2001 SATURN LS Complaints

WHILE ACCELERATING TRANSMISSION IS HARSH OR FAILS TO SHIFT IMMEDIATELY, RESULTING IN CAR SURGING FORWARD. DEALER HAS REPLACED SEALS AND PROBLEM DIMINISHED SOME. PROBLEM THEN CAME BACK TO PRE-REPAIR STATE- TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP. PROBLEM CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED.

WINDSHIELD WIPERS CHATTER AND HOP ACROSS WINDSHIELD, LEAVING UNWIPED AREAS. BLADES WERE REPLACED YET PROBLEM PERSISTS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON, THE HEADLIGHTS AND DASH LIGHTS DIM FOR NO KNOWN REASON, EITHER WITH OR WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL GETTING THE SAME RESULT. WAS TOLD BY SATURN DEALER THAT THIS WAS COMMON AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I WOULD THINK THAT VOLTAGE REGULATION WOULD BE A SIMPLE THING TO FIX.

HORN SENSOR IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO LOCATE AND VERY HARD TO DEPRESS IN A EMERGENCY SITUATION. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

POSSIBLE CHECK VALVE STICKING ON THE BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM LINE CAUSING LOSS OF POWER ASSIST WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. NLM

AFTER BEING DRIVENVEHICLE STOPPED, AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM ENGINE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALER'S TECHNICIAN DID NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.*AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN SHE SLAMMED ON BRAKES, AND FRONT OF VEHICLE IMPACTED A TREE. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, FRONTAL, DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. RATE OF INCLINE AND LOCATION OF SENSORS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FAILURE OF AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. *AK

THE USER'S MANUAL INDICATES THAT I SHOULD HAVE A LOCKING GAS DOOR. REPEATED CONTACTS WITH SATURN LED TO BEING TOLD THE LOCKING DOOR HAD BEEN ELIMINATED AS A COST SAVINGS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 2001 MODEL YEAR. ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT REMOVED FROM THE USERS MANUAL, THE COST OF RETROFITTING MY 2001 MODEL WAS TOO GREAT TO BE FEASIBLE AND THEY CONSIDERED IT A MISPRINT AFTER I BROUGHT IT TO THEIR ATTENTION. INSTEAD, THEY OFFERED A LOCKING GAS CAP WHICH AFTER TWO MONTHS THEY COULD NOT LOCATE. SINCE THE LOCKING GAS CAP WOULD COST SOMEWHERE IN THE $20 RANGE THEY SAID THEY WERE OFFERING A "FREE" LUBRICATION AND OIL CHANGE. I TOLD THEM THAT WAS AN INSULT TO MY INTELLIGENCE SINCE THE RETROFIT WOULD OBVIOUSLY COST CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN $20 AND I WOULD NOT ACCEPT THEIR OFFER. I FURTHER SAID I WOULD RATHER WAIT FOR SOMEONE WITH THE WHEREWITHAL TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT ON BEHALF OF THOSE BUYERS WHO WERE MISLED TO BELIEVE THEY HAD PURCHASED A CAR WITH A LOCKING GAS DOOR. THEY TOLD ME MY FILE WAS MARKED AS CLOSED SINCE I DID NOT ACCEPT THEIR OFFER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ON A CLEAR LEVEL ROAD THE LEFT REAR TIRE RUPTURED AT THE SIDEWALL FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE VEERED HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT UNDER ACCELERATION. I THEN CHECKED THE TIRE PRESSURE ON ALL FOUR WHEELS AND FOUND THEM TO BE NORMAL PRIOR TO THE TIRE RUPTURING. I THEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER WITH THE TIRE AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO COMPLAINED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER STEVE ABOUT THE CAR VEERING HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT. I THEN EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE WITH THE TIRES THAT ARE ON THE CAR AND REQUESTED THAT THEY BE REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR EQUIVALENTS. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED AND REPLACED THE FIRESTONE TIRES WITH GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE VEERING HEAVILY TO THE RIGHT UNDER ACCLERATION AND THAT NOTHING HAD BEEN DONE TO THE VEHICLE OTHER THAN REPLACE THE TIRES. SINCE REPLACEMENT OF THE TIRES THE VEHICLE HAS PERFORMED WELL WITHOUT THE VEERING TO THE RIGHT. I NOTICED THAT THE RENTAL VEHICLE HAD THE SAME FIRESTONE TIRE AND FOUND THE SIDEWALLS TO BE SOFT.THIS AFTER CHECKING THAT THE AIR PRESSURE HAD BEEN NORMAL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND ADVISE.*AK (TIRESIZE: 205/65R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 205/65R15 )

WHILE AT DEALER, NOTICED THAT THERE WERE ALL LAP AND SHOULDER SEATBELTS WERE INOPERATIVE WHILE DRIVING CHILD IN CCS, SEAT TILTED OVER WHENEVER TURNING A CORNER. FELT WAS DUE TO DESIGN OF THE SEATBELTS. *AK WHEN THE TETHER STRAP WAS INSTALLED THE SEAT DID NOT TIP OVER. *YH