1996 SATURN SL Complaints

PURCHASED THE CAR USED WITH APPROX 24000 MILES. SEEMED FISHY AT FIRST BUT DEALERSHIP INSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. OIL LIGHT CAME ON AFTER ONLY A WEEK FROM PURCHASE. DID NOT LOOK LIKE DEALERSHIP SERVICED ENGINE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND INFORMED THEM OF THE OIL LIGHT. THEY NEVER TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM AND TO BRING IT IN, THEY JUST BRUSHED IT OFF AS A SHORT. WHEN QUESTIONING THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE SERVICING OF THE CAR, THEY REPLIED "YOU SHOULD NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING." NOW HERE I AM WITH A CAR THAT HAS ONLY (SUPPOSEDLY) 33000 MILES ON IT AND THE ENGINE IS NO GOOD. HAROLD MOTORS LAUGHS IN OUR FACE WHEN I TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ENGINE. THEY WILL NOT HELP US IN ANY WAY NOR WILL SATURN. FOR A CAR WITH ONLY 33000 MILES ON IT, I CANNOT SEE IT BREAKING, ESPECIALLY THE ENGINE WHICH SATURN BRAGS ABOUT IN EVERY COMMERCIAL. WE ARE AT A STANDSTILL TRYING TO CONTACT SATURN TO ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM. WITH THE ENGINE BREAKING WITH ONLY 33000 MILES ON IT, IT IS DEFECTIVE. SATURN HAS DEFECTIVE ENGINES ON THEIR SL1 MODELS IN 1996, SO THIS MATTER NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO. THE QUOTE FOR A NEW ENGINE IS 3400.00 WHICH WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY . THANK YOU. *AK

AT 32,000 MILE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK

BRAKE FAILURE WHEN COMING TO A STOP.BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR CAR WAS VERY SLOW TO STOP.AFTER THE FIRST FAILURE BRAKE SHOP WAS UNABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM.THE SECOND FAILURE WAS AT THE SAME SPEED 35 M/H WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL HAVING THE SAME ACTION.SATURN WAS UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM THE SECOND TIME AND TESTED IT TWO TIMES.*AK

AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES, WHEN I STOP AND PUT CAR IN REVERSE, IT HESITATES THEN ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO REVERSE. I HAVE CHECKED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND FOUND TSB#96-T-38A IN REGARDS TO HARSH ENGAGEMENT INTO REVERSE ON THE SATURNS. THIS SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE MY PROBLEM. *AK

SQUEALING NOISE FROM ENGINE AREA IN RAINY WEATHER, DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE DRIVE BELT DUE TO IT BEING DRY AND CRACKED. *SLC

TIRE TREAD PEELED OFF WHILE TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE AT 60 MPH. *AK (TIRESIZE: P75/R15)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P75/R15 )

COMPLETE TREAD SEPARATION ON RIGHT-REAR TIRE. TIRE IS NOT LISTED IN RECALL OR 9/1 CONSUMER ADVISORY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: W2EPBCA086 TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )

AT 10 AM ON 9/24/2000 GOING WEST ON THE 210 AT APPROX. 65 MPH. SLIGHT BUMPINESS FOR LESS THAN THREE MINUTES, THEN BLOWOUT OCCURRED. TIRE EXPLODED AND VEHICLE FISHTAILED ACROSS THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC. MERCIFULLY, NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE TREAD SEPARATED( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65R1 )

I WAS RETURNING TO HAMILTON, MT FROM HAVING MY CAR IN FOR IT'S 24,000 SERVICE AT THE SATURN DEALER IN SPOKANE, WA. I EXITED I-90 AT THE LIBERTY LAKE EXIT AND, AS I WAS APPROACHING THE END OF THE RAMP, MY PASSENGER SIDE FRONT TIRE BLEW OUT. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 30MPH. I INFORMED SATURN OF THIS BY TELEPHONE 9/14/00. NO VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS DONE AND A TIRE DEALER WAS A BLOCK AWAY SO I PURCHASED A NEW SET OF TIRES (DAYTON). I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH CONTINUING TO KEEP THE 3 TIRES THAT HAD NOT BLOWN OUT ON MY VEHICLE.AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P195/60R15 )

WHILE DRIVING BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED,CAUSING NO BRAKING ABILITY. HAD TO USE EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. SATURN SAID IF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS APPLIED IT WOULD AFFECT THE BRAKING SYSTEM, AND THAT WAS THE REASON WHY VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK