prevents you from removing the key from the ignition unless you're in park.

When something goes wrong with a system like this, your ignition switch doesn't know the car is in park and doesn't release the key, and/or the shifter doesn't know the key is in and the engine is running, so it won't let you shift out of park. When this is going on, your only option is to override the system. I've seen it before, although it was on a 3rd generation ('87-89) Honda Accord (~20 years old with like 300,000 miles on it at the time). I guess this provides yet more reason why Saturn went bust. There's more than just one component to check, it's usually a whole clusterf*ck of electrical compnents.

However, before you tear into all that check with your local GM dealer to see if your car is on the recall list for a bad ignition switch. Just because Saturn doesn't exist, doesn't mean you wouldn't be covered. If you do manage to fix this, find somebody dumb enough to buy your car (no offense) and don't ever buy another Saturn... seriously, they're garbage.