SATURN Complaints

MY EMERGENCY BRAKE IS NOT WORKING. THE BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE SHOES ARE FINE. ALSO CHECKED THE BRAKE CABLE AND IT IS FINE. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SATURN VUE WITH IGNITION AND AIRBAG SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE (SDM) ISSUES. I HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AT THE GM RECALL WEBSITE, CALLED MY DEALER TWICE AND FILED A CLAIM AT THE GM RECALL HOTLINE. I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE LACK OF OR SLOW RESPONSE TO THIS PROBLEM AND I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OUR MODEL YEAR WAS LEFT OUT OF THE RECALL CYCLE. MY SITUATION: MY IGNITION BECAME INCREASING TIGHT/STIFF/LOCKED TO WHERE I COULD NOT TURN MY KEY OR PULL IT OUT. I WOULD HAVE TO SHAKE THE CAR OR KEY TO GET IT TO TURN ON. MY KEY CAN SLIDE RIGHT OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING, (BUT SOMETIMES I CAN'T PULL IT OUT). I HAVE ALSO RETURNED TO MY CAR AND FOUND IT RUNNING TWICE NOW AND NOTICED IT WAS NOT TOTALLY IN THE OFF POSITION ANYMORE). AT THE SAME TIME MY AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT BECAME INTERMITTENT AND FINALLY STAYED ON. OUR MECHANIC NOTIFIED US THAT THE AIRBAG SENSING AND DIAGNOTIC MODULE (SDM) IS NO LONGER WORKING. A DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALERS SAY THAT PARTS ARE NOT CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR MY MODEL AND MY MECHANIC CAN NOT FIND THEM EITHER. THE COST IS RIDICULOUSLY HIGH! I HAVE NOW BEEN ON A MISSION TO PUT IN COMPLAINTS WITH THE APPROPRIATE DIVISIONS IN AN EFFORT TO SEE THIS SITUATION RESOLVED. (NOTE THIS WEBSITE LIST SEVERAL COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE AND OTHERS. THERE IS SOMETHING LINKING THE IGNITION AND THE AIRBAGS: (HTTP://WWW.ARFC.ORG/COMPLAINTS/2006/SATURN/VUE/AIR_BAGS/PROBLEM.ASPX)) THE 2006 MODEL MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL BEFORE THERE ARE SERIOUS INCIDENCES. COME ON GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION. HELP US LIFE LONG LOYAL BUYERS OUT. LOYAL (BUT DISAPPOINTED) GM CUSTOMER WHITE KNUCKLING IT EVERYDAY. *TR

DRIVING AT A VERY SLOW RATE OF SPEED, CAR STARTED VIBRATING SO VIOLENTLY, I WAS AFRAID THAT A WHEEL WAS COMING OFF. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE, THEN RESTARTED IT. IT WAS FINE. THE NEXT DAY, IT WAS DRIVEN ALL DAY WITH NO ISSUES, EXCEPT THAT MY DIRECTIONALS KEPT GOING OFF AND WOULD NOT WORK, AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN WOULD START WORKING, ESPECIALLY IF I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND STARTED IT BACK UP. THAT AFTERNOON, HOWEVER, THE VIBRATING STARTED AGAIN. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TO A MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME THAT NOTHING SHOWED UP ON THE COMPUTER. HE SAID THAT HE PUNCHED MY VEHICLES INFORMATION INTO THE NHTSA WEBSITE, AND FOUND THE RECALL ON THE IGNITION. HE TESTED THIS ON MY VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT YOU COULD INDEED PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING AND IN GEAR. HE CALLED ME AND TOLD THIS TO ME. I INFORMED HIM THAT A FEW TIMES MY KEYS HAD FALLEN OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OR ON THE STREETS, WHEREVER. IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY. I HADN'T REALIZED THIS WAS NOT INTENTIONAL. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT ALTHOUGH THE YEAR MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR WERE ON THE RECALL, AND THE FACT THAT MY CAR INDEED POSSESSED THE FAULTY IGNITION, THAT MY VIN WAS NOT LISTED AS BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HE SUGGESTED I TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIR IN THE PAST, HERB CHAMBERS OF WARWICK. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE ABOVE TO BE TRUE, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT MY VIN IS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL, THEREFORE THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUBMIT FOR PAYMENT, THEREFORE I WILL HAVE TO PAY AND IF THE VEHICLE ENDS UP INCLUDED IN THE RECALL IN THE FUTURE, I CAN SUBMIT FOR REIMBURSEMENT. NO ON COULD EXPLAIN WHY MY VEHICLE, BEING OF THE SAME YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL, AND WHICH OBVIOUSLY HAS THE SAME IGNITION ISSUES, WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED AND FAILED TO STRAIGHTEN OUT. ALSO, THE DOOR LOCKS FAILED TO UNLOCK WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT A WIRE UNDER THE DRIVER'S SEAT MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,948.

