2000 SATURN LS Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE THEN HAD A JERKING MOVEMENT DUE TO THE TIRES CUPPING AND WEARING. DEALER CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. TS

1. CAR HAS 44,000 MILES ON IT. COOLANT SYSTEM IS LEAKING. ESTIMATED $500 TO FIX IT. CAR IS 2.5 YRS OLD. 2. WHEN WINDSHIELD WASHER IS USED, IT SHORTS OUT AND WIPER SYSTEM STOPS WORKING COMPLETELY. DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT RECOMMENDS $400 WIPER MOTOR REPLACEMENT EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN NOT REPLICATE THE ISSUE. I WENT THRU THREE FUSES IN ONE DAY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS IT IS WINTER AND I LIVE IN NEW ENGLAND

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, ENGINE WILL START TO SHAKE UNCONTROLABLY MAKING VEHICLE FEEL AS IF WE'RE SHAKING APART. DT

BRAKE LIGHTS INTERMITTENT, BULBS VIBRATE IN LIGHT ASSEMBLY CAUSING THEM TO STOP WORKING. CONTACTED LOCAL SATURN DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY'VE SEEN THE SAME THING SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE. DT

WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON A CURVY ROAD, THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY FAILED. THIS WAS VERY DISCONCERTING DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CAR WAS IN A FAST LEFT HAND CURVE AT THE TIME BEGINNING TRANSITION TO A RIGHT CURVE. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING INPUT CAUSED AN UNCOMMANDED LANE CHANGE TO THE RIGHT LANE WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE THAT WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE JUST AFTER OUR REAR BUMPER. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND INSPECTED FOR A LOOSE OR BROKEN POWER STEERING BELT. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SNAP RING WHICH RETAINS THE POWER STEERING PUMP VANE AND VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY HAD PARTIALLY UNSEATED. WE WERE ABLE TO PUSH THE VALVE BODY BACK INTO THE PUMP AND PRESS THE SNAP RING BACK INTO THE RETAINER BOSS (LAND). THE CAR WAS RESTARTED AND SUFFICIENT FLUID WAS PRESENT IN THE RESERVOIR TO PROVIDE NORMAL STEERING INPUT. ABOUT TWO MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND ANOTHER SUDDEN FAILURE OCCURRED. THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO SHIMMY, OR GRADUAL LOSS OF STEERING INPUT. THE CAR WAS AGAIN RE-INSPECTED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS TIME THE SNAP RING WAS GONE, THE VALVE BODY AND VANE ASSY. HAD EJECTED AN WAS ON TOP OF THE BATTERY. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS EVERY WHERE. THE CAR WAS DRIVEN HOME WITH SIGNIFICANT EFFORT AND PARKED. I HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE DEALER TWICE SINCE THIS INCIDENT. DUE TO MY WORK. *JB ****DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12/12/02 CUT-OVER TO ARTEMIS****769327

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE CONSUMER HIT A CURBED ISLAND AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. THE DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. TS THE CONSUMER STATED, IN TURNING TO FIND A PARKING SPOT, SHE DID NOT COMPLETE THE TURN AND ENDED UP ON THE ISLAND HITTING THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS INJURED BOTH THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER BADLY. *SCC

TAIL LIGHT BULB DISENGAGES FROM CONTACT AND GOES OUT. IF CONSUMER JIGGLES CORD IT WILL COME BACK ON. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT ANYTIME BULB CAN GO OUT AND THERE IS NO INDICATION. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. MR

FIRST INCIDENT WAS REPORTED ON 6/22/00. VEHICLE WAS NOISY. ON A VIST ON 8/01/2000 HAD AN OCCASION TO BORROW A VEHICLE OF THE SAME KIND. CAME BACK AND INFORMED THEM THAT I WANTED SOMEONE TO DRIVE MY CAR. UPON DRIVING AND INVESTIGATING NOISE, FIRST INCIDENT OF TIRES CUPPING. TWO TIRES WERE REPLACED. NOTICED TIRES NOISE AGAIN AT APPROX. 35,730 MILES, AGAIN TIRES WERE CUPPED AND TWO REPLACED. ASKED AT THAT TIME IF THIS WAS OCCURRING IN OTHER 2000 L SERIES SATURNS, WAS TOLD YES. ASKED WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW. NOISE OCCURRED AGAIN IN 8/15/01, AGAIN CUPPING OF TIRES, REPLACED TWO. WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE THE LAST TIME. CALL SATURN IN TENNESSEE AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. NOTICED NOISE AGAIN THIS MONTH. INFORMED SATURN ON VISIT ON 8/17/02, WAS TOLD TIRES WERE CUPPED AGAIN. WAS TOLD THAT I COULDN'T EXPECT TO GET ANY MORE TIRES REPLACED WITHOUT CHARGE. I TOLD THEM I DIDN'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD PAY FOR THEM AS I WASN'T CAUSING THE PROBLEM. I AGAIN CALL SATURN IN TENNESSEE AND INFORMED THEM. I BASICALLY WANTED TO KNOW WHY AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. I WAS REPEATEDLY INFORMED THAT I WAS OVER MY ORIGINAL AND EXTENDED WARRANTY AND COULDN'T EXPECT TIRES CHANGED AGAIN FOR NOTHING. I ENDED UP WITH TELLING THEM THAT THEY HAD LOST A SATURN CUSTOMER AND THAT I WOULD REPORT THE MATTER. THIS IS MY 3RD SATURN, I HAVE HAD NO COMPLAINT UNTIL NOW. I DON'T REALLY HAVE A COMPLAINT WITH MY DEALER, ITS JUST THAT I AM NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS. I TOLD THEM THAT IF THEY NEEDED TO RECALL THE VEHICLE, THEN THEY BETTER BE DOING IT. I AM VERY UPSET AT THIS AND WANT THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. YESTERDAY SATURN CALLED AND TALKED TO MY HUSBAND AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE TIRES. THAT IS NOT THE PROBLEM, IT WILL CONTINUE TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. ALSO JUST HOW SAFE ARE THESE TIRES. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. THERE IS MORE TO SAY, BUT I AM OUT OF ROOM. THANK YOU JANIS IPSEN. *AK

BACK LEFT BRAKE LIGHT KEEP GOING OUT, HAD BULBS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. CONTACTED DEALER. THIS WAS A RESULT OF AN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.*AK

CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER. THIS WAS A RESULT OF AN IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE.*AK