1997 SATURN SL Complaints

1997 SATURN SL2. STARTED ENGINE, IT RAN A FEW SECONDS, THEN STOPPED WITH ELECTRICAL SMELLING SMOKE FLOWING FROM UNDER DASHBOARD INTO CAR. AFTER IT STOPPED, IT COULD STILL BE CRANKED OVER BUT WOULD NOT FIRE AND RUN. WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND PUSHED IT INTO OUR GARAGE, WHERE IT STILL SITS.*AK

NO PRIOR INDICATION OF A FAULT. ON MARCH 26, 2005 MY WIFE WENT TO START THE CAR AND NOT ONLY WOULD IT NOT START, BUT SMOKE STARTED COMING UP FROM THE DASHBOARD. UPON HAVING IT TOWED TO A SATURN DEALER, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE IGINITION SWITCH HAD FAILED AND HAD BURNT OUT THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAR HAS 48849 MILES ON IT. THIS JUST DOES NOT MAKE ANY REASON, AS SHOULD IGINITION SWAICHES GO BAD ON A LOW MILEAGE CAR AND CAUSE SO MUCH ADDITIONAL DAMAGE?

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONSUMER LOST STEERING CONTROL. THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO HIT A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *JB. DRIVER SUSTAINED INJURIES. *AK

DEFECT DETAILS: DESIGN FLAW IN THE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY CAUSES CRACKS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. ALLOWS MOTOR OIL TO LEAK INTO THE COOLING SYSTEM/RADIATOR MIXING WITH ENGINE COOLANT IN THE ENGINE COOLANT RECOVERY RESERVOIR. MAKES THE CAR RUN HOT, RESULT IN OVERHEATING WITH POTENTIAL TO RESULT IN CRASHES. SOLUTION: TO REPLACE CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY GM/SATURN RESPONSE: COMPLAINT FILED WITH GM ON SEPTEMBER 10, 2004 VIA WRITTEN LETTER. GM RESPONSE TO THAT LETTER WAS A COURTESY CALL TO "THANK" US FOR OUR "FEEDBACK" AND HOW IT WILL BE PUT IN A DATABASE FOR THEIR ENGINEERS TO UTILIZE IN FUTURE DESIGN. WHAT A JOKE. NO HELP OR RESOLUTION OFFERED. NO RECALL OR ANY OTHER NOTICE WAS SENT VERBALLY OR IN WRITING TO US. REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. HAD PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF DEFECT AND FAILED TO DISCLOSE TO US. AMOUNTS TO FRAUDULENT BUSINESS AND UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES. GM/SATURN KNEW ABOUT THIS FLAW IN 1997 SATURN SL-1 WHEN THEY SOLD THE CAR TO US, BUT NEVER DISCLOSED IT AND NEVER OFFERED TO FIX IT. REFER TO BULLETIN NUMBER 96T65 AND BULLETIN DATE: NOVEMBER 1996 ON HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM. IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, OUR CAR HAD TO BE BROUGHT TO A MECHANIC TWICE DUE TO "CLOSE TO OVERHEATING". THE CAR IS 7 1/2 YEARS OLD AND HAS LESS THAN 85,000 MILES ON IT WITH OIL CHANGES ON TIME & ALL RECOMMENDED MAINT. ON TIME. SINCE GM/SATURN DEALERSHIP IN RENO, NEVADA DID NOT OFFER TO FIX THE DEFECT, WE GOT IT FIXED BY ANOTHER MECHANIC. COST = $1827.25. WE BELIEVE THIS IS FRAUDULENT BUSINESS PRACTICE ON PART OF GM/SATURN TO KNOWINGLY SELL THEIR DEFECTIVE CAR TO CONSUMERS WITHOUT DISCLOSING THIS AT THE TIME OF SALE AND NEVER OFFERING TO FIX THE DEFECT EVENTHOUGH IT MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND PUT SAFETY OF THE OCCUPANTS AT RISK. WE ARE SEEKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF REPAIRING THIS KNOWN DEFECTIVE PRODUCT FROM GM. A COPY OF THAT REQUEST WILL BE MAILED TO YOU SEPARATELY. WE HOPE YOUR AGENCY HAS THE AUTHORITY AND PASSION TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *NM

DEFECTIVE ENGINE CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY, ENGINE RUNS HOT & OIL MIXED WITH COOLANT IN ENGINE. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE DEFECTS WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. NO RECALL FOR CONSUMER PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. *TC

I HAVE A 1997 SATURN SL2. IT HAS APX 78K MILES. MY CAR HAS BEEN GOING THRU ALOT OF OIL. I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE MOTOR AND WAS GOING TO COST APX 4K TO FIX.

EVERY FEW MONTHS SINCE I'VE HAD MY CAR, FOR NO APPARENT REASON, IT WILL START, BUT WILL IDLE LOW. IF I TRY TO PUT IT IN GEAR, IT WILL STALL. IF I TRY TO RESTART IT AND GIVE IT GAS IT WILL IMEDIATELY CUT OFF. I'VE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC NUMEROUS TIMES AND NO ONE CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I'VE HAD THE FUEL PUMP, FUEL FILTER, OXYGEN SENSOR (TWICE), WIRES, SPARK PLUGS, ETC. REPLACED COSTING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. ONE MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WAS "THE WAY I WAS DRIVING THE CAR!" THE MOST RECENT TIME I HAD MY 2 MONTH OLD IN THE CAR AND IT STALLED WHEN I WAS IN THE INTERSECTION, TO MAKE IT THROUGH I HAD TO ACCELERATE ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO THE PROBLEM LIKE THE WEATHER, SO IT IS HARD TO PINPOINT.*AK

I BOUGHT A NEW 1997 SATURN , PAID CASH AND 2 MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE, I HAD BRAKE PROBLEMS. PUT BRAKES ON, COULD NOT STOP THE CAR (6/7/97). SATURN DID NOTHING REGARDING THIS. THEY SAID I WAS NOT USE TO THE BRAKES. TAPPED THE BACK OF A VAN. 2.) HAD GRAND CHILD IN CAR, BACKING INTO GARAGE BRAKES DID NOT HOLD AGAIN. HIT SAND BAGS HUSBAND HAD IN GARAGE THAT STOPPED CAR. SOME NUT CAME FROM ANOTHER STATE, SISN'T DRIVE EVEN 2 MILES AND SAIDM THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BRAKES!!!!! I WORKED IN A VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL (C.V.S.) IN CHICAGO, IL, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE INSPECTION WAS NOT RIGHT. WROTE TO EVERBODY, NOT HELP FROM NOBODY!!!!! I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND A SATURN TO ANYONE!!!THEY ARE LEMONS!!!I PUT A SIGN IN MY CAR SAYING DON'T BUY A SATURN, YOU'LL GET A LEMON LIKE MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASHBOARD. DEALER STATED WIRING HARNESS MELTED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERATIVE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH IN FIRST GEAR TRANSMISSION SHIFTED TO FOURTH GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, AND CONSUMER TEMPORARILY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER SHIFTED VEHICLE TO NEUTRAL, THEN BACK TO FIRST GEAR TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP MECHANIC TRIED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MUSCLES PULLS, BUMPS, AND BRUISES. *NM