SATURN Complaints

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XR, WHICH WE BROUGHT BRAND NEW. AFTER 1 YEAR, WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE SATURN OUTLOOK TRYING TO FIND GEARS, AND THE THROTTLE RESPONSE WAS DISAPPOINTING. WHEN PASSING, YOU PRESS THE THROTTLE, AND THERE IS A 15 SECOND HESITATION, BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTS TO PICK UP SPEED. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN FOR TRANSMISSION RECALLS, WHERE THEY HAVE UPDATED THE SOFTWARE. I DID THIS THREE TIMES, IT WOULD LAST FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND START RIGHT BACK MALFUNCTIONING. NOW MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY, AND GUESS WHAT, THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT, WHILE ON I-55, IN CHICAGO, ON MY WAY TO WORK..WOW! $4,032.00 TO REPLACE, BRAND NEW. I PAID THIS BECAUSE I FELT THAT IT WAS CHEAPER THAN ANOTHER CAR PAYMENT. I AM SO ANGRY AT GM, BECAUSE THEY KNEW THAT THIS TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY, AND ALL THEY DID WAS TAKE MY MONEY, AND LEFT ME HANGING. I AM JUST LIKE OTHER HARD WORKING FAMILIES OUT THERE, WHO JUST CAN'T COUGH UP 4 GRAND, AND IT NOT PUT A DENT IN YOUR BUDGET. ALL THEY DID WAS COME UP WITH A SORRY PATCH JOB, THAT WAS ONLY TEMPORARY, AND ONCE IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEY HAD NO SHAME OR REMORSE ABOUT CHARGING YOU. I CALLED GM, AND TRIED TO SEE IF THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING, HA! NO SUCH LUCK. I OFTEN THINK ABOUT THAT MOMENT MY WIFE COULD HAVE BEEN HURT, OR HURT SOMEONE BECAUSE OF GM'S NEGLIGENCE. PLEASE HELP ME, AND ALL THE CONSUMERS OUT THERE WHO HAVE PURCHASED FROM GM. THEY NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SERIOUS MATTER. THANK YOU....[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WE WERE ON VACATION IN THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS HEADED UP THE WINDING ROADS TO OUR CABIN WHEN I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT WAS EXTREMELY SCARY AS IF WE GOT 3 FOOT OFF THE ROAD WE WOULD HAVE FELL OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN (AS THERE WERE NO GUARD RAILS). WE TRIED TO REVERSE, BUT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BARELY MOVE. MY HUSBAND REACHED OVER AND WE BOTH TRIED WITH ALL OUR MIGHT TO TURN TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE CABIN WE WERE STAYING AT. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE, IT SEEMED THIS HAD HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE THE NEXT MORNING AS WE WERE NOT SURE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE IT DOWN THE CURVY ROADS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAIN. NO DEALERSHIPS IN THE AREA WERE OPEN WITH IT BEING A HOLIDAY (JULY 4TH) WEEKEND. THEY CONNECTED ME WITH A DEALERSHIP IN ILLINOIS WHO GAVE SOME ADVICE. WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BUT THAT MOST VEHICLES WITH THIS ISSUE TURN EASIER WITH THE ACCELERATOR BEING PUSHED. WE DIDN'T HAVE 3 EXTRA DAYS TO SPEND WAITING FOR A GM DEALER TO TAKE A LOOK, SO WE THOUGHT WE WOULD TRY. WE STARTED OUT OK, BUT AS WE GOT FARTHER DOWN (15 MINUTE DRIVE FROM OUR CABIN TO THE BOTTOM) IT GOT VERY HARD AGAIN. WE WOULD SLOW DOWN WAY BEFORE THE CURVE SO THAT WE COULD ACCELERATE THROUGH THE CURVE AND HAVE THE ABILITY TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. WE SAFELY MADE IT OUT OF TOWN. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE LED US TO BELIEVE THEY WOULD COVER MOST OF THE $1400 IN REPAIRS AS THE PARTS MAY HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE SAME FACTORY AS OTHER VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF RECALL. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT COVER ANY OF IT AS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES WERE CAUSED BY THE PROBLEM. *TR

COUPLE MONTHS AGO I BROUGHT MY CAN TO GM BECAUSE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH RECALL. LAST WEEK I GOT A CALL FROM GM THAT MY CAR WAS DONE AND READY TO BE PICK UP. I NOTICED THAT THE POWER OF MY CAR WASN'T THERE, THE PASSENGER WINDOW WAS GOING DOWN (WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF AT GM IT WOULDN'T GO DOWN), AND MY CAR CHARGER WASN'T WORKING (WHEN I DROPPED IT OFF IT THE CAR WAS CHARGING MY PHONE SAME CHARGER SAME PHONE). 2:00AM TODAY I HIT A DEER ON MY WAY TO MY PARENTS HOUSE (IM OKAY BUT DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE DEER) BUT THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. *TR

