2001 SATURN SL Complaints

DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED AS OF YET. WHEN TRANSMISSION IS SWITCHED TO REVERSE, THE VEHICLE GIVES A VERY STRONG JOLT BACKWARDS, LIKE A HARD-KNOCK ENGAGING OF THE GEARS, SO STRONG I AM AFRAID IT COULD CAUSE A WHIP-LASH SOMEDAY. *TR

MULTI ENGINE MISFIRE, KNOCK SYSTEM, IDLE SPEED HIGH, IGNITION SYSTEM VOLTS. THE INTAKE GASKET WAS LEAKING. MY REPAIRMAN THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT SATURNS ESPECIALLY IN THE SL1 MODEL. IF NOT FIXED, IDLE WILL INCREASE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AND JERK WHEN THE GEARS WERE SHIFTED. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE TWICE BUT WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE ON THE FIRST OCCASION. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, THEY STATED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND RECOMMENDED A REPLACEMENT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 102,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,050.

EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION - EPA PROBLEM AT 75,000 MILES OUR 2001 SL2 BEGAN TO CONSUME OIL AT AN ALARMING RATE. 1 QT IN LESS THAN 150 MILES. THIS IS LESS THAT ONE QUART PER FUEL STOP. NO OIL IS DRIPPING AND THE ENGINE IS DRY OF OIL. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF SUCH CASES POSTED ON NUMEROUS WEB SITES. ALL WITH THE SAME SYMPTOMS STARTING AT BETWEEN 60,000 AND 80,000 MILES. IT SEEMS THAT GM USED LOW TENSION OIL RINGS AND THEY STICK EASILY ALLOWING THE OIL TO BURN IN THE CYLINDER. A TEMPORARY FIX CAN BE OBTAINED BY REMOVING THE SPARK PLUGS AND FILLING EACH CYLINDER WITH CAR CLEANER. A SOAKING OF SEVERAL HOURS WILL STOP THE OIL USAGE FOR ABOUT 3000 MILES THEN IT WILL START AGAIN. THIS IS ALSO AN EPA PROBLEM AS THE OIL IS GOING OUT THE EXHAUST. THE RESPONSE FROM SATURN IS THIS FALLS IN THE REALM OF NORMAL OIL USAGE. *TR

I SAW A RECALL ON YOUR WEB SITE THAT DESCRIBED THE SAME REPAIR I NEED TO PASS EMISSIONS ON MY 2001 SATURN SL1. IT IS A FUEL TANK VENT VALVE. I CONTACTED THE SATURN DEALER AND THEY SAY THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY VEHICLE AND REFUSE TO FIX. I CAN HAVE ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC WHICH I HAD ALREADY AND IT WILL COST $85. I AM GOING TO PAY FOR THE WORK TO BE DONE NOW AND IT IS EXPENSIVE FOR A PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED ON NUMEROUS VEHICLES THE SAME AS MINE. I FEEL THIS IS WRONG. HOW CAN YOU HAVE A RECALL ON THE SAME ITEM AND NOT PUT IT ON ALL VEHICLES MADE WITH THE BAD PART? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND SLAMMED INTO GEAR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED AND THEY CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. APPROXIMATELY TEN DAYS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE LINING INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION SEPARATED, WHICH ALLOWED DEBRIS TO ENTER THE GEARS AND VALVES. AS OF NOVEMBER 27, 2007, THE MECHANIC HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT ONTO THE MAIN HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR MADE A PFFFF SOUND AND I LOST ALL POWER TO THE CAR THE MOTOR JUST STOPPED. I HAD NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES. THE DEALER STATED THE TIMING CHAIN JUST SNAPPED AND THEN 12 OUT OF THE 16 VALVES IN THE CAR BENT. I FOUND THIS INCREDIBLE ON A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. *TR

PLASTIC BUSHING ON TRANSMISSION CABLE BROKE. HAVE TO BUY THE ENTIRE CABLE ($240), PLASTIC "BUSHING" IS NOT AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE BY ITSELF - BUT THE CABLE IS NOT BROKEN, ONLY THE PLASTIC "BUSHING." SATURN DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A PART NUMBER FOR THAT PART. FOUND INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET WHERE OTHER SATURN OWNERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM, SO IT IS APPARENTLY A COMMON OCCURRENCE. REFERENCE WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.COOLGOOSE.COM/SITES/FLEMCO/CAR/CAR.HTML FOR A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THIS SATURN OWNER'S EXPERIENCE (SAME AS MINE, EXCEPT MY TRANSMISSION WAS STUCK IN FIRST GEAR). I MAY ALSO BE POSTING MY INCIDENT ON THE INTERNET TO MY BLOG, SO AS TO WARN PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING TO PURCHASE A SATURN. *AK

TL*- WHILE GETTING OUT THE 2001 SATURN SL 1, THE CONTACT CLOSED THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND THE SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY STATED THEY COULDN'T ASSIST THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CALL THE DEALER AND THE DEALER SAID TO CALL THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT HAVE ANY PREVIOUS WORK DONE ON THE AIR BAGS BEFORE, AND AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE THERE WAS NO AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT. *AK

2002 SATURN SL1. CUSTOMER STATED THAT THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS CUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY**CC THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS WORK FINE. THE DASH LIGHT ALSO STOPPED WORKING. *NM