SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. AFTER THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REMEDIED, THE AIR BAG AND SERVICE VEHICLE SOON WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE HORN WOULD NOT WORK. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000.

I WAS DRIVING A 98 TOYOTA TACOMA ON A 45 MPH HIGHWAY WHEN A PEDESTRIAN IN THE ROAD CAUSED ALL LANES OF TRAFFIC TO SUDDENLY STOP. I WAS UNABLE TO STOP IN TIME AND WENT INTO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. I WAS UNABLE TO KEEP MY VEHICLE IN THE MEDIAN AND STRUCK THE 2000 SATURN COUPE DRIVERS SIDE FENDER TO DRIVERS SIDE FENDER. UPON IMPACT THE BODY OF THE SATURN BURST INTO 12 TO 14 INCH SHARDS OF WHATEVER THE BODY IS MADE OF, (PERHAPS FIBERGLASS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR). ONE SUCH SHARD SHATTERED THE DRIVERS WINDOW AND IMPALED ME THROUGH MY LEFT SHOULDER AND LODGED ITSELF PROTRUDING SLIGHTLY FROM MY BACK. THE EMERGENCY RESPONDERS WERE UNABLE TO STOP THE BLEEDING SO I WAS AIRLIFTED TO ORMC FOR EMERGENCY SURGERY, AND AM LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED. THE SURGEON STATED THAT ANOTHER INCH WOULD HAVE MEANT ME BLEEDING OUT IN THE ROAD. THAT VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE SHOT DEADLY PROJECTILES UPON IMPACT. *TR

THE FUEL PUMP CRACKED. THE CAR COULD NOT BE DRIVEN WITHOUT GASOLINE SPURTING OUT ON THE ROAD. THERE WAS A PARTIAL RECALL IN SEVERAL STATES BUT I WAS NOT COVERED BY THIS. THERE WAS ALSO AN EXTENDED WARRANTY IN OTHERS THAT EXPIRED THIS PAST YEAR. IT COST $500 TO REPAIR AND GM WOULD NOT OFFER EVEN PARTIAL COMPENSATION. THE FUEL PUMP WAS PARTLY MADE OF PLASTIC IS INFERIOR AND SHOULD BE RECALLED EVERYWHERE. THANK YOU. *TR

DRIVING NORTH BOUND ON 405 FREEWAY IN LANE 1 (FAST LANE), ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH WITH FLOW OF TRAFFIC AT NIGHT ON THE WAY HOME FROM WORK. THE CAR JERKED SUDDENLY, QUICKLY STARTED TO LOSE SPEED; UNABLE TO REGAIN SPEED WITH PEDAL - CAUSED ADDITIONAL, INTENSE JERKING. CONCURRENTLY, OTHER MOTORISTS BEGAN HONKING AND SWERVING AROUND AS THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECREASE SPEED. SIGNALED FOR LANE CHANGE & BEGAN TO MERGE RIGHT (ACROSS 5 LANES), TURNED ON HAZARD FLASHERS AFTER MERGE INTO FAR RIGHT LANE. CAR COULD GO NO FASTER THAN 35-39 MPH RANGE. EXITED FREEWAY. REVERSE GEAR NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. VISIT TO GM DEALER NEXT DAY, ADVISED OF WIDESPREAD, KNOWN DESIGN DEFECT TO CLUTCH WAVE PLATE ON 2007-2009 GM CARS WITH 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WAVE PLATE HEATS UP, DISINTEGRATES, AND REMNANTS SHRED INTO THE TRANSMISSION GEARS THAT - WHEN OCCURRING WHILE CAR IS MOVING, AS IT WAS IN OUR CASE - WILL CAUSE POTENTIAL LOSS-OF-CONTROL INCIDENTS SIMILAR TO OURS. HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED THAT THE WAVE PLATE DESIGN DEFECT EXISTS IN ALL 3.6L V6 - 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION EQUIPPED MODELS OF CHEVROLET MALIBU 2008-2009, CHEVROLET EQUINOX 2007-2009, GMC ACADIA 2007-2009, SATURN AURA 2007-2009, SATURN VUE 2007-2009, AND SATURN OUTLOOK 2007-2009. THE WAVE PLATE COMPONENT WAS REDESIGNED BY GM IN 2009, BUT GM DID NOT AS HAS NOT RECALLED ANY OF THESE MODELS FOR THIS CONDITION. EVEN MORE CONCERNING, IN SPITE OF NUMEROUS INCIDENTS REPORTED ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND ALL OVER THE INTERNET (JUST GOOGLE "GM WAVE PLATE" - IT'S NOW SO PROLIFIC, THAT IT AUTOMATICALLY POPS UP AS A SEARCH SUGGESTION), NHTSA HAS YET TO EVEN OPEN AN INVESTIGATION. THIS DANGEROUS, POTENTIALLY DEADLY DEFECT EXISTS AND WILL LIKELY FAIL - IT'S NOT A MATTER OF "IF," IT'S A MATTER OF "WHEN" - ON ALL OF THE AFOREMENTIONED MODELS PRODUCED. PLEASE, NHTSA, OPEN THIS AS AN INVESTIGATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DAILY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT IN THE OFF POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V490000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

CAR WAS PARKED TRIED TO START WOULD NOT START WITH JUMP. HAD TOWED DETERMINED PROBLEM WITH STARTER. FIXED OVERNIGHT DROVE OFF LOT THEN LOST POWER STEERING SAME NIGHT JUST AVOIDED ACCIDENT. FOUND OUT RECALLS ON BOTH TOTAL OF 8 ON THIS VEHICLE. ONLY HAD SINCE 8/1/2014 NEVER ADVISED OF ANY RECALLS ON VEHICLE AND MCCAFFERTY FORD IN LANGHORNE,PA DID NOT OFFER TO ASSIST ADVISED ITS NOT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK RECALLS. CAR CAN BE DRIVEN 10-15MINS THEN STEERING LOCKS UP. HAVE TO WAIT FOR CAR TO COOL DOWN THEN STEERING COMES BACK, 10-15 MINS SAME PROBLEM. THERE IS ALSO RECALLS RELATED TO AIR BAGS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, IT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V047000 (AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V171000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REMEDIED BY THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,603.

I NOTICED THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD GO 3/4 TOWARDS THE RED. IF I AM STOPPING AT A LIGHT, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEEP GOING 3/4 TOWARDS THE RED, THEN GOES BACK VERY SLOWLY TO THE MIDDLE. I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE MY GASKET. THIS WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $1,200. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. WHILE SHIFTING THE GEAR INTO REVERSE, THE SHIFTER SUDDENLY BECAME LOOSE. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V224000 (POWER TRAIN). THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE FRACTURED. THE DEALER INSTALLED A RETAINER OVER THE CABLE, WHICH WAS NOT THE EXPECTED REPAIR FOR THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 113,000.