2002 SATURN SL Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS UNABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE KEY WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING OPERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000. UPDATED 5/27/14*CN UPDATED 06/02/2014 *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN LS. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE DRIVER DROVE AT LOW SPEED IN A PARKING LOT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT'S INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER, WHO ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V047000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 155,000.

THE GM IGNITION PROBLEMS PROMPTING THE CURRENT RECALL ALSO AFFECTED THE CAR ABOVE. I BOUGHT THE 2002 SATURN NEW IN MARCH OF 2003, AND OWNED IT FOR OVER 10 YEARS, SELLING IT LAST FALL TO A FRIEND. I HAD IT AT THE JAKE SWEENEY (CINCINNATI) DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR STRANGE "ELECTRICAL" PROBLEMS. (CAR DID NOT HAVE AUTO DOOR LOCKS OR WINDOWS - EVERYTHING WAS MANUAL). I WOULD BE DRIVING, WHEN ALL THE DASH GAUGES WOULD GO OUT. IT WOULD REGISTER NO SPEED, NO TEMP, NO GAS, NO RPMS. ODOMETER DIDN'T MOVE. I COULD DRIVE THE CAR, STOP AND START. THEN SUDDENLY IT WOULD "COME TO". THE DEALERSHIP THOUGHT I WAS NUTS, UNTIL FINALLY IN EARLY 2013, I WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHILE IT WAS DOING IT. AFTER DAYS OF DIAGNOSTICS, THEY SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION. THEY REPLACED THE WHOLE THING (AT MY EXPENSE) AND THE PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. THEY SAID "WERE YOU AWARE THAT YOU COULD TAKE THE KEY OUT WHILE THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE?" (I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,062. *TR

I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A STOP SIGN,WENT TO PUT IT FIRST (5SPEED) AND THE SHIFTER BUSHING BROKE. THE SHIFTER WAS JUST FLOPPING AROUND.I COULD HAVE BEEN IN SERIOUS SITUATION IF I WAS IN THE CITY OR TRAVELING.OR PICKING UP A SENIOR CUSTOMER. *JS

WHILE GOING FROM A PARKED POSITION TO DRIVING. THE CAR SHIFTED GEARS VERY HARD TO THE POINT IT RATTLED THE WHOLE CAR. I STOPPED DRIVING AND CHECKED THE ENGINE AND ALL FLUID LEVELS. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. AS I PULLED OFF AGAIN IT DID THE SAME THING EACH TIME THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFTED GEARS, THIS TIME HARDER. THE MECHANIC AT WORKED TESTED THE COMPUTER AND IT REGISTERED A PROBLEM WITH THE EGR VALVE AND AN UNKNOWN CODE. WHEN I CALLED A CERTIFIED SERVICE CENTER THEY SAID THEY HAVE SEEN THIS A BUNCH OF TIMES AND THAT IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM. WITH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, WHERE IS THE RECALL TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL2. THE BRAKE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THE BULB NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE BULB WAS REPLACED, THE BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.

IGNITION SWITCH-LOCK MECHANISM IS BAD. MECHANIC STATES THIS HAS BEEN AN ON- GOING PROBLEM. REPLACING WHOLE IGNITION SYSTEM, PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE SINCE AROUND 50,000 MILE MARK. PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME CAR IS STARTED. *TR

CAR IDLES HIGH. IF YOU ARE AT A LIGHT OR PARKED IN THE CAR THE CAR WILL IDLE HIGH THEN SHUT OFF. IF YOUARE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND NEED TO PICK UP SPEED THE CAR REVS UP AND THEN RPMS GO REAL HIGH BUT NOT ANY POWER PUT INTO THE CAR TO MOVE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE WE FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR. AND IS GETTING WORSE. *TR

THE STARTER MOTOR ENERGIZED WITHOUT A KEY IN THE IGNITION OR ANYONE IN/NEAR THE CAR. IT WAS IN GEAR WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED, AND IT RAN OVER A 12 INCH "STOP" AND INTO A FREEZER WHERE IT CONTINUED TO RUN FOR SOMETIME UNTIL IT BURNED UP. THE FREEZER PREVENTED IT FROM GOING THROUGH THE GARAGE WALL AND INTO THE HOUSE. *TR