2004 SATURN L300 Complaints

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2004 SATURN L300. MY WIFE IS THE PRIMARY DRIVER AND SHE REPORTED SEEING A WISP OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. WE TOOK IT TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER MY WIFE REPORTED THE SAME WISP OF SMOKE. WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM REPAIR IT AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME THEY REPAIRED IT, THE TURN SIGNAL WOULD NOT TURN OFF WHEN THE WHEEL WAS TURNED. ALSO, THE WISP OF SMOKE IS BACK AGAIN. THIS WILL BE THE THIRD TIME INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE I DON'T WANT IT TO START A FIRE WHILE IT IS BEING DRIVEN. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE OTHER ISSUES INCLUDING THE POWER STEERING RACK FAILING, THE WATER PUMP FAILING, AND THE PLENUM FAILING. THE CAR ONLY HAS 46,000 MILES ON IT AND MY WIFE HAS PUT ABOUT 13,000 IN 27 MONTHS. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 SATURN L300 AT 55 MPH. THE CAR SUDDENLY CUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND IT WOULD NOT START. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME IN A PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY 3 OTHER TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO A MECHANIC AND HE SAID IT MAY BE THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN L300. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, BENT THE FRAME AND DESTROYED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONTAL AND SIDE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AN AMBULANCE. A POLICE REPORT IS AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I HAVE A SATURN L300 AND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE LEFT LANE ONE DAY AND THE CAR JUST SHUT DOWN AND STOPPED RUNNING. WHEN MY MECHANIC READ THE ELECTRICAL CODE ON THE CAR IT WAS THE BCM THAT HAD FAILED. I HAD READ THAT THIS IS A KNOWN COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY THIS IS NOT A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE SINCE IT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AS IN MY CASE. I DID AVOID AND ACCIDENT AND GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING HIT OR HITTING SOMEONE ELSE BUT IT WAS DEFINITELY COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE AND I HAD MY 4 YEAR OLD IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME AT THE TIME. SINCE THAT HAPPENED I HAVE NOTICES OTHER THINGS GOING WRONG ON THE VEHICLE THAT ARE ATTACHED THE BCM, RADIO STOPPED WORKING, KEYLESS REMOTE STOPPED WORKING, DEFROST ON SIDE MIRRORS DON'T WORK...WHICH ARE NOT SAFETY ISSUES BUT WHAT CAUSE IT TO SHUT MY CAR DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN I WAS DRIVING WAS SCARY AND UNSAFE!!! *TR

I CAN NOT GET A REPLACEMENT PART FOR MY 2004 SATURN WAGON. THE TAIL LIGHT IS BROKEN, GM SAID THE SUPPLIER QUITE MAKING THE PART. THE CAR IS NOT LEGAL TO DRIVE WITH A BROKEN TAIL LIGHT. *TR THANK YOU ROBERT EMANUEL

MY TRUNK FILLS WITH WATER IF I GO THROUGH A CAR WASH. I DIDN'T NOTICE FOR A WHILE BECAUSE I RARELY USE THE TRUNK. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS DUE TO BROKEN SEALS, IT WASN'T UNDER WARRANTY AND WOULD COST ABOUT 300.00 DOLLARS. I DON'T HAVE 300.00 DOLLARS. THE CAR HAS NEVER BEEN IN A ACCIDENT SO THERE SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM WITH THE SEALS UNDER IT. *TR

TROUBLE WITH ABS SYSTEM. LIGHT CAME ON, CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER WHO FINALLY DETERMINED IT WAS THE ABS CONTROL UNIT. REPAIR EST. OVER $1200. *TR

THE BATTERY WARNING AND EMERGENCY SERVICE LIGHTS (I.E., "THE CAR WITH THE WRENCH" SIGNAL) FLASHED ON MY 2004 SATURN L300 IN MID-MAY 2008. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE TIME. AS I SLOWED DOWN TO EXIT THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED. I MADE IT HOME AND PARKED IT IN THE CAR PORT. I HAD IT TOWED TO SATURN OF BIRMINGHAM (SOB) THE NEXT MORNING. SOB HAS HAD IT FOR 4 DAYS NOW. THE SERVICE TECH'S (AT LEAST THREE HAVE LOOKED AT IT) HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME DETERMINING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. FOR NOW, THE POWER TRAIN (PCM) HAS BEEN REPLACED. BUT THE SERVICE REP INFORMED ME THAT THE ALTERNATOR IS OVERCHARGING SO THEY WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT AS WELL. THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DRAINED, WHICH WILL MAKE THIS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY ON THIS CAR (THE FIRST TIME WAS AFTER ONLY 2.5 YEARS). THE SERVICE REP INDICATED THAT THE TECH WILL HAVE TO DO A THOROUGH CHECK ON THE VEHICLE TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO OTHER PROBLEMS THAT COULD HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BY THE PCM/ALTERNATOR/BATTERY FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN L300. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE LOW POWER AND ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ECM, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW AIR SENSOR AND THEY MADE THE REPLACEMENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.

I OWN A 2004 SATURN L300 SEDAN. ON OCTOBER 25, 2007, I WAS DRIVING MY CAR ON THE HIGHWAY IN THE PASSING LANE GOING ABOUT 65 TO 70 MPH AND THE CAR STALLS AND THE GAS PEDAL SHOWS NO RESPONSE. THE CAR ENGINE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON ALONG WITH THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND LOSS OF POWER LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. I HAD TO CROSSOVER A LANE AND PULL THE CAR OVER. WHILE PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK THE CAR SHAKES. I TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND START THE CAR AGAIN AND I AM ABLE TO GO BUT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD. THERE WERE NO PRECURSOR SIGNS THAT THE CAR WAS HAVING PROBLEMS. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP, AND THEY EXPRESSED THAT CODE P0606 SHOWED UP AND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM/PCM) BECAUSE IT WAS FAULTY. ON JANUARY 31, 2008, I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR STALLED AGAIN WHILE I WAS IN THE PASSING LANE. I TOOK THE CAR TO AN AUTO PARTS STORE SO THAT THEY COULD GET A QUICK SCAN ON THE COMPUTER. AGAIN THE CODE P0606 SHOWS UP. I HAD THE GENTLEMAN PRINT ME OUT A COPY OF THE CODE, FOR MY OWN RECORD. THE RECEIPT STATED THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE FOR THE PROBLEM IS A FAILED ECM. SO I RETURN TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK UP ON THE PROBLEM. LATER THAT DAY, THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM AND THEN WHEN I SHOWED THEM THAT I HAD THE CODES READ JUST BEFORE I CAME IN, THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT "YES , THAT CODE CAME UP, BUT THAT WAS AN OLD CODE FROM BEFORE, SO WE JUST ERASED IT". EVEN THOUGH I HAD PROOF THAT IT WAS A NEW CODE, THEY IGNORED MY CONCERNS. ON FEBRUARY 12, 2008, JUST 12 DAYS AFTER BEING IN THE SHOP, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STALLS WHILE I AM IN TRAFFIC GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. I AGAIN GO TO THE AUTO STORE TO OBTAIN THE RECEIPTS OF WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE SAME CODE COMES UP AGAIN P0606 (ECM/PCM FAULT). I TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE DECIDE TO REPLACE TO MASS AIR SENSOR BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY THINK IS WRONG WITH IT. *TR