1999 SATURN SL Complaints

AIR CONDITIONING FAILED AT 4 YEARS, 4 MONTHS. NEW COMPRESSOR NEEDED, ACCORDING TO BOTH SATURN DEALERSHIP AND INDEPENDENT GARAGE. NOT YET REPLACED. WAITING TO SEE IF THERE IS A HIDDEN SERVICE BULLETIN BY WHICH SATURN WILL REPLACE AT REDUCED COST.

I PURCHASED A 1999 SATURN SL2 W/ 23,000MI. AT 60,000MI I BEGAN TO FEEL A JUDDER/VIBRATION FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. I TOOK IT TO A SATURN DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE ROTORS WE'RE WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WENT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND HAD NON-OEM BRAKE ROTORS INSTALLED AND AFTER APPROXIAMETELY 65,000MI, BEGAN TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. AFTER LEAVING THE CAR WITH THE REPAIR SHOP, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT MY ROTORS KEEP WARPING. THE REPAIR SHOP CUT THE ROTORS "SLIGHTLY" AND NOW AT 70,000MI I STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS DEFINIETLY WRONG WITH THE DESIGN OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ROTORS DO WARP BUT THEY SHOULD LAST FOR APPROX. 70,000MI, AND I SHOULD NOT BE FEELING THE JUDDER/VIBRATION IN MY STEERING WHEEL.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ENGINE WAS VERY LOUD, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO FOUND NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. THREE QUARTS WERE ADDED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT. TWO DAYS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKED, AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER HEATING. THE CONSUMER ADDED COOLANT, BUT DRIVING UNDER THREE MILES VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT OIL AND COOLANT WERE MIXING TOGETHER IN THE ENGINE. A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. *AK

THE IGNITION CYLINDER IN THE STEERING COLUMN JAMMED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT REQUIRED THE CAR TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP; THE ENTIRE IGNITION CYLINDER/LOCK ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MILEAGE ON THE CAR WAS ONLY 47,616 MILES.*AK

PROBLEMS WITH AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATING.*MR THE CONSUMERS HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHING IN THE DASH. WHEN TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PASSENGER FRONTAL DEVELOPMENT LOOP HAD LOW RESISTANCE AND THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS WOULD HAVE TO DETERMINE THE ROOT CAUSE AS TO WHY THE LIGHT CONTINUE TO FLASH ON AND OFF. *CB *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED WAS HEARING POWER STEERING 'WHINING'. WHILE TURNING THE WHEEL TO RIGHT IT DID NOT RESPOND, NOR DID IT TURN TO THE LEFT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *PH. LAST FEBRUARY THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS STARTING THE VEHICLE AND FINALLY HAD IT TOWED, WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *JB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THERE WAS A RECALL ISSUED; HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS OUTSIDE OF THE REMEDY SCOPE. *AK AFTER THREE ATTEMPTS TO KEEP THE "SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT" FROM ILLUMINATING, THE MECHANIC FINALLY REPLACED THE FAULTY IGNITION CONTROL MODULE. CONSUMER FELT THE RECALL SHOULD GO BACK A FEW MORE YEARS. *PH *JB

WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED WHILE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP MOTOR REVVED, BUT VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THIS RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. *AK

COSCO MODEL 02-452 WAL, MANUFACTURING DATE UNKNOWN. WHEN THE BOOSTER SEAT WAS INSTALLED USING THE VEHICLE SEAT BELTS, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RETRACT. THE BELT WAS STUCK. THE CAUSE WAS UNKNOWN. *AK THE SHOULDER BELT WOULD GO INTO THE BELT POSITIONER TO BUCKLE THE CHILD TIGHT, BUT IF THE CHILD MOVED, THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER MOVED AND REMAINED LOOSE, WHICH CAUSED THE SHOULDER BELT TO NOT RETRACT. *SCC *JB