1998 SATURN SL Complaints

1998 SATURN WITH 49,000 MILES NEEDED THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION TO BE REBUILT. THE VALVE BODIES ARE KEPT IN STOCK AT SATURN OF ROUTE 23 BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SATURN. THE CAR HAD BEEN PROPERLY MAINTAINED, TRANS SERVICE AT 25,500 MILES. SATURN WILL TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY IN THE COST OF REPAIRS. I'VE NOTED THAT SATURN IS ON SEVERAL WEBB SITES WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURES DOCUMENTED.

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED . CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, AND WAS NOT SURE IF THERE WERE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER NOTICED UPON STARTING VEHICLE PARK PAW WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK THIS HAPPENED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. CONSUMER HAD TO ROCK THE VEHICLE, RESTART, PUMP THE BRAKES AND GIGGLE THE LEVER BEFORE IT WOULD RELEASE. WHEN CHANGING GEAR A SCRAPPING SOUND WAS HEARD AND SATURN STATED IT WOULD GET WORSE. AFTER FOUR TIMES, CONSUMER HAD IT REPLACED AT A COST OF $#144.09. CONSUMER NOTED SATURN WOULD NOT WORK ON HIS VEHICLE MAYBE BECAUSE HE FILLED A COMPLAINT FOR SHABBY WORK. *PH

PROBLEMS WITH GEAR SHIFT ON 1998 SATURN SL1. *MR THE GEAR SHIFT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK AND THE BCSI SOLENOID WAS REPLACED. *SCC *JB

FOR THE PAST 2-3 YEARS I HAVE HAD A MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM WITH MY SATURN SL2 '98. I BROUGHT IT TO TWO SATURN DEALERSHIPS WHO TOLD ME THAT I HAD NO LEAK NOR WAS MY CAR BURNING OIL, IN ESSENCE THAT I WAS IMAGINING THIS PROBLEM. IN JULY OF 2003, THE PROBLEM HAD GOTTEN SO BAD THAT I WAS ADDING OIL EVERY 100 MILES, THEN THE CAR BROKE DOWN AND I BROUGHT IT TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIMING BELT/GASKET AND I REPLACED THEM ON THEIR RECOMMENDATION THAT IT WOULD FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS - COST $1000. THE CAR CONTINUES TO CONSUME MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF OIL AND REGULARLY EXHIBITS A BURNING SMELL. I BROUGHT IT TO A SATURN DEALER LAST WEEK WHO NOW TELLS ME THAT THE CAM COVER IS CRACKED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, HE TOLD ME THAT I PROBABLY INDEED HAVE SIGNIFICANT ENGINE DAMAGE AS A RESULT OF MY MANY OIL PROBLEMS THAT THIS REPAIR WILL NOT FIX. I HAVE WORKED MY WAY UP THE SATURN CORPORATE COMPLAINT SYSTEM AND I CANNOT GET ANYONE TO EITHER PAY FOR THE REPAIR, REIMBURSE ME FOR THE PREVIOUS REPAIR OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THE UNDERLYING ENGINE PROBLEM. ORIGINALLY, I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A JUST ME GETTING A "LEMON" BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM MY CONCERN IS MUCH MUCH GREATER. SPECIFICALLY, THERE ARE NUMEROUS (WELL OVER 100) COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS INTERNET CITES ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM - EVERYONE HAS MASSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION AND MANY PEOPLE'S ENGINES HAVE ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE AS A RESULT OF LOW OIL. THEY HAVE ALSO TRIED TO GET SATURN TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINES AND TO NO AVAIL. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR FOR FEAR OF IT CATCHING ON FIRE. I WOULD LIKE THE NHTSA TO INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEMS WITH SATURN ENGINES AND OIL CONSUMPTION. I AM AN ATTORNEY AND PLAN TO PURSUE MY OWN CASE AGAINST SATURN FOR THE COST OF MY REPAIRS, BUT REALLY FEEL LIKE IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THAT SATURN OR THE NHTSA NEEDS TO ISSUE A WARNING TO CONSUMERS TO KEEP CAREFUL WATCH ON THEIR ENGINES. *LA

WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT SENOR AND COOLANT TEMPERATURE SENSOR, HOWEVER THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. *AK THE POWER STEERING AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE GEAR DID NOT SHIFT PROPERLY, MAINLY IN FIRST GEAR. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1998 SATURN SL2 IN APRIL OF 2002 AND DISCOVERED AFTER PURCHASE THAT IT HAD A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL I WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALSO UNABLE TO FIND THE EXACT PART NUMBER AND WANTED TO MAKE THE REPAIR FROM A SIMILAR BUT NOT IDENTICAL 1996 MODEL. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT SATURN DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECTIVE SAFETY ITEMS SUCH AS THE RETRACTOR BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY RECALLED.

THE MOTOR MOUNT FAILED. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE MOUNT PROBABLY MALFUNCTIONED PRIOR TO 52184 MILES. THE MOUNTS FOR THE VIBRATION WAS FOUND ON THE TOP OF THE ENGINE IN WHICH THE MOUNT(S) CRACKED. *SCC THE WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED BECAUSE A LEAK WAS FOUND. *JB

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE IGNITION MODULE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED, AND STATED THAT THEY HAVE A RECALL OUT, BUT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. *AK