2001 SATURN LS Complaints

MY BRAKE, TAIL, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS KEEP FAILLING. I'VE REPLACED HARNESSES AND OTHER WIRES. I ALSO HAVE SHAKING OF STEERING WHEEL AND AUTOMATIC LOCKING SYSTEM FAILURE. THEN I HAVE TROUBLE STARTING MY VEHICLE AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. NOW I HAVE OTHER LAMP (LIGHT) PROBLEMS. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY AUDIO SYSTEM WHERE IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO USE ANY OF THE BUTTONS, WHATEVER IS PLAYING THAT IS WHAT YOU HEAR UNTIL IT DECIDES TO WORK AGAIN. MY FUEL EFFICIENCY IS NOT GOOD EITHER, I'M HAVING ENGINE NOISES AND EXHAUST PROBLEMS.*AK

THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE( 03C06) REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH. WHILE DRIVING,THE CONSUMER NOTICED SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE. THE DRIVER EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE DRIVER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR A APPOINTMENT AND INSPECTION. THE DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED AFTER THE RECALL WAS FIXED. *JB *SC

NOTICED MY ALARM REMOTE KEY WAS BECOMING ULTRA SENSITIVE AND JUST FIGURED THE SMALL WATCH-LIKE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD ON THE SAME DAY I REALIZED MY INTERIOR DOME LIGHT WAS DIMMING AND MY ENGINE MADE A LOUD WRENCHING NOISE UPON THE INITIAL START. UPON LEAVING MY PLACE OF DESTINATION THE SAME EVENING I WAS UNABLE TO START MY CAR AT ALL. I FIGURED THE BATTERY HAD DIED SO I HAD A FRIEND GIVE ME A JUMP TO NO AVAIL. MY CAR WOULD TURN OVER AND AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF LESS THAN TWO SECONDS LATER. THIS FURTHER VALIDATED THAT I MOST LIKELY DIDN'T HAVE A STARTER ISSUE ON MY HANDS. THE OTHER PECULIAR THING IS THAT I NOTICED MY CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK SO I COULD PUT IT IN NEUTRAL FOR THE INEVITABLE TOW THAT FOLLOWED. THIS LEFT ME CONCERNED, AND MUCH TO MY DISMAY THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT MY BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) HAD FAILED COMPLETELY AND THREW MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OFF THE MAP. I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR A FEW YEARS AND THE COMPUTER CHIP IS FAILING, WHAT GIVES? I HAD JUST RECENTLY DROPPED A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS ON THE PREVENTIVELY MAINTENANCE PACKAGE FOR 35000 THAT SATURN RECOMMENDS. THIS MOST RECENT INCIDENT RESULTED IN $650 MORE. I AM DISGUSTED WITH THE LACK OF RESPONSE THAT I'M GETTING FROM THE MANUFACTURER, AS SEVERAL ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK TO FILE MY CONCERNS WITH THEIR HOME OFFICE.*AK

DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN I NOTICE A BURNING RUBBERY SMELL. STOP THE CAR AND CHECK ALL TIRES, THE LEFT DRIVER REAR IS EXTREMELY HOT AND SMELLY, THE OTHERS ARE NOT. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW BRAKE CALLIPER AS IT WAS DISINIGRATING AND THE SMELL WAS FROM THE BRAKE PADS GETTING SO HOT, THEY WERE MELTING. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE PADS CHANGED DO TO THE FACT THE CALIPER BINDING LOCKED ONTO BRAKE SLIDER AND WOULD NOT FREE UP. HAD I CONTINUED TO DRIVE IT LOCKED UP, IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN SO HOT, IT WOULD HAVE STARTED A FIRE UNDER THE WHEEL WELL.*AK

AFTER REPAIRS,STEERING WHEEL STARTED SMOKING. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS TO THE IGNITION MODULE. ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AFTER THE REPAIRS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE AREA AROUND THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER WHO DID THE RECALL REPAIRS, BUT THEY INDICATED THAT THE CONSUMER WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. *NM

RIGHT REAR TAIL LIGHT WENT DIM, THEN INOPERATIVE. ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS HOLDING BULB SOCKET TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD HAS CORRODED OR WEAKENED. NECESSARY TO REPLACE TAIL LAMP ASSEMBLY. LEFT SIDE ALREADY REPLACED FOR A SIMILAR CONCERN. *NM

THE TAIL LIGHTS WOULD NOT COME ON WHEN APPLIED. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE TAIL LIGHTS WILL NOT WORK. CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TAIL LIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE CUT OFF. IT DID NOT MATTER THE SPEED. CONSUMERHAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A SATURN DEALER YET, BUT HAD A PRIVATE MECHANIC LOOK AT IT. THE PRIVATE MECHANIC TOLD HIM IT WAS THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR THAT WAS FAULTY.*AK

THIS CONCERS THE SATURN 2001 LW300. WHEN THERE IS A ELECTRICAL POWER FAILURE, SUCH AS A DEAD BATTERY, THE CAR CANNOT BE TAKEN OUT OF PARK. IF THIS HAD TAKEN PLACE ON A RAILROAD TRACK THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT.

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED MORE THAN ONCE AND HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL. *JB