2002 SATURN SL Complaints

I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THIS CAR SINCE NEW DELAY AND HARD SHIFTS INTO REVERSE ALWAYS, AND FORWARD GEARS QUITE FREQUENTLY HAD SATURN SERVICE DEPT CHECK AND THEY SHOW NO CODES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL. WHENEVER THE CONTACT STARTS THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILS AND THE IGNITION WILL NOT START. SHE HAD NEW KEYS MADE, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. DURING THE FAILURE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR REMAINS ILLUMINATED AND WILL NOT DIM. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR OVER A YEAR. THE CONTACT MUST WIGGLE THE KEYS FOR AT LEAST FIFTEEN TO THIRTY MINUTES BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL START. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. UPDATED 3/19/09 *CN THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE ENGINE IDLES VERY HIGH. OVER 4000 RPM/ UPDATED 03/25/09.*JB

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON 2002 SATURN SL MILEAGE: 50+K ONLY 2ND OWNER BOUGHT FROM USED AUTO DEALER. COVERED ON DEALER WARRANTY AND FIXED IN 2005. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AGAIN AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRATION- 2008. *TR

ONE EVENING LAST WEEK I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD SHIFT GEARS AFTER BEING PARKED, IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING DROPPED UNDER MY CAR. THE SAME NIGHT, I WOULD BE DRIVING ABOUT 35-40 MILES AND HOUR IN THE 1-2 RPM RANGE, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE GAUGE WOULD QUICKLY JUMP TO 3 RPMS AND THEN DROP BACK DOWN. IT DID THIS CONSISTENTLY EVERY 2-3 MINUTES. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP THE NEXT MORNING BECAUSE I FELT THAT IT WAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE BODY VALVE WAS DAMAGED WHICH WAS THE MAIN PROBLEM. THAT WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER PARTS. WHEN I WAS PAYING ($2895) THE MAN THAT HAD BEEN HELPING ME INFORMED ME THAT HIS SHOP HAD ENCOUNTERED MANY TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH MY MODEL CAR (2002 SATURN SL1) AND THAT THEY CHECKED IN TO ANY KIND OF RECALL OR BULLETINS. HE SAID THAT HE FELT THAT GM WOULD BE ISSUING A BULLETIN RELATIVELY SOON. I DID MY OWN RESEARCH AND FOUND MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ABOUT SATURN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, IN PARTICULAR THE BODY VALVE. WHEN MY FATHER ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE NEW VEHICLE, HE HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SHIFTING OF THE CAR AND GONE TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TO COMPLAIN A FEW TIMES, AND HE WAS TOLD, "OH, THAT'S JUST THE WAY CAR IS." I FEEL THAT THIS CAR HAD A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM IN THE BEGINNING THAT WAS BRUSHED UNDER THE RUG, AND HAS CREATED A ALMOST $3000 PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL1. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 65-75 MPH, BOTH DRIVER'S SIDE TIRES BLEW OUT. TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE FAILURES, THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED TO FIND OUT IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCES. THE VEHICLE PASSED INSPECTION AND THE DEALER WAS UNAWARE OF THE FAULTY VALVE STEMS. AAA INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VALVE STEMS ON THE TIRES WERE FAULTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

I HAVE A SATURN SL2 AND EVERYTIME I TRY TO START THE CAR, THE KEY GETS STUCK AND I HAVE TO JIGGLE AND PUSH AND SHOVE AND SIT IN THE HOT CAR FOR OVER 15 MINUTES IN THE SUMMER HEAT TO START THE CAR. THIS IS AFTER I PAID TO HAVE TWO NEW KEYS MADE THINKING THAT WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I DID SOME RESEARCH AFTER BEING TOLD I NEED A NEW IGNITION BARREL AND SAW THAT MANY MANY MANY SATURN VEHICLE OWNERS GO THROUGH THE SAME THING... WHY HASN'T THIS ISSUE BEEN ADDRESSED BY SATURN??? WE MUST WE SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON A FAULTY ITEM? LIFE AND GAS IS SO EXPENSIVE TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH A FAULTY CAR THAT THIS DEALERSHIP KEEPS SELLING. PLEASE HELP US! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL. WHEN THE CONTACT PLACED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, IT WOULD JAM AND NOT TURN TO THE ACCESSORY POSITION. HE DESCRIBED THE IGNITION LOCK AS "FROZEN". AFTER REFERENCING THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THE CONTACT JIGGLED THE STEERING WHEEL AND KEY, BUT STILL WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION. THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER (OR TUMBLER) WAS DEFECTIVE ACCORDING TO A MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CONTACT HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHICH LAPSED ON MAY 30, 2008. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,302 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000. UPDATED 08/04/08. *LJ THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE IGNTION LOCK CYLINDER. UPDATED 08/06/08

I HAVE A 2002 SL1 (AUTO TRANSMISSION)WITH OVER 150,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD STARTED CLUNKING WHEN ENGAGED IN REVERSE AND ALSO WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN OTHER GEARS. I DECIDED TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT. I HAVE HAD MY CAR AT A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH NOW. THE MECHANICS REPLACED MY VALVE BOX AND STILL AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. MY MECHANICS IS AT A LOSS RIGHT NOW. I HAVE READ ALOT OF BLOGS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SATURN TRANSMISSIONS AND BELIEVE I AM NOT GOING TO GET MY CAR FIXED BY MY CURRENT MECHANIC NOR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL1. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN TO THE START POSITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT TAKES 5-10 MINUTES OF ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE IGNITION WOULD TURN. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,787 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. DURING THE MOST RECENT FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,000.