2001 SATURN SL Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING 7 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. SHE DID NOT NOTICE ANY WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE REPAIR WOULD COST $2,000. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS ADVISED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO CURRENT RECALL ON HER VEHICLE, BUT THEY WOULD COVER HALF OF THE REPAIR COST. THE CONTACT DOES NOT FEEL SHE SHOULD HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN PERTAINING TO THE TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,636.

ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS - STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION..... KEPT SHIFTING REAL HARD FROM 2ND TO 3RD (AUTOMATIC). TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC AND SAID IT WAS OUT OF HIS HANDS AND REFERRED US TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THEM AND ONCE HE LOOKED IT OVER IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION!!!! ONLY HAD 60,000 MILES - GO FIGURE. VALVE BODY!! WROTE A LETTER TO THE SATURN CORPORATE OFFICE ABOUT THE PROBLEM TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO AND TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO A SATURN SERVICE STATION. WE ALREADY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IT REPAIR, COSTING US $ 2,000.00!!!! I FEEL THAT SATURN SHOULD LOOK INTO THEIR CUSTOMER'S COMPLAINTS AND REALIZE THAT THERE ACTUALLY IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS MODELS TRANSMISSION. THIS COULD LEAD TO AN INJURY OR SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS. I DON'T THINK SATURN WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT ON THEIR SHOULDERS!! THE MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM THE BETTER AND HOPEFULLY THEY WILL MAKE THIS A RECALL FOR THE SAFETY OF THE CONSUMERS. *TR

SATURN 2001 ION IGNITION - CAR WON'T START BECAUSE KEY WON'T TURN THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SATURNS AND IS A BAD SAFETY ISSUE. PEOPLE ARE STRANDED WITH VEHICLES THAT WON'T START OR SOMETIMES EVEN TURN OFF. THIS IS AWFUL, AND SATURN KNOWS ABOUT IT, AND GM IS ASKING FOR A BAILOUT? THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL. IF GOVERNMENT WON'T FORCE A RECALL ON KNOWN ISSUES, THE COMPANY WINDS UP GOING EXTINCT DUE TO POOR QUALITY ISSUES. RECALL THIS! *TR

2001 SATURN SL2 TRANSMISSION WILL SLAM WHEN PLACED IN REVERSE REPLACED FLUIDS AND LET RUN IN REVERSE POSITION WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE SET AND BACKED UP AGAINST A TREE TO TRY AND CLEAN VALVE BODY - NO SUCCESS. *TR

LTR FROM SENATOR BINGAMAN ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENT, RE FRONT SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT IN HER 2001 SATURN SL1. *NJ THE AIR BAD DEPLOYED WHEN THE CONSUMER SON EXITED THE VEHICLE AFTER FIRMLY CLOSING THE DOOR. THE CONSUMER HAD AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR INSPECT THE VEHICLE, AND HE STATED THE VEHICLES COMPUTER REGISTERED AN EVENT THAT OCCURRED PRIOR TO THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK THIS MORNING, MY GEAR SHIFTER JUST WENT "LOOSE" AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN GEAR WITHOUT ANY ABILITY TO SHIFT. FORTUNATELY, I WASN'T HIT AS I WAS CROSSING THE ROAD AT 6:19 IN THE AM AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE FAILURE WAS THE SHIFT CABLE BUSHING HAD BROKEN. HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG/VIEWCOMMENTS_REVIEW_80337.HTML WILL SHOW MORE DETAILED COMMENTS FROM OTHER CONSUMERS. SHOULDN'T SOMETHING THAT CAN CAUSE SUCH A LOSS OF CONTROL BE MADE OUT OF SOMETHING A BIT MORE DURABLE THAN PLASTIC AND ALSO BE SOLD AS AN INDIVIDUAL PART AND NOT A $250 ASSEMBLY THAT COSTS ANOTHER $250 TO INSTALL? THE PART WAS ORDERED FROM SATURN AND WILL BE INSTALLED BY A LOCAL AAMCCO TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP THAT WAS THE CLOSEST PLACE TO MY HOME. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ABOUT 1 MILE AWAY FROM MY HOUSE. *TR

MY 2001 SATURN SL2 HAS HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT IGNITION LOCK ON DISCUSSION BOARDS. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR, BUT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JIGGLE IT TO START. I'VE BEEN LUCKY. IF THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A PROBLEM WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL RATHER THAN ALL THE FALSE CHARGES AND REPAIRS PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO PAY? *TR

MALFUNCTION OF PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG ON 2001 SATURN SL1. *NJ THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHEN THE CONSUMER'S SON EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS AT A STOP WITH THE ENGINE IDLING. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,000.

MY 2001 SATURN SL2 RECENTLY DEVELOPED A SEVER 'BUCK' IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHEN IT SHIFTS. THAT IS, WHEN IT CHANGES GEARS IT EITHER SLAMS INTO THE NEXT OR HESITATES THEN SLAMS. REVERSE IS THE MOST SEVERE AS IT SLAMMED SO HARD THAT IT BROKE THE MUFFLER FROM ITS MOUNT AT THE VERY REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE ON THE TRANSMISSION, AND THE OILS CHANGES HAVE ALSO BEEN TIMELY. I'VE READ ON SEVERAL FORUMS THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY SYMPTOMATIC OF THE MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR, BUT PREDOMINATE IN QUITE A FEW OF THE MODELS IN THE SATURN FAMILY. I'VE SINCE HAD THE FLUID CHANGED TO NO AVAIL OF CORRECTING THE PROBLEM. THE SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED ARE EXACTLY SYNONYMOUS WITH OTHERS POSTED ELSEWHERE ON ELECTRONIC MEDIUMS SUCH AS HERE: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_TRANS.HTML. THE SYMPTOMS HAVE NOT RESOLVED AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT SATURN IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT BEEN COMPELLED TO PERFORM ANY REPAIR RECOMPENSE TO THE CONSUMER FOR WHAT STATISTICALLY MUST BE A FAULTY PART KNOWN AS THE POWER CONTROL VALVE. I REALIZE THAT THIS APPEARS TO BE MORE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE THAN A SAFETY RECALL, AS A TRANSMISSION THAT GOES ON THE MEND CAN HARDLY PRECIPITATE A HIGH-SPEED CRASH RESULTING IN A FATALITY THAT WOULD SPUR AN IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION. HOWEVER, WITH REPORTS OF MOTORISTS BEING STRANDED, OR THE POSSIBILITY OF A SEVERE 'BUCKING' WHILE BEING TAILGATED, I WOULD HOPE SWIFT INVESTIGATIVE ACTION WOULD BE WARRANTED PRIOR TO ANYMORE CONSUMERS FALLING PREY TO AN UNSTABLE VEHICLE PURCHASE. *TR