SATURN Complaints

MY 2008 SATURN AURA XR HAD SHIFTED VERY HARD FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR BUT THEN SEEMED TO OPERATE NORMALLY. DROVE FOR APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES AND HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF OF THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ONCE AGAIN SHIFT VERY HARD FROM ONE GEAR TO THE NEXT. WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 25 MPH WHEN IT SUDDENLY DID ONE LAST VERY HARD SHIFT. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN AND PROCEED TO POWER DOWN ON ITS OWN. CAME TO A FULL STOP AND THE VECHICLE WOULD NO LONGER MOVE FORWARD. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED HOME. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH GM AND ACCORDING TO THEM, MY VIN# DOES NOT CURRENTLY HAVE ANY RECALLS REGARDING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ATTACHED TO IT. I WILL HAVE TO COVER THE COST OF REPAIRS MYSELF. ALTHOUGH MY SPECIFIC VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE ANY CURRENT OR PAST RECALLS REGARDING ENGINE OR TRANSMISSION ISSUES, THERE ARE RECALLS LISTED OUT THERE FOR OTHER SATURN AURAS. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE AND GM SHOULD STEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF IT. I AM SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS DID NOT OCCURR WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE HIGHWAY OR IT MAY HAVE ENDED UP BEING A VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOME. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.

FIRST ISSUE STARTED WITH THE NUMBERS OF THE CLOCK/STEREO FLICKERING AFTER A COUPLE OF HOURS OF THE CAR BEING OFF DURING THE WINTER. THEN DURING THE SUMMER THERE WERE A COUPLE INCIDENTS WHEN THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLL DOWN NOR UP UNTIL A COUPLES MINUTES AFTER THE CAR BEING ON. A COUPLE MONTHS LATER I ROLLED THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW 5 INCHES DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND 15 MINUTES LATER THE WINDOW WENT UP ABOUT AN INCH AND DID NOT BUDGE BUT WOULD MAKE A BUZZING SOUND. AFTER A DAY OR TWO THERE WAS NOT A BUZZING SOUND AND ALL THE OTHER WINDOWS DID NOT WORK. TOOK IN MY VEHICLE TO BE CHECKED AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE COMING FROM THE MAIN COMPUTER (MOTHERBOARD I ASSUME). THIS HAPPENED IN FEBRUARY OF 2014 AND HAVE NOT GOTTEN IT FIXED. *TR

I STARTED MY CAR AND AS USUAL THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHED LIKE IT ALWAYS DOES. HOWEVER, THE AIRBAG LIGHT REMAINED LIT UP, BUT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT NEVER LIT UP AS BEING "ON" EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS A PASSENGER IN THE SEAT. I READ UP ON THE MATTER AND SAW THAT A LOT OF SATURN VUE'S HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND THAT IT COULD BE ELECTRICAL AND VERY COSTLY. HOWEVER, A RECALL HAS NEVER BEEN ISSUED EVEN THOUGH THE MANUAL CLEARLY STATES THAT IT COULD BE AN "ELECTRICAL" ISSUE AND TO HAVE THE MATTER TAKEN CARE OF "IMMEDIATELY!" HOW IS IT SAFE FOR A COMPANY TO SELL A CAR KNOWING FULL WELL THAT THERE COULD BE AND HAVE BEEN REPORTED CASES OF ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAGS. THE MANUAL WENT ON TO SAY THAT IT COULD RESULT IN THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING ON ITS OWN WITHOUT EVEN BEING IN AN ACCIDENT! SO WHAT I'M GATHERING IS THAT INSTEAD OF FIXING A PROBLEM BY ISSUING A RECALL THE COMPANY WOULD RATHER HAVE PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR CARS, QUITE POSSIBLY ON AN EXPRESSWAY THAT HAS A SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH AND WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS IN THE CAR, HAVE THE AIRBAG DEPLOY ON ITS OWN AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT: WHICH IN TURN CAN TURN INTO A TRIAL SUING THE COMPANY COSTING THEM MORE MONEY THAN IT WOULD TO FIX THE ISSUE! SEEING AS THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE AND THAT I DON'T HAVE THE CASH TO SHELL OUT TO FIX THIS AND THAT IT'S AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE, I THINK THE COMPANY NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AND HAVE IT FIXED OR FACE A LAWSUIT BY MANY UNSATISFIED CUSTOMERS. *TR

