1999 SATURN SL Complaints

I OWN A 1999 SL1 SATURN. ON WEDNESDAY 06/07/06, WHEN I WAS TAKING MY 23 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF HER CAR SEAT, I NOTICED THAT THE CAR SEAT WAS LOOSE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, I FOUND THE BUCKLE THAT HOLDS THE SEAT BELT (THE ONE THAT COMES UP FROM UNDERNEATH THE SEAT) HAD COME UN-STITCHED. WHEN I PULLED ON THE BUCKLE IT CAME OUT IN MY HAND. I EMAILED SATURN THURSDAY MORNING AND THEY TOLD ME TO CONTACT MY LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP. I WENT TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, SATURN OF BURLINGTON, ON FRIDAY AND SHOWED THEM THE PART AND TALKED WITH THE SERVICE MANAGER. SHE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE. SHE ALSO TOLD ME THAT WITH THE AGE OF THE CAR, BEING 7 YEARS OLD, THE BEST SHE COULD DO FOR ME WAS 10% OFF THE PART. IT DIDN'T A MATTER TO HER THAT WE HAD ONLY BEEN USING THAT SEAT BELT FOR THE LAST 4 MONTHS, SINCE THE BIRTH OF OUR SON. THE PART COSTS APPROXIMATELY $49.00. IT IS NOT THE COST THAT BOTHERS ME, IT IS THE "NOT MY PROBLEM" ATTITUDE THAT BOTHERS ME. I WAS EVEN GOING TO PUT THE BUCKLE IN MYSELF. THE DEALERSHIP SUGGESTED I CALL THE SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE. I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP UPSET THAT THEY DIDN'T SEE THE ENORMITY OF THE SITUATION. I LATER CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND TALKED WITH MELISSA. AFTER EXPLAINING THE EMAIL THAT I SENT THURSDAY, THE CONVERSATION AT SATURN OF BURLINGTON, AND MY DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE SEAT BELT FAILURE, SHE OFFERED ME A ONE TIME $50.00 INCONVENIENCE GIFT CERTIFICATE THAT I COULD USE AT ANY SATURN DEALERSHIP. HOW CAN SATURN TAKE SEAT BELT FAILURE SO LIGHTLY? WE ARE EXPECTED TO BUCKLE UP EVERY TIME WE GET IN THE CAR, BUT WHAT IS THE POINT IF THE MANUFACTURER OF THE GIVEN VEHICLE DOESN'T NEED TO HOLD UP THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN. MAYBE WE ONLY NEED TO BUCKLE UP IN A VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 7 YEARS OF AGE SINCE FAULTY SEATBELTS COULD BE A GIVEN. IF WE HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE I FOUND THE BUCKLE WAS UN STITCHED, WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO MY 23 MONTH OLD DAUGHTER, & MY 4 MONTH OLD SON SEATED RIGHT BESIDE HER? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 TO 20 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/15/06.

OUR 99 SATURN SL2 SEDAN WAS INVOLVED IN A 3 CAR ACCIDENT. THE SATURN WAS FIRST REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE FIRST AT ABOUT 45 MPH, THEN SLAMMED INTO A CAR IN FRONT OF OUR CAR WHICH WAS STOPPED. THE SEAT BACK BROKE (TO THE RECLINE POSITION). FURTHER THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. LUCKILY THE SEAT BELTS WERE BEING WORN AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND NO INJURIES OCCURRED. *JB

1999 SATURN AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY UPON FRONTAL IMPACT. THE SEAT BELT ALSO FAILED TO RESTRAIN THE CONSUMER. *TS THE SEAT BELT WAS THE SUBJECT OF A RECALL AND THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. *NM

OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THE DRIVER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER HAS COME LOOSE SEVERAL TIMES. SATURN DEALER HAS RETIGHTENED IT. I HAVE RETIGHTENED IT. DEALER HAS RETIGHTENED IT AGAIN. I HAVE RETIGHTENED IT AGAIN. DEALER HAS NEVER OFFERED OR SUGGESTED AN ACTUAL REPAIR TO STOP THESE REPEATED LOOSENING OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. *NM

1999 SATURN SL1 44300 MILES ON IT. 3-4 WEEKS AGO COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED COOLANT LEVEL WAS FINE BUT MILKY SUBS FLOATING ON TOP. CHECKED WITH RADIATOR SHOP, SUGGESTED FLUSH SYSTEM AND REPLACE COOLANT. 2 WEEKS LATER OIL LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED OIL, NONE ON DIP STICK (3 WEEKS AFTER OIL CHANGE). ADDED OIL AND VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 15-20 MILES AND BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF MONROVIA WHERE THEY FOUND A CRACKED BLOCK. DEALERSHIP AND SATURN CORP. ARE NOT WILLING TO COVER FIXING THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THERE ARE STILL PROBLEMS WITH THESE ENGINES. EARLIER MODELS HAD WARRANTIES EXTENDED TO 6 YEAR/100,000 MILES. SATURN CORP. STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS PAST THAT WARRANTY AND I AM OUT OF LUCK. I THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE AS THEY KNOW OF THE DEFECTS BUT CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I DON'T THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ALMOST $2,000 TO HAVE THIS DEFECT FIXED. I DO HAVE RECEIPTS SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE (LESS THEN A YEAR) AND MY BROTHER OWNED THE VEH. PRIOR BUT DIDN'T USE SATURN EXCEPT TWICE TO SERVICE THE VEHICLE SINCE THEY WERE NOT CLOSE TO HIS RESIDENCE WHILE HE LIVED IN TEXAS. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING AREA THE VEHICLE LIGHTLY HIT A CURB. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING UNDER 5 MPH. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE MANUAL SAID THE AIR BAGS WOULD DEPLOY FROM AN IMPACT WHILE TRAVELING 10-15 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE REASON FOR THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT UNDER 5 MPH. *AK

I PURCHASED MY SATURN SL2 4-DOOR BRAND NEW IN 1999 WITH ONLY 10 MILES ON IT. IT WAS A PERFECT CAR UNTIL IT OVERHEATED ONE DAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD ME TO USE ONLY DEX-COOL IN MY ENGINE. SO I WALKED AND PURCHASED SOME AND WENT ON MY WAY. SINCE THAT TIME MY ENGINE CONTINUOUSLY GETS OVERHEATED, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THE RADIATOR CAP AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT I HAVE A CRACKED RADIATOR HEAD WITH WARPED GASKETS WHICH WILL COST TOO MUCH FOR ME DUE TO MY BEING ON DISABILITY. MY CAR ONLY HAS 94,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE IT SERVICED REGULARLY. I FEEL THAT DEX-COOL OR THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IN FIXING MY VEHICLE TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN. *JB

I WAS TURNING ONTO A STREET THAT WAS DOWN TO ONE LANE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. THE WOMAN WHO LET ME TURN ONTO THE STREET "HEARD TIRES SQUEALING" AND THOUGHT I WAS SPEEDING UP (THOUGH I WAS NOT MOVING DUE TO TRAFFIC INCHING FORWARD SLOWLY) AND SHE HIT THE GAS TO SPEED UP. SHE REAR-ENDED ME SO HARD THAT EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, I HIT THE GUY IN FRONT OF ME AND AT THE SAME TIME MY SEAT BACK FELL BACKWARD ONTO THE BACK SEAT (RECLINING POSITION). WHEN THE SEAT RECLINED, IT MADE IT TRICKY TO REACH THE BRAKE, CLUTCH OR ACCELERATOR SO I HAD TO THROW ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER BUMPER CARS! THE SEAT NOW SEEMS TO BE "STRIPPED" AND THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE MAKES IT GO "CLICK CLICK CLICK" BACK TO A RECLINING POSITION. I AM WAITING FOR THE PART TO COME IN TO FIX IT BUT THAT ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF I DID NOT HAVE MY HEAD ABOUT ME AND HADN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON.*JB

DT: PRIOR TO FAILURE THE REAR DOOR HANDLE WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY, AND THE WINDOW HAD A MOTOR PROBLEM. WHILE DRIVING THE REAR DOOR POPPED OPEN.CHILDREN WERE IN THE CAR, AND CONSUMER STOPPED IMMEDIATELY, TOOK IT TO GET REPAIRED. THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS BEING BROKEN.*AK