2001 SATURN SC Complaints

I HEAR A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF NOT WORKING PROPERLY. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME OVER $1000. I TOLD THEM NO BECAUSE I THINK IT SHOULD BE FREE SINCE A LOT OF SATURN OWNERS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH IT. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THEM? *TR

THE POWER SUNROOF ON MY 2001 SATURN SC-2 WAS MAKING A GRINDING NOISE WHEN I OPENED IT AND WHEN IT WAS CLOSING. YESTERDAY, WHILE DRIVING THE SUNROOF WAS STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE SATURN DEALER CHARGED $46.00 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WAS THE MOTOR AND THIS WOULD COST ABOUT $380.00 TO REPLACE. I AGREED TO THE CHARGE. THEN THEY CALLED TO SAY THE NEW MOTOR DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEY WANTED AN ADDITIONAL $950.00 TO REPLACE A MODULE. I TOLD THEM NOT TO DO THE WORK; THAT THE PRICE WAS TOO HIGH. THEY SAID THE CAR WAS OLD AND THIS PART ALWAYS FAILS. I ALSO REFUSED TO PAY FOR A MOTOR I DIDN'T NEED SINCE THEY MISDIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. THIS VEHICLE HAS 56,000 MILES AND I LIVE IN MICHIGAN. THE SUNROOF IS ONLY USED A FEW MONTHS A YEAR. THIS IS A FAULTY PART. IF THIS IS A PART THAT "ALWAYS FAILS" ACCORDING TO THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHY HASN'T GM HAD THEM RECALLED, AND REPAIR THEM FOR FREE?

MY DAUGHTER KATIE WAS DRIVING HER CAR AROUND A CURVED EXIT RAMP WHEN THE STEERING SEEMED TO FAIL. THE CAR VEERED WILDLY BACK AND FORTH, AND THE BRAKES WERE UNRESPONSIVE AS WELL. SHE MADE MINOR CORRECTIONS TO THE STEERING UNTIL IT FINALLY BEGAN TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. THEN A FOX RAN ACROSS THE ROAD, SHE JERKED REFLEXIVELY, AND THE CAR VEERED INTO A DITCH AND ROLLED. LUCKILY SHE WAS UNINJURED EXCEPT FOR SCRAPES, HOWEVER THE CAR WAS TOTALED - WINDSHIELD SMASHED, ROOF SMASHED, PASSENGER SIDE SMASHED, AND SO ON. HAD THERE BEEN A PASSENGER THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS INJURY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SC2. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 55 MPH. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE RPM'S INCREASED. THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE STOPPED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,861 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 100,622.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SC1. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE INCREASED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THERE WERE NO REPAIRS MADE BECAUSE THE CONTACT TRADED IN THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 60,000. UPDATED 02-01-08 *BF UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

DRIVING A 2001 SATURN SC2 RAN FRONT OF VEHICLE INTO REAR BUMPER OF A FORD TRUCK, COLLISION SPEED APPROX. 35 MPH. I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON , THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I HIT THE WINDSHIELD WITH THE TOP OF MY HEAD AND WAS KNOCKED OUT. I AM 5'7" AND WAS SITTING PROPERLY IN THE SEAT WITH BOTH HANDS ON THE STEERING WHEEL AT THE TIME OF THE COLLISION. I SUSTAINED NECK AND BACK INJURIES. *JB

ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2007, I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT ON NORTH AURORA ROAD IN NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO PROCEED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. AT THAT TIME, THE CAR REVVED TO 6000 RPM AND WENT FROM 0-40 MPH. I THOUGHT THE ACCELERATOR MUST BE STUCK, SO I TRIED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T. IT WAS NOT STUCK. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. THE CAR JUST KEPT REVVING AND GOING 40 MPH. I KNEW I HAD TO GET THE CAR STOPPED OR RISK HITTING CARS AT THE NEXT INTERSECTION OR GOING THROUGH A RED LIGHT. I SAW A ROAD TO THE RIGHT AHEAD OF ME AND DECIDED THAT I HAD TO MAKE THAT TURN. I TURNED ONTO ENTERPRISE ROAD GOING 40 MPH. IT WAS THEN THAT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED THE KEY OFF TO GET THE CAR TO STOP. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE WHERE THE MECHANIC THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A FOULED THROTTLE PLATE. HE "FIXED" THE PROBLEM AND I PICKED THE CAR UP. DRIVING THE CAR TO MY HOME APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES AWAY, THE CAR SEEMED OKAY. HOWEVER, AFTER I PUT THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND PUT IT INTO THE PARK POSITION, THE CAR REVVED AGAIN TO 3000 RPM. MY HUSBAND WITNESSED THIS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE CAR IS GOING AGAIN TO THE MECHANIC. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR.*JB

WHILE DRIVING IN THE CENTER LANE ON A 3-LANE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. NO LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE ON THE DASHBOARD PRIOR TO THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF. THE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR SWERVED INTO THE RIGHT LANE STRIKING ANOTHER MOTORIST AND THEN SPUN OUT OF CONTROL MAKING AT LEAST TWO FULL REVOLUTIONS BEFORE COMING TO A REST AGAINST THE GUARD RAILS OF THE MEDIAN. THE OTHER MOTORIST INVOLVED IN THE CRASH WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OFF THE SCENE AFTER THE POLICE RESPONDED, BUT MY CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR AN AUTOBODY AND ENGINE REPAIR ESTIMATE. THE ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC TEST INDICATED THAT THERE WERE 8 SEPARATE ERROR CODES IN THE COMPUTER. TWO WERE CAM SHAFT ERROR CODES, THREE TRANSMISSION ERROR CODES, A LOW COOLANT ERROR CODE AND A COMMUNICATIONS ERROR CODE. ALL TOGETHER THE MECHANIC ESTIMATED WELL OVER $1000 OF EXPENSE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. THAT EXPENSE IN ADDITION TO THE AUTOBODY ESTIMATE OF $4100 DOLLARS RESULTED IN A TOTAL EXPENSE NEARLY EQUAL TO THE TOTAL VALUE OF MY CAR. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 SATURN SC-2 COUPE THAT WAS BOUGHT NEW IN 2001. I HAVE ROUTINELY CHANGED THE OIL AND DONE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE HAS ~75,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN RECENTLY WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH. I TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND LEARNED THE TIMING CHAIN DID NOT BREAK BUT BECAME LOOSE. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED SATURN ENGINEERS DESIGNED THE TIMING CHAIN TO RUN THE OIL PUMP. THEREFORE, WHEN THE TIMING CHAIN BECAME LOOSE ON MY SATURN,THE OIL PUMP FAILED TO MAINTAIN OIL PRESSURE ON THAT SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND SUBSEQUENTLY SHEARED OFF A BEARING THAT TRANSFERS POWER FROM THE CAM SHAFT TO THE PISTONS. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS OCCURRED AS A DIRECT RESULT FROM THE TIMING CHAIN FAILING TO DELIVER POWER TO THE OIL PUMP. I AM LEFT WITH REPLACING THE ENGINE. I AM AWARE OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN THAT SATURN RELEASED IN 2003 THAT DIRECTLY INVOLVED PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN AND SUBSEQUENT TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY SATURN OWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT SATURN HAS HAD WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. I SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MY LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP SERVICE MANAGER ON THE PHONE. BOTH OF WHICH STATED THAT SINCE I DID THE OIL CHANGES AND ROUTINE MAINTENANCE MYSELF, THERE WAS NO RECORD OF IT BEING DONE AND THERE WAS LITTLE THEY WOULD DO TO HELP RECTIFY THE SITUATION. THEY ALSO STATED THAT I COULD PAY TO TOW MY SATURN FROM THE MECHANIC SHOP THAT IT WAS AT TO THE DEALERSHIP GARAGE WHERE THEY WOULD GIVE ME AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO FIX AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP OUT WITH COST. NO ONE AT SATURN WOULD STATE THAT THE TIMING CHAIN COULD HAVE BEEN AT FAULT IN THIS INCIDENT, ALTHOUGH EVERYONE THAT I SPOKE WITH WAS AWARE OF THE TECHNICAL BULLETIN BEING ISSUED OVER THE MATTER. I NOW AM FACED WITH REPLACING THE ENTIRE MOTOR WITH A REPLACEMENT AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF 2500 TO 3000 DOLLARS. THE DAMAGED ENGINE CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE. *NM

VEHICLE INVOLVED IN FRONT IMPACT ACCIDENT, REAR-ENDING A NON-MOVING VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH ON IMPACT (STRAIGHT-ON AND CENTER). AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, DRIVER SUSTAINED HEAD INJURY. VEHICLE DAMAGE INCLUDED FRONT BUMPER & HOOD. *NM