1996 SATURN SL Complaints

I REPLACED MY BRAKES AND ROTORS TODAY. THE MECHANIC WANTED TO SHOW ME THE MESS THAT THEY WERE. I LOOKED AT THEM AND HE POINTED OUT HOW UNUSUALLY DESTROYED THE INSIDE PADS ARE. HE SAID HE RARELY SEES ANYTHING THAT BAD. THE HORN WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO. THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND SOME DAYS I REALLY HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET IT OUT OR GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO RELEASE SO I CAN TURN THE KEY. ALSO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM IS JUST HANGING ON BEFORE THE RUST OVERRUNS IT. *LA

REAR LIGHTS KEPT GOING OUT - SATURN DEALER SAID THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM HAD BEEN BUTT-SPLICED. SINCE ONLY SATURN WORKED ON THE VEHICLE, THIS WAS UNEXPLAINABLE. IT SEEMS, HOWEVER, MY CAR IS NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THE BUTT-SPLICING IS BEING DONE BY SATURN AND BEING BLAMED ON THE CONSUMER -- AND CHARGED TO THE CONSUMER. I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM AFTER BEING STOPPED BY THE POLICE, TWICE.*AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE HAD HER AUTOMOBILE INSSPECTED ,AND WAS TOLD THAT HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING. SHE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT OTHER SATURN OWNER WERE HAVING THE SAME KIND OF PROBLEM. WHAT COULD SHE DO ABOUT IT?*AK

ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO THE ENGINE OVERHEATED. THE ENGINE OIL AND COOLANT MIXED TOGETHER BECAUSE THE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED. *AK *TS *JB

HORN FAILED AS IN NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID #98V307000. DEALER DENIES VIN PART OF RECALL. NHTSA WEB SITE LISTS "Z" FOR SATURN MODEL, WHICH DOES NOT EXIST. DEALER REQUIRED ME TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT OF HORN.*AK

THE ENGINE OIL AND THE ANTIFREEZE IS MIXING TOGETHER IN THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSES THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT WHILE DRIVING. HAD TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THE ENGINE CYCLINDER BEAD WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED.*AK

UNSATISFACTORY RESPONSES FROM SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE; REPAIRS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED PER CALIFORNIAS LEMON LAW FOR OUR 1996 SATURN SL1 WITH ONLY 46K MILES. ROTE TO GM & SATURN CEO'S. THEY LIE AND DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CRAPPY PRODUCT. WE WILL NEVER BUY AMERICAN AGAIN!PER MY RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT OF GOODWILL TO REIMBURSE AND FIX THE BELOW AFOREMENTIONED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE INFERIOR MATERIALS USED IN BUILDING OUR SATURN VEHICLE. THE FAILURES WE NEED REIMBURSEMENT FOR ARE: 1.STARTER REPLACEMENT: $211.08 + 45.17 = $256.25; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A PEP BOYS SHOP, 2.NEW INTERSTATE BATTERY: $108.15; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A CHEVRON SHOP, 3.TRANSMISSION GASKET PARTS AND LABOR: $ ~150. (TBD); ALREADY PAID AND IN SATURN DATABASE; TRANS. SEIZED UP NOW AND NEEDS $3000 WORK; SATURN WON'T PAY FOR REPAIRS, 4.ALTERNATOR PARTS AND LABOR: $176.61; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A PEP BOYS SHOP, THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT SATURN NOW IS: 5.RADIATOR PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 123412): $417.16 6.OIL GASKET PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 126859): $ TBD 7.REPEAT TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND GASKET PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 126859): $ TBD, THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE 18 MONTHS AGO AND IS LEAKING AGAIN! ALSO COMPLETE REBUILD/ $3000.8.FRONT PASSENGER SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM NEEDS REPAIR. *AK

1996 SATURN SL1'S HAVE A PROBLEM REFERRED TO AS "DELAYED ENGAGEMENT IN REVERSE. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE IT WILL NOT MOVE, CAUSING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. THIS IS DUE TO THE VALVE BODY ON THE TRANSMISSION WEARING EXCESSIVELY, ALLOWING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID TO FLOW AROUND A POPPET BEFORE ENGAGING. SATURN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SO ARE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR PLACES. SATURN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM THOUGH THEY HAVE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE PROBLEM AND AT ABOUT $1000 PER REPAIR PER VEHICLE SATURN HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM. *NLM

MANUAL TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, AT TIMES IT MUST BE SHOVED TO GO IN TO AND OUT OF REVERSE, FIRST, AND THIRD GEARS. THIS PROBLEM IS BECOMING WORSE AND IS AT LEAST REMOTELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT CAN TAKE AS MUCH AS 30 SECONDS OR SO TO SHIFT GEARS. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AFFECTED BY ANY EXTERNAL SOURCE. *JB

1996 SATURN - ENGINE OIL LEAKS INTO COOLANT. DEALER SAID THERE WAS A MANUFACTURING DESIGN FLAW. 1997'S UNDER 100,000 MILES SATURN WOULD PAY TO HAVE IT FIXED, BUT NOT 1996'S. *NLM