STRUCTURAL WELD UNDER THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BROKE. SEAT NOW SWAYS LEFT TO RIGHT, NOT SECURE IN THE VEHICLE. VISUAL INDICATION OF A WEAK, NON-PENETRATIVE, ROBOTIC STRUCTURAL WELD KEEPING THE SEAT IN PLACE. GM WILL NOT COVER REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT COSTS. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING ACROSS MILLIONS OF VEHICLES UNDER THE CHEVROLET AND SATURN MAKES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V171000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), THE KEY WOULD BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AGAIN AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

JULY 5, 2014: PREVIOUSLY WE WOULD SMELL THE SCENT OF WATER THAT HAD BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE, BUT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF WHERE IT WOULD COME FROM. WHEN WE LEFT OUR DESTINATION IT WAS DRY, BUT RAIN WAS IN THE FORECAST. IT BEGAN TO RAIN HEAVILY AS WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND SUDDENLY, I FELT WATER ON MY FEET. BY THE TIME I CHECKED THE FLOOR MAT, IT WAS HEAVILY SOAKED AND WATER WAS FLOWING FROM THE BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE OF THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE HAD TO MAKE A STOP ON THE WAY HOME WHILE IT WAS STILL RAINING. WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE CAR THE PASSENGER FLOOR MAT WAS EVEN MORE DRENCHED. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE WATER THAT IS UNDETECTED AND THAT SITS FOR A WHILE LEADS TO MOLD, WHICH WE FOUND. THIS CAN LEAD TO BREATHING ISSUES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE VEHICLE DOORS HAVE TO STAY CLOSED. I TOOK PICTURES AS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE MADE THIS ISSUE KNOWN TO SATURN CUSTOMER CARE. *TR

JUNE 25, 2014: ONE WEEK AFTER WE SPENT $1600.00 FOR AN UNRESOLVED ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE WE WERE SOMEWHAT HOPEFUL THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WENT TO UNLOCK THE CAR WITH THE REMOTE AND IT DID NOT RESPOND. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO JUMP START IT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE LATEST BATTERY WE PURCHASED WAS IN NOVEMBER 2013, SO THIS WAS CONCERNING TO US. AS WE LIFTED THE FLOOR MAT TO GET TO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT WE FOUND MOLD. ONCE THE BATTERY COVER WAS MOVED AND THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED WE FOUND ABOUT 2 INCHES OF BROWN WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY WHICH WE KEPT HAD MOLD ON IT AS WELL. WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN AT HOME WHEN THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS WORKING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WITH NO ISSUES. HAD WE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER ISSUE BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH US IN THE HOT, HOUSTON HEAT. THIS IS SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON THAT WATER SHOULD BE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THE WATER WAS THERE AND BECAUSE OF THIS I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS WHEN IT RAINS, EVEN A LITTLE BECAUSE THE BATTERY MAY DIE. I AM GLAD WE FOUND THIS OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVE PICTURES AS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ISSUE. I HAVE MADE THIS ISSUE KNOWN TO SATURN CUSTOMER CARE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND REAR WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND DIM INTERMITTENTLY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MORE THAN FOUR TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REMEDIED. THE REAR BRAKES WERE CALIBRATED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN COMING OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOST THE ABILITY THE MAKE A SMOOTH TURN. NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS HAPPENING, I HAD TO FORCE THE WHEEL TO TURN LEFT IN ORDER TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE STREET. THE FORCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT PRODUCE A FULL TURN OF MOVEMENT, JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP THE CAR IN THE LANE. ONCE I WAS IN A LANE I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL STILL HAD A RESISTANT FEEL TO IT. DURING MY DRIVE I ALSO NEEDED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WITH THE RIGHT TURN, I NOTICED THAT MAKING A TURN INTO THE LEFT LANE FELT LESS RESTRICTIVE, BUT IT STILL REQUIRED UNUSUAL EFFORT TO MAKE A TURN. EACH TIME I MADE A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN I WAS PREPARED FOR THE FEELING OF LOST POWER AND PREPARED TO USE FORCE TO MAKE MY TURNING SUCCESSFUL. THIS OF COURSE IS NOT WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO OCCUR WHILE TURNING A VEHICLE. I HAVE MADE THIS ISSUE KNOWN TO SATURN CUSTOMER CARE. *TR