THE SATURN ION 2007 THAT I OWN IS BLEEDING GAS. FUEL LINES ARE RUSTED NEAR THE PLASTIC RETAIN CLIP. FUEL PUMP PLASTIC IS CRACKED, FUEL TANK HAS RUSTED IN A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT SPOT. RECALL #09V419000 IS NOT BEING ADHERED TO BY GM. THIS IS THE MOST UNSAFE PROBLEM I HAVE EVER HEARD OF. I LIVE IN VIRGINA, VERY HUMID STATE. 100% HUMIDITY IS COMMON. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM SINCE IT IS RECALLED. IF THIS HAS NOT CAUSED MULTIPLE FIRES AND FATALITIES IT WOULD BE A MIRACLE. MY COMPLAINT IS THE STATE SPECIFICALLY OF THE RECALL LEAVES LOTS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT NOTIFICATION OF A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THOSE CARS. *TR

2007 SATURN ION PURCHASED IN ILLINOIS LATE OCTOBER 2013. MOVED TO NORTH CAROLINA 9/4/2014. AS OF OCTOBER 20, 2014 CAR SMELLED LIKE GASOLINE INSIDE AND OUT, AS SOON AS YOU WALKED UP TO THE CAR YOU COULD SMELL THE GASOLINE. THE GASOLINE SMELL WAS VERY STRONG ON THE INSIDE AS WELL AND WAS OVERWHELMING AND SICKENING. I LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND SAW A WET SPOT ON THE PAVEMENT AND THEN SAW GAS LEAKING (DRIPPING) FROM WHAT I ASSUME IS THE GAS TANK. THIS IS A HUGE CONCERN SINCE THE RECALL ON THIS WASN'T A NATIONWIDE RECALL AND ONLY AFFECTED WARM WEATHER STATES. WE HAVE ONLY BEEN IN NORTH CAROLINA FOR A MONTH AND A HALF - MISSING THEIR WARMEST TIME OF YEAR. THEIR THEORY OF WARM WEATHER STATES IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND THEY HAVE PUT MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE IN DANGER!!! I BELIEVE A NATIONWIDE RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED REGARDING THIS DEFECT AND COMPENSATION TO THOSE AFFECTED. I WILL BE CALLING GM ASKING FOR A RENTAL WHILE THIS PROBLEM IS BEING FIXED. THIS IS THE FOURTH RECALL ON MY DAUGHTER'S CAR SINCE SHE HAS OWNED IT. I HONESTLY FEEL GM CAN HAVE THIS CAR BACK AND ISSUE A CHECK FOR THE FULL PRICE THAT WE PAID FOR IT IN OCTOBER 2013. WHAT RECALL WILL BE NEXT??? WE DO NOT WANT THIS CAR!!!! PLEASE QUIT PUTTING PEOPLE'S LIVES IN DANGER GM! *TR

DURING RAIN, THE WATER ENTERS THE CAR FROM THE DRIVER SIDE A PILLAR AND PASSENGER SIDE A PILLAR WHERE IS CONNECTS TO THE ROOF AND AT THE FLOOR, CAUSING CARPET TO WET. VISITING VARIOUS GM DEALERSHIP, I HAVE NOT FOUND A SOLUTION TO THE ISSUE, THAT CAN GET THE ISSUE FIXED. *TR