I BACKED IN, MY 2004 SATURN ION, IN MY DRIVEWAY, PUT THE GEAR SHIFT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE DOORS DID NOT UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY AS USUAL, THE KEY WOULD NOT GO PAST ACC POSITION. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND TRIED AGAIN TO NO AVAIL. AFTER MANY TRIES IT SOME HOW VENT TO OFF. COUPLE DAYS LATER I TOOK THE CAR TO SATURN - CHEVROLET DEALER TO GET IT FIXED. THE DEALER CAME BACK WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $615.00 LISTING AS FOLLOWS: CHECK OUT - CODE FEE, IGNITION CYLINDER 15785084, NPC, KEY 22679805, , ADJUST SHIFT CABLE, REPROGRAM, LABOR 3 HR. I DID NOT GET IT FIXED SO THEY CHARGED ME $129.57 FOR THEIR ESTIMATE. WHEN THE RECALL CAME THROUGH I FIGURED THAT MY PROBLEM WAS PART OF THE SWITCH.WRONG. TODAY THE DEALER COMPLETED THE RECALL AND THE PROBLEM DID NOT GO AWAY. THIS TIME IT IS BLAMED ON GEAR SHIFTER AND WOULD COST ME $462.76, NO LISTING OF PARTS OR LABOR BUT JUST SCRIBBLED ON BACK OF MY RECALL BILL OF $0.00. ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THOSE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER AND NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. I HAVE FOUND A WAY TO GET THE KEY OUT MANUALLY WITH MY LEFT LAND THUMB THROUGH AN OPENING UNDER THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT BEFORE THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONICS ON THE PEDAL FAILED. HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

POWER STEERING ASSIST GOES OUT AT LOW SPEEDS IN MY 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK CAUSING POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHEN TURNING AND PARKING. I HAVE HAD MANY CLOSE CALLS IN THE RECENT MONTHS, BUT THANKFULLY HAVE NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET. THE ISSUE IS DANGEROUS THOUGH AND I PANIC EVERY TIME I HAVE TO TURN ON A BUSY INTERSECTION. THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN OTHER GM CARS, INCLUDING SOME SATURNS, BUT NOT MY PARTICULAR MODEL. MY CAR HAS NOT EVEN REACHED 100,000 MILES YET. PLEASE CORRECT THIS ISSUE FOR ALL KNOWN VEHICLES, GM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WAS LEANED INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

WE HAVE A SATURN SL1 THAT HAS THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM THAT THE CARS ON THE IGNITION RECALL LIST HAVE. THE KEY COMES OUT IN ANY POSITION - THE WHEEL LOCKS UP AND WE CAN'T GET IT TO UNLOCK - WE LIVE IN A RURAL AREA AND OUR ROADS ARE VERY ROUGH. WE FEEL THAT THE KEY MAY MOVE FROM THE RUN POSITION WHILE WE ARE DRIVING THE CAR AND THE ENGINE WILL TURN OFF AND WE WILL BE IN GREAT DANGER. WE HAVE CONTACTED GM AND THEY SAID THAT SINCE THE CAR IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST - THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO....WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD INVESTIGATE THIS SITUATION. OUR CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY FOR 3 MONTHS, BECAUSE WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME -- AWAITING YOUR EARLIEST RESPONSE. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR FAILED TO OPEN OR SHUT AND ALL THE POWER WINDOWS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND COULD NOT CONTINUE SERVICING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 127,000.