1995 SATURN SL Complaints

ENGINE RUNNING LOUD WHEN OIL CHECKED IT WAS VERY LOW HAD JUST GOTTEN OIL CHANGE. GOT ANOTHER OIL CHANGE TO BE ON SAFE SIDE. ABOUT 2000 MILES AFTER THAT OIL CHANGE THERE WAS ALMOST NO OIL LEFT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE, AND PROCEEDING THROUGH TRAFFIC, TOOK EYES OFF THE ROAD AND REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED AN OIL LEAK AT THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD. ALSO, ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD WAS CRACKED. A TSB WAS ISSUED ON THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING, WITHOUT WARNING, ENGINE CUTS OFF. THIS CAUSES A LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE VEHICLE. ALSO, VEHICLE HAS TO BE TURNED OFF AND STARTED BACK UP. DEALER HAS SEEN VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, AND CAN'T FIND CAUSE. *AK

DRIVER'S SEAT BACK RECLINER GEAR TEETH ARE WORN EXCESSIVELY AND THE SEAT-BACK SLIPS REARWARD WHEN MINOR FORCE IS APPLIED. I CONTACTED SATURN (ROBERT HALL) REGARDING REMEDY FOR THIS PROBLEM UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 99V045000. HE STATED THAT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL, THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT AT THEIR COST. HE FURTHER STATED THAT THE COMPANY'S POSITION IS THAT THE SEAT-BACK RECLINER MECHANISM IS A "WEAR PART" AND THAT BECAUSE MY CAR IS 5-YEARS OLD, THIS KIND OF WEAR IS EXPECTED. I DISAGREE. MY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN 11/94. THE ORIGINAL RECALL COVERED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED 1/94 -8/94. IF ANYTHING, MY CAR IS NEWER AND THE MECHANISM SHOULD HAVE LESS WEAR. MR HALL FURTHER STATED THAT THE HIGH MILES INDICATED THAT THE PART WOULD BE EXPECTED TO FAIL. AGAIN, I DISAGREE. THE SEAT-BACK MECHANISM IS GENERALLY ADJUSTED ONLY ONCE EACH TRIP (OFTEN NOT AT ALL). UNLESS THE PART IS DESIGNED TO FAIL THROUGH NORMAL WEAR, IT SHOULD NOT FAIL SIMPLY BECAUSE THE AVERAGE TRIP LENGTH IS LONGER, AS OCCURS ON THE RELETIVELY LONG COMMUTES IN ALASKA. MR HALL STATED THAT THE PROBLEM "LOT" OF FAULTY SEAT-BACK MECHANISMS WAS FOUND AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AT THE FACTORY ON MY CAR. ONE MORE TIME, I DISAGREE. I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED AND THAT THE MANUFACTURER CONTINUED TO INSTALL FAULTY SEAT-BACK RECLINER MECHANISMS AFTER AUGUST 1994. I REQUEST THAT THE ORIGINAL RECALL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE MY VEHICLE AND ANY OTHER THAT SUFFER FROM THE SAME SAFETY DEFECT AND THAT THIS SAFETY DEFECT BE REPAIRE AT NO COST TO ME.*AK

WHILE IDLING IN PARK POSITION ENGINE BEGAN RACING ON ITS OWN ACCORD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. WHILE PULLING INTO THE DEALERSHIP ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE. PUT IT IN PARK AND GOT THE SERVICE MANAGER TO OBSERVE. HE HAD NO EXPLANATION. *AK

WHEN VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF ANOTHER VEHICLE, TRAVELING ABOUT 20 MPH, THERE WAS NO DEPLOYMENT OF DRIVER'S SIDE OR PASSENER'S SIDE AIR BAGS. NOT SURE OF THE DAMAGES OR IF THE VEHICLE WILL BE TOTALLED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

ON FEB. 24, I WAS REAR-ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. THE IMPACT PUSHED MY CAR INTO THE INTERSECTION AHEAD OF ME. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. HOWEVER, MY DRIVER'S SEAT WAS FORCED INTO THE FULLY RECLINING POSITION AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE - NOT EVEN A SCRATCH. MY 2-YEAR DAUGHTER WAS SEATED IN HER CAR SEAT, LOCATED IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. IF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED, OR IF THE CHILD CAR SEAT WAS POSITIONED BEHIND THE DRIVERS SEAT, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED BY THE FORCE OF THE FRONT SEAT SUDDENLY AND FORCEFULLY RECLINING ONTO HER LEGS. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF TRANSPORTING MY DAUGHTER IN MY SATURN. AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPERIENCE, I HAVE MOVED THE CAR SEAT TO THE CENTER POSITION. BUT THE SEAT DOES NOT FIT TIGHTLY THERE - IT MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE. EVEN IN THE CENTER POSITION, BOTH FRONT SEAT BACKS HIT THE EDGES OF THE CAR SEAT WHEN THEY ARE RECLINED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE FROM THE ENGINE. THEN, VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE TECHNICIAN TOLD CONSUMER THAT IT WAS DUE TO A ENGINE PISTON WEARING OUT. *AK

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, HEARD A LOUD NOISE UNDER THE VEHICLE AND LOST POWER. PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO FIND TRANSMISSION FLUID AND PARTS OF THE HOUSING ON THE HIGHWAY.ALSO FOUND VARIOUS OTHER TRANSMISION PARTS FARTHER UP THE ROAD. *AK