AFTER TALKING TO A SATURN CAR CARE SPECIALIST IN JANUARY 2014 BECAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE IN STEERING COLUMN, AND AFTER HAVING BEEN TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM I WAS EXPERIENCING, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP TO HAVE PROBLEM INSPECTED WHICH I DID. WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE LIKE A RUBBER BAND IS BEING STRETCHED TO THE POINT OF BREAKING. THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT DEALERSHIP REPORTED ON REPAIR INVOICE: "STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG COIL MAKING A NOISE. THE NOISE IS DUE ONLY TO PLASTIC ITEMS MAKING CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. THIS NOISE IS COMMON IN COLD WEATHER AND IS NOT AN AREA OF CONCERN AT THIS TIME". I LIVE IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE/HIGH HUMIDITY STATE AND THE PROBLEM IS CONSTANT - NOT ONLY IN WINTER. AFTER VISITING THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INSPECTED, THE NOISE WAS GONE BUT THAT LASTED ONLY FOR A WEEK OR SO AND IT RETURNED AND IT STILL PERSISTS TO THIS DATE. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER TO USE A DRY SILICONE SPRAY ON THE STEERING COLUMN/AIR BAG AREA AND THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT. OR, I COULD HAVE THE CURRENT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG REPLACED AT MY OWN COST WHICH I OPTED NOT TO DO BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE. I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AIR BAG PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. IT ORIGINALLY STARTED WHILE I WAS STILL LIVING IN ANOTHER STATE UNTIL THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I MOVED TO MY CURRENT ADDRESS. MY QUESTION IS THIS: HAVE OTHER OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH AIR BAG PROBLEMS ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS NOISE PRIOR TO THE AIR BAGS EXPLODING WITH SHARP METAL OBJECTS SERIOUSLY INJURING THEM? OR, WAS A NOISE LIKE THIS REPORTED TO FRIENDS/RELATIVES BY THOSE KILLED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENTS? OTHER COMMENTS BY SATURN OWNERS ON WEB SITE ALSO COULD NOT GET ANSWER FROM GM AS TO CAUSE OF THIS NOISE WHICH THEY WERE ALSO EXPERIENCING. AM I DRIVING A TIME BOMB??? *TR

I HAVE A 2009 SATURN AURA AND ON THE MORNING OF 10/22 WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN LOSS OF ELECTRIC POWER STEERING (EPS) EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN GM RECALL ID # 102639. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THE ROAD STEERING MANUALLY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM AND AFTER I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. AFTER READING THIS RECALL NOTICE, I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN WITH MY VEHICLE AGAIN AND I MIGHT NOT BE AS LUCKY NEXT TIME WHEN IT DOES. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL LISTED FOR THE POWER STEERING ISSUE UNDER MY VIN. I FOUND THIS SURPRISING AS THIS OCCURRED EXACTLY AS WAS DESCRIBED IN THE AFOREMENTIONED RECALL NOTICE THAT I READ ONLINE. I THEN CALLED GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY VEHICLE IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL AT THE MOMENT AND I WOULD HAVE TO BRING MY CAR IN TO THE DEALER AT MY OWN EXPENSE. I'M VERY CONCERNED BECAUSE I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS WAS OUTLINED IN THIS RECALL NOTICE. I ALSO FIND IT SURPRISING THAT ONLY CERTAIN VIN NUMBERS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. WHY IS MY 2009 SATURN AURA NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BUT OTHERS ARE WHEN I'M HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM WITH MY POWER STEERING? *TR

HI: MY SATURN LOSES ITS POWER STEERING ON START UP, BUT WAS TOLD IT CAN DO IT WHILE DRIVING. MY WIFE AND I SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE RECALL STARTS WITH THE 2004, MY SATURN WAS BUILT APPROX 8 MONTHS BEFORE THE RECALL. I CANT SELL THE CAR BECAUSE OF I WONT GIVE THAT SAFETY PROBLEM.THE CAR IS KEPT LIKE NEW AND HAS THE SERVICE DONE ON IT. I HAD THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL DONE BUT IT MADE MY REMOTE START NOT WORK. HAD TO PAY FOR IT MYSELF,GM OR THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PAY. IT IS STILL MESSING UP.THE COST OF THE FIX FOR THE POWER STEERING, DEALERSHIP, ABOUT $400.00. *TR