1998 SATURN SL Complaints

MY NEW HUSBAND AND I HAD JUST DRIVEN OVER 300 MILES THE NIGHT BEFORE ON THE INTERSTATE TO OUR HONEYMOON DESTINATION. THE NEXT AFTERNOON, WE WERE TRAVELING ON A DIVIDED FOUR LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN A TIRE BLEW. THE TIRES WERE RELATIVELY NEW AND HAD LITTLE WEAR. THE GENTLEMAN AT THE TIRE DEALERSHIP SHOWED US WHERE THE TIRE HAD JUST "RUPTURED" ON ITS ON. THE TIRE WAS MADE BY FIRESTONE AND WAS AN AFFINITY LABEL. I REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE AND THE OPPOSITE TIRE ON THE FRONT (MY CAR IS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE). THE REMAINING TWO TIRES ON THE REAR LOOK JUST LIKE THE FRONT TIRES DID, AND THE SALESMAN RECOMMENDED WE HAVE THEM CHECKED AS WELL AND ALSO RECOMMENDED THEY BE REPLACED ASAP. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS SAME TIRE (AFTER I MADE MY PURCHASE) AND WAS WORRIED. I FEEL THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FIRESTONE ASAP BECAUSE THEY ARE UNSAFE. *JB

MY BROTHER WAS KILLED JUNE 24, 2005, IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT. HE WAS DRIVING A 1998 SATURN SL ON AN INTERSTATE IN MISSISSIPPI, THE SATURN WENT OUT OF CONTROL, HIS SEATBELT (WHICH HE ALWAYS WORE) AND HE WAS EJECTED FROM THE CAR. SINCE HIS DEATH, I'VE FOUND ON NHTSA'S SITE ALMOST 30 DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS FROM 1998 SATURN SLY OWNERS DESCRIBING SERIOUS FAILURES OF THAT CARS STABILITY, BRAKES, STEERING, AND AIR BAGS---ALL OF WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAR GOING OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, THE DRIVERS IN THE 30 COMPLAINTS I'VE FOUND ALL STATED THAT THE INJURIES WERE NOT FATAL. MY BROTHER AND OUR FAMILY ARE NOT SO FORTUNATE. THE 1998 SATURN SL'S FAILURES KILLED MY BROTHER. ALL OF THESE FAILURES WERE REPORTED TO NHTSA YEARS AGO, SO HIS DEATH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. NHTSA AND THE SATURN COMPANY OWE ME AND MY FAMILY SOME ANSWERS. AND NHTSA AND SATURN MUST ACT NOW BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY THIS FATAL CAR.*JB

FREQUENTLY WHEN THE FRONT SEAT BELTS ARE BUCKLED THEY APPEAR TO BE SECURED, BUT ARE NOT AND COME UNDONE. THIS IS THE ONLU CAR I HAVE EVER DRIVEN THAT YOU ARE NOT LOCKED INTO YOUR SEAT BELT WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE.*AK

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT TOTALED MY CAR. I WAS ONLY TRAVELING 15-20 MPH WHEN I HIT A CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON. I HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. ALL OF US SUSTAINED INJURY BECAUSE THE SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK UP AND HOLD US. MY BACK SET PASSENGER WAS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND SHE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH FACIAL INJURIES THAT LEFT A GASH UNDER HER LEFT EYE AND RUN BURN ALL OVER HER FACE. MY FRONT PASSENGER WENT FLYING INTO THE FROM WIDSHIELD AND HIS HEAD HIT AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. THE BELT RESTRAINED HIM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS IT STAYED CONNECTED TO THE CAR BUT MY FRONT PASSENGER ONLY STOPED AS SOON AS THE SEATBELT EXTENDED AS FAR AS IT COULD. I WAS DRIVING AND WAS PUSED DOWN INTO THE AIRBAG BY MY PASSENGER SITTING BEHIND ME. I SUSTANINED A SMALL FRACURE THAT LOOSENED MY TWO FRONT TEETH. MY BACK PASSENGER IS THE ONLY ONE TO SUSTAIN DAMAGE FROM THE ACTUAL SEATBELT AND IT WAS AROUUND HER STOMACH, WHICH SEE WAS 7 MONTHES PREGNAT AT THE TIME. THE BABY IS OK AND SHE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THE NEXT MORNING. *JB

WHILE PARKING MY 1898 SATURN SL IN A HOSPITAL GARAGE, THE SHIFT LEVER WENT LIMP WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WAS NO WAY TO OPERATE THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN I REMOVED THE CONSOLE, I DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING THAT CONNECTS THE MANUAL SHIFT LEVER TO THE SHIFT CABLE WAS MISSING. THERE WAS NO LONGER ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE ENTIRE SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. SATURN TOLD ME THAT THE BUSHING IS MADE ONTO THE CABLE RATHER THAN BEING AVAILABLE AS A SEPARATE PART. IF THIS BUSHING HAD FAILED IN A TRAFFIC SITUATION IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE BUSHING SHOULD BE DESIGNED SUCH THAT IF IT BRAKES; THE SHIFT LEVER WILL REMAIN CONNECTED TO THE SHIFT CABLE AND JUST CAUSE SLOPPY SHIFTING THEREBY WARNING THE DRIVER THAT REPAIR IS REQUIRED. I STILL HAVE THE OLD SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY. *JB

1998 SATURN SL SEAT BELTS ARE DEFECTIVE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE DRIVERS SEAT BELT WOULD UNLATCH WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING. *JB

CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD ON 1998 SL1 SATURN WITH 70,000 MILES. CAR WAS LOOSING COOLANT. COST $2,000 IN LABOR TO REPAIR, PROBLEM SEEMS TO APPEAR WITH OTHER CONSUMERS COMPLAINING AS WELL. MANUFACTURER SHOULD CONSIDER THIS A DEFECT AND REIMBURSE FOR COST OF REAPIR.*AK

MY 23 YR OLD SON WAS TRAVELING FROM VENTURA, CA AT 75 MPH ON FWY 99 N BOUND IN THE MIDDLE LANE (OF 3) AT ABOUT 1 A.M. IN FRESNO, CA. JUST BEFORE ARRIVING AT HIS EXIT TO HWY 41 N, THE REAR END BEGAN TO SKID TO THE LEFT. DRIVER STEERED INTO THE SKID TO CORRECT WHILE STEPPING ON THE BRAKES TO REDUCE SPEED. SUDDENLY THE REAR END OF THE CAR WAS HURLED INTO THE AIR CAUSING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO GO AIRBORNE, CLEARING THE THIRD LANE (FAR RIGHT LANE) AND LANDING ON TOP OF ASPHALT BERM AND SOFT, SANDY EMBANKMENT RESULTING IN THE CAR ROLLING AND GOING AIRBORNE, BOUNCING OFF THE REAR END OF THE CAR AND GOING AIRBORNE YET A THIRD TIME LANDING UPSIDE DOWN ON THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY WITH THE NOSE OF THE CAR EXTENDING INTO THE THIRD LANE. DRIVER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES BUT CHP OFFICERS WERE ASTONISHED IT WAS NOT A FATALITY. CAR WAS TOTALED. TALKS WITH SATURN HEADQUARTERS HAS ONLY RESULTED IN DENIAL THAT THE SPINDLE COULD HAVE CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. THEY INSIST A TIRE BLOWOUT WAS MOST LIKELY THE CAUSE. PERSONAL INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WAS NO BLOWOUT. EVIDENCE POINTS TOWARD THE SPINDLE BREAKING ALLOWING THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO FOLD DOWN UNDER THE CAR CAUSING IT TO SKID TO THE LEFT. THE APPLICATION OF BRAKES BROUGHT THE FRONT END OF THE CAR DOWN ENOUGH TO ALLOW THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY TO CATCH THE FRAME ASSEMBLY AND PITCH THE CAR INTO THE AIR WHILE TEARING OUT THE ENTIRE REAR WHEEL WELL ASSEMBLY. PARTS OF THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY WERE FOUND 40 FEET BEFORE THE IMPACT OF THE CAR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE (WHICH WOULD BE IMPACT #2) AS IT TUMBLED ACROSS THE FREEWAY EMBANKMENT. NO ONE SEEMS TO WANT TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE WRECKAGE INCLUDING OUR INSURANCE AND SATURN.*AK

VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. TAKEN TO MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THAT VEHICLE WAS 5 QUARTS LOW ON TRANSMISSION FLUID AND VEHICLE WOULD HAVE STOPPED RUNNING IF NOT TAKEN CARE OF AT THAT TIME. ALTHOUGH VEHICLE ONLY HAD 35000 MILES ON IT TRANSMISSION, WHICH HAD DEFECT, HAD TO BE REBUILT FOR $2400+.*AK

MY WIFE'S '98 SATURN SL1 HAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT A WEEK AGO, SHE WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR. AFTER TAKING THE CENTER CONSOLE OUT, I NOTICED THAT A RUBBER GROMMET THAT ATTACHED THE SHIFT ROD TO THE SHIFT CABLES HAD ROTTED AND BROKEN IN HALF. NORMALLY, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN VERY EASY TO REPLACE. A NEW GROMMET COULD VERY EASILY BE POPPED IN WITH AROUND 1/2 HOUR OF WORK. WHEN I APPROACHED THE LOCAL SATURN DEALERS, THEY SAID THEY DID NOT HAVE THE .50 CENT GROMMET AVAILABLE, AND THAT THE ENTIRE SHIFTER CABLE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED (THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CABLES THEMSELVES). THE PERSON WORKING THERE SAID THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE CABLES VERY OFTEN. TOTAL COST FOR THE CABLES AND LABOR IS AROUND $600. THEY DO NOT SELL THE GROMMET SEPERATELY. GETTING SUSPICIOUS, I WENT ON THE INTERNET TO RESEARCH THE PROBLEM. I FOUND MANY SITES WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM (SEE HTTP://WWW.CHAOSMAGNET.COM/BLOG/ARCHIVES/000112.HTML, HTTP://WWW.AUTOGUIDE.NET/CGI-SEC/AUTOPARTS/MESSAGES/MSG.CGI?1589.SHTML, FOR EXAMPLE). ALL COULD EASILY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM BY GETTING A NEW RUBBER GROMMET. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT SATURN NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT. SPENDING $600 FOR A $5 REPAIR IS REDICULOUS AND WRONG. ALSO, MY WIFE'S CAR IS COMPLETELY OUT OF COMISSION UNTIL THIS CAN BE REPLACED. MANY REPORTS FROM OTHER OWNERS I HAVE READ HAVE STATED THAT TO GET AROUND SPENDING $600, THEY ARE USING SELF MADE FIXES. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS TO DO, AND COULD CAUSE ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. HOWEVER, THEIR OPTIONS ARE SOMEWHAT LIMITED UNLESS THEY WISH TO SPEND A LOT OF MONEY. AGAIN, THIS PROBLEM COULD BE EASILY RECTIFIED IF SATURN WOULD SIMPLY MAKE THE GROMMET AVAILABLE FOR SALE. REGARDS, JAMES LANGFORD.