SATURN Complaints

I WENT OUTSIDE ON A COLD MORNING AND ATTEMPTED TO CRANK MY 2007 SATURN VUE. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT START. I HAD IT TOWED INTO A SHOP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED WHICH CAUSED ENGINE FAILURE. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SHOP FOR A SECOND OPINION AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING AND THAT IT WOULD COST OVER $5,000 TO REPAIR IT. I'VE DONE RESEARCH SINCE THEN AND APPARENTLY GM HAS HAD THIS ISSUE WITH SATURN VUES BEFORE. TIMING CHAINS ARE NOT DESIGNED TO WEAR OUT, PARTICULARLY NOT AT UNDER 100K MILES. MY VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED. I HAD NO PRIOR INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR ANYTHING. IT I HAD BEEN DRIVING WHEN IT SNAPPED IT COULD HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS OR FATAL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND GM SHOULD TAKE MEASURES TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS ISSUED ON SATURN VUES WITH SIMILAR ISSUES IN THE PAST, BUT CLEARLY THE RECALLS NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE 2007 MODEL YEAR AND ANY OTHER YEARS AFFECTED. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

THE IGNITION ON THIS CAR KEEPS LOCKING UP..I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A DEALER THINKING THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS. I WOULD LOVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS. *TR

11-16-12 REPLACED POWER STEERING COOLER @ 91236 MILES 01-08-13 REPLACED POWER STEERING COOLER PIPE/HOSE--DIAGNOSED AS HIGH PRESSURE PROBLEM @ 91450 MI. 01-28-13 SECURED POWER STEERING FITTING & BLED SYSTEM @ 92694 MI. 02-06-13 REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP & PURGED AIR FROM SYSTEM @ 92866 MI. 04-02-13 REPLACED POWER STEERING RACK @ 93530 MI. 09-20-13 REPLACED POWER STEERING LOW PRESSURE HOSE (AGAIN) @ 98739 MI. 03-08-14 REPLACED POWER STEERING COOLER (AGAIN!) @ 103187 MI. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A GASOLINE FUEL ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL LEAK IN THE FUEL LINE. THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED TO REMEDY THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

IGNITION WOULD SOMETIMES NOT TURN OFF OR RELEASE KEY WHEN CAR WAS RUNNING, OR TURN ON WHEN CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. PASSLOCK INDICATOR WAS COMING ON AT STRANGE TIMES. BATTERY CONSTANTLