2002 SATURN LS Complaints

SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED THE DEALER HAS REPLACED 5 SETS OF TIRES. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED BECAUSE THEY CONSTANTLY CUPPED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TIRES, INSTALLED A SHIM KIT AND ADJUSTED THE FRONT TOE, BUT NONE OF THOSE REPAIRS STOPPED THE TIRES FROM CUPPING. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND REQUESTED THAT THEY RE-PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED THE REQUEST BUT OFFERED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO 75,000 MILES. THE CONSUMER IS CONVINCED THAT THE PROBLEM WILL RE-OCCUR. *AK *SCC *NLM

INTERMITTENT PROBLEM W/DASHBOARD IDIOT LIGHTS. SOMETIMES, SOME LIGHTS WILL COME ON AT A LOW INTENSITY AND STAY ON. WHEN TROUBLE EXISTS, IF YOU RESTART THE CAR, ALL OF THE LIGHTS & INSTRUMENTS FAIL THE POWER UP TEST AND THE SAME LIGHTS STAY AT A DIMINISHED BRIGHTNESS. HOWEVER, THEY DO SEEM TO COME TO FULL BRIGHTNESS WHEN THE CONDITION COMES UP. AFTER CAR IS STARTED, ALL GAUGES WORK PROPERLY. THEN, THE TROUBLE WILL CLEAR UP. DEALER UNABLE TO FIND ANY PROBLEMS. THERE WERE NO TROUBLE CODES LOGGED. LIGHTS WHICH COME UP ARE: WASHER FLUID, SERVICE WRENCH, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, LOW FUEL, SEAT BELT RESTRAINT, AIR BAG, OIL PRESSURE, ABS, TEMP, COOLANT LEVEL. *AK

CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WENT OVER A BRIDGE WHEN IT LOST CONTROL AND HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THEN, IT HIT A WALL SIDEWAYS. SIDE AIR BAG ON REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING FUEL LINE PROBLEMS. FUEL LINE CAME APART AND STARTED SPILLING GAS ALL OVER THE ENGINE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY HAD CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THE MANUFACTURE ADVISED TO CHECK THE FUEL LINE CONNECTION. THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND OR EXPLAIN ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK

THE TIRES ON MY 2002 SATURN LW300 WORE OUT AT AN EXCESSIVE RATE, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT 22,000 MILES. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP DESCRIBING STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION AT HIGH SPEED AND EXCESSIVELY WORN TIRES. ALTHOUGH THE SYMPTOMS I DESCRIBED MET THE SYMPTOMS IN EXISTING TSBS FOR MY VEHICLE, THE SATURN DEALER IGNORED THESE AND UNTIL I DID RESEARCH TO FIND THE TSBS, WAS NOT GOING TO COVER THIS UNDER WARRANTY. FROM MY RESEARCH, THE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE TIRES IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED INCIDENT AND ADVERSELY AFFECTS THE PERFORMANCE, AND THEREFORE SAFETY, OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS "CUPPING" ON MY REAR TIRES MAKING THEM OUT OF ROUND.WHILE THERE IS A TSB OUT FOR THIS INCIDENT, CERTAIN SATURN DEALERS ARE CHOOSING TO IGNORE THIS EVEN WHEN CUSTOMERS REPORT THE PROBLEMS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE TSBS. SINCE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO SATURN AND IS RELATED TO THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SUSPENSION AND SATURN'S SELECTION FOR TIRES (FIRESTONE AFFINITY HPS), THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE TO CORRECT THE MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT, AND AVERT FUTURE SAFETY ISSUES RELATING TO LOW TIRE TRACTION. FURTHERMORE, THE FACT THAT THIS TIRE WEAR OCCURS AT SUCH AN EARLY PERIOD IN THE CAR'S LIFE THAT MANY CONSUMERS WILL NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THEY HAVE WORN OUT TIRES UNTIL THEY HAVE A FAILURE LEADING TO AN ACCIDENT. THANKFULLY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN MY CASE BUT TREAD LIFE IS NOT SOMETHING I WOULD NORMALLY BE CHECKING ON A CAR WITH 22,000 MILES BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON FOR TIRES ON A NEW CAR TO WEAR OUT AT 22,000 MILES.*AK

THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL# 03V231000 SUBJECT: IGNITION CONTROL MODULE. THE DEALER PERFORMED THE RECALL REPAIR AND THE VEHICLE IS STILL EXPERIENCING HIGH IDLE. FOR SAFETY REASONS THE CONSUMER DOES NOT WANT THE VEHICLE.

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, CAUSING CONSUMER TO PULL OVER, AND IT WILL BE HARD TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK STARTED.DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING INTERMITTENTLY THE HEADLIGHTS ARE BLINKING, IN ONE MILE WILL PROBABLY BLINK 20 TIMES. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK

ODI NUMBER IS 10025456 ALREADY SUBMITTED COMPLAINT FORM. I WANT TO CLARIFY DATES: FAULTY IGNITION MODULE ON 11/29/02 AND 3/10/03. ON 4/15/03 AND 5/10/03 TOLD BY SATURN OF TREVOSE THAT THE ROUGH IDLE THAT I FEEL AND THE LOSS OF POWER THAT I FEEL CANNOT BE DUPLICATED. THESE WERE THE EXACT SYMPTOMS THAT I FELT BEFORE THE IGNITION MODULES FAILED BOTH TIMES.TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM CAN REOCCUR AT ANYTIME, IN PARTICULAR IN COLD OR DAMP WEATHER. PLEASE REFER TO FIRST COMPLAINT FORM SUBMITTED EARLIER ON 6/5/03.*AK

I HAVE A SATURN L-SERIES VEHICLE. RECEIVED A LETTER ABOUT A DEFECT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY-FAILURE OF IGNITION CONTROL MODULE THAT MAY CAUSE DETERIORATION IN IDLE QUALITY, REDUCTION IN OVERALL ENGINE POWER AND THE VEHICLE MAY BE HARD TO START.CONTINUED OPERATION AFTER SUCH FAILURE MAY LEAD TO SECONDARY FAILURES OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, OXYGEN SENSOR AND EXHAUST RESONATOR. FAILURE OF RESONATOR FAILURE MAY LEAD TO AN UNDERCAR FIRE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE COMPANY STATES IN THE JULY 2003 LETTER, THAT PARTS AVAILABILITY IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PERFORM REPLACEMENTS AT THIS TIME. PROBLEM: I HAVE HAD THE ABOVE SITUATION TAKE PLACE TWICE SINCE I HAD THE CAR. IT STARTS OUT WITH A ROUGH IDLE ESPECIALLY DURING DAMP AND/OR COLD DAYS. THE POWER OF THE VEHICLE IS EXTREME. IT EITHER SEEMS TO BE GASPING FOR FUEL ETC. OR THE OPPOSITE HAS OCCURRED, WHERE THE VEHICLE SEEMS TO HAVE BURSTS OF UNUSUAL POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY.WHEN THE VEHICLE FINALLY FAILED ON THE TWO OCCASIONS, IT WAS HARD TO START, LOST POWER, THE FUEL DIDN'T SEEM TO GET THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY.TREVOSE OF SATURN TOOK CARE OF THE REPAIRS AT THAT TIME. I WAS TOLD THAT " THERE IS NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS TOLD TO THINK ABOUT EXTENDING MY CURRENT EXTENDED WARRANTY, AS IT WON'T BE COVERED IF IT HAPPENS AFTER THE CURRENT WARRSANTY RUNS OUT. SINCE THOSE TWO TIMES, I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO SATURN IN TREVOSE AGAIN. I STATED THAT THE INITIAL SYMTOMS OF LOST POWER, ROUGH IDLE IN DAMP AND/OR COLD WEATHER WAS TAKING PLACE. BOTH TIMES I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS CHECKED OUT AND NOTHING IS WRONG. I DO NOT FEEL COMFOTRTABLE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. IT HAPPENED TWICE WITHOUT WARNING. EVEN THOUGH CERTAIN SYMPTOMS WERE PRESENT THE TIMES THE FAILURES TOOK PLACE, SATURN DID NOT TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY WHEN MENTIONED TO THEM. SINCE THOSE TWO TIMES, I HAVE PRESENTED THE SYMPTOMS TO THEM, AND THEY ONCE AGAIN TAKE THEM LIGHTLY. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *AK