1997 SATURN SC1 Complaints

1) EXCESSIVE OIL USEAGE AFTER 60,000 MILES ON ENGINE. ) NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT TO SHOW OIL IS LOW AND NEEDS ADDED; ENGINE SEIZES WHILE DRIVING. COULD HAVE CAUSED ACCIDENT TRYING TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT POWER.*AK 3) ENGINE WAS REPLACED ONCE AT 65,000 MILE. SAME HAS HAPPENED AGAIN AND ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. THIS ENGINE HAS APPROX 81,000 MILES. OIL WAS CHANGED LESS THAN 5000 MILES AGO AND HAS BEEN REGULARLY CHANGED BETWEEN 3,000 AND 5,000 MILES. NO PRIOR INDICATION OF PROBLEM. ENGINE JUST SEIZED WHILE DRIVING.

MANUAL TRANSMISSION SHIFT LINKAGE BROKE WHILE DRIVING. THE SHIFTER GOT INTO THE LINKAGE AND THEN BROKE OFF. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER, AND PURCHASED A NEW SHIFTING LINKAGE AND HAD THE DEFECT REPAIRED BY HIMSELF. *AK

AFTER STOPPING AND PARKING THE VEHICLE THE REVERSE GEAR WOULD NOT WORK. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED OVER FIFTY TIMES SINCE JULY 2003. ONCE THE VEHICLE COOLED DOWN THE REVERSE GEAR WOULD WORK PROPERLY. THE DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED. *LA *NM

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A SEAT BELT RETRACTING PROBLEM. A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON THIS MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SWERVE UNCONTROLLABLY, THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, HIT THE MEDIAN AND THE VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED SERIOUS HEAD INJURIES. *AK *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN HE GOT INTO VEHICLE AND TRIED TO START IT VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE AROUND THE DASH AND STEERING COLUMN. VEHICLE FILLED UP WITH SMOKE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOP, WA STOLD BY TECHNICIAN THAT WIRING HARNESS HAD BEEN FRIED. *AKTHEY STATED THAT IT WAS THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS AND IT WOULD COST HIM 4-5 THOUSANDS DOLLARS TO REPAIR, AND MORE IF IT DAMAGED SOMETHING ELSE.

I BOUGHT MY SATURN IN MAY OF 1999, AT 20,000 MILES. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY A LEASE VEHICLE. AT 73,000 MILES, THE ENGINE STARTED TO BURN OVER 2.5 QUARTS OF OIL EVERY 3000 MILES. THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE ENGINE WAS REBUILT. AT APPROXIMATELY 150,000 MILES THE ENGINE STARTED BURNING AGAIN. I HAVE TO HAVE MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 1500 TO 2000 MILES NOW. I HAVE BEEN TOLD, BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS, THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE SATURN SC2S. I'VE ALSO HAD THE IGNITION REPLACED. I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STARTING IT UP AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES. EVERY TIME I STARTED IT UP, IT WOULD TAKE A WHILE TO TURN OVER, UNTIL ONE MORNING WHEN I TRIED TO GO TO WORK, IT WOULDN'T START UP AT ALL. I HAVE ALSO BEEN THROUGH 3 ALTERNATORS AND THREE BATTERIES. I HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF MY CAR AND HAVE NEVER HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH CARS I HAVE HAD PRIOR, THAT HAVE BEEN TWICE AS OLD, AND ALMOST DOUBLE THE MILEAGE. OF COURSE, THOSE CARS WERE NOT GM PRODUCTS. I THINK I WILL GO BACK TO MY PERVIOUS BRAND.*AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE MOTOR MOUNTS COLLAPSED WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE ALMOST HITTING 3 PEDESTRIANS.

RAINY DAYS VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE THE TECHNICAL DIAGNOSES OF CAUSE LEAKING.*AK

VEHICLE HAS ONLY 37,000 MILES ON IT, ENGINE IS DEAD. WILL COST OVER $3000 FOR NEW ENGINE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN IN FOR NUMEROUS REPAIRS, MANY PROBLEMS, AND MOST WERE NEVER FIXED. I APPROACHED THE DEALERSHIP IN SUMMER 2000 ABOUT GOING TO ARBITRATION RE: HAVING VEHICLE REPLACED, AND THEY REFUSED TO PROVIDE THE AREA REPRESENTATIVELY NAME AND NUMBER. I GOT IT ANYWAY AND FILED A COMPLAINT. DEALER PROMISED TO RECTIFY ALL ISSUES, AND REPAIRED SEVERAL PROBLEMS, WHICH HAVE ALL RECURRED (AND WORSE) SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. PROBLEMS HAVE INCLUDED ELECTRICAL, FUSE MALFUNCTIONS (WINDOWS, LOCKS, CD PLAYER, SUNROOF), AIR CONDITIONER LEAKAGE, ENGINE STALLING, ENGINE OVERHEATING, TRUNK LEAKING, ETC. NOW ENGINE HAS COMPLETELY FROZEN. I HAVE TAKEN GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR, WITH REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM PRODUCT AGAIN. *JB