1999 SATURN SL Complaints

DT: THE VEHICLE IS A 1999 SATURN SL. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE CONSUMERS DAUGHTER TOOK IT TO GET THE OIL CHANGED. FOUR DAYS LATER ON 6-25-05, SHE HEARD AN EXPLOSION; THE CAP ON THE RADIATOR COOLANT HAD POPPED OFF. SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING GUSHING OUT OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE THE COOLANT AND OIL MIXED. THIS MIXTURE IS CURRENTLY SPLATTERED ON THE CONSUMERS DRIVEWAY. AFTERWARDS SHE CONTACTED THE PLACE WERE SHE GOT THE OIL CHANGED AND THEY TOLD HER TO BRING IT IN. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE THEM ON 6-27. THEY TOLD HER THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. AFTERWARDS WHEN THE CONSUMER CALLED THEM SHE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THOSE TYPES OF VEHICLE. THERE IS A RECALL NUMBER 0304. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE OPTION TO REPAIR VEHICLES JUST OIL CHANGES AND SUCH. SO SHE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP SATURN OF AMARILLO, WHICH TOLD HER THAT IT WAS A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD. THEY INFORMED HER THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEAD, THERMOSTAT, AND THE WATER PUMP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENT BEING FIXED AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP. WHEN ASKING THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE RECALL THEY TOLD HER THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT A RECALL FOR THAT PROBLEM. WHEN SHE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURE THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS NOTHING THAT SHE COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS PROBLEM. AFTERWARDS, HER DAUGHTER CALLED AND THEY TOLD HER THERE WAS NO RECALL ON HER VIN NUMBER. CONSUMER FEELS THAT THE MANUFACTURE SHOULD REIMBURSE HER FOR THE COST CAUSED BY THIS MALFUNCTION. *AK

IN 2003 MY DAUGHTER BOUGHT A 1999 SATURN WITH 47000 MILES THAT HAD JUST BEEN TURNED IN FROM A LEASE FROM A DEALER AND IT STARTED SMOKING AND USING A QUART OF OIL PER 1,000AT WHICH TIME WE CONTACTED THIS AGENCY AND GM BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ALAWAYS DEALER SERVICED AND HAD NOT YET REACHED IT'S HALF LIFE. SATURN TOLD US THAT THIS WAS NORMAL HOWVER, THE CONDITION HAS ONLY WORSED OVER TIME AND IT'S NOW USING 1.5 QT'S PER 1000 MILES AND SMOKING WORSE. I BET THE EPA WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT. ADDITIONALLY THE ROTOR HAVE FAILED TWICE BECOMING WARPED AND THE MOTOR MOUNT HAS FAILED ALONG WITH A COOLENT TEMP SENSOR. MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THESE SAME PROBLEMS AND GM KNOWS IT. ONCE AGAIN WE ASKED THEM FOR SOME GOODWILL AND THEY TURNED US DOWN SAYING THAT THE CAR (NOW) HAS TOO MANY MILES EVEN THO THEY SAID THAT IT WOULD BE DOCUMENTED BUT IT APPEARS THAT THEY HAVE STRUNG US ALONG DOING LEAK DOWN TEST AT OUR COST FROM 2003 AND FROM OUR GOV COMPLAINT UNTIL NOW WHILE TELLING US THAT THIS WAS NORMAL USE............ THAT WAS WRONG AND THEY SHOULD FACE A RECALL BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALLOWED A PROBLEMATIC ENGINE WHICH THEY KNEW ABOUT TO BE SOLD TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THEN THEY REFUSED TO HELP THE CONSUMERS IN NEED. I'LL NEVER BUY A SATURN OR A GM AGAIN. AND, I PLAN TO SELL MY SONS NEW SATURN TOO AFTER THIS POOR TREATMENT.

AT ABOUT 81200 MILES, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. UPON REFILLING THE RESERVOIR, I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT WAS DISCOLORED. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS CONTAMINATED (MILKY COLORED). I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE HEAD WAS CRACKED. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH SATURN SOHC ENGINES AND THAT I SHOULD TRY TO GET SATURN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. AFTER DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS TO BE TRUE. I CALLED SATURN, AT SPRING HILL AND WAS TOLD THAT "SINCE I HADN'T TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO SATURN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET, FOR REPAIRS." I DO ALL MY PM'S AND HAVE RECEIPTS AND MILEAGE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. I WAS TOLD, WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR THAT "THAT WOULD BE FINE." ALL SATURN HAS DONE SO FAR, IS GIVE ME A CASE NUMBER (1-5883104). MY PROBLEM IS, I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE THE CAR TO SATURN AND COMPOUND THE PROBLEM, YET SATURN WON'T PAY FOR A TOW AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ, REGARDING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, WITH OTHER SATURN OWNERS, ONCE THEY HAVE YOUR CAR, YOU HAVE TO FIGHT TOOTH AND NAIL TO GET THEM TO PAY FOR THE JOB AND IN SOME CASES, THEY SIMPLY WONT. I REALIZE THAT MY CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, BUT THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING SATURN HAS KNOWN ABOUT FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND DID NOTHING TO CORRECT IT. *NM

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT TIRE POPPED CAUSING THE RIM TO DEVELOP SHARP EDGES AROUND IT. THE RIM CUT THE RUBBER WIRING FOR THE BRAKES CAUSING THE BRAKES TO FAIL. *JB

OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE GOING UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER WAS ONLY WILLING TO PAY $200.00 TOWARD THE COST OF REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO DEVELOP A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK.....VEHICLE EXPERIENCED VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS. ALSO, REPLACED ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

THE CONSUMER STATED THE FLOOR MAT SLID UNDER THE PEDALS. AS A RESULT, WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO MOVE. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB THE CONSUMER HAD TO USE THE PARKING BRAKE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER HAD A RUFF TIME STOPPING THE VEHICLE FINALLY GETTING IT TO STOP THE CONSUMER WALKED HOME. *TC

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES,THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT A CAR HEAD ON. BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER SEEKED MEDICAL ATTENTION THE NEXT DAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF THE GARAGE WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER CONTACTED A MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC CAME OVER TO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE ASM-M CABLE LEVER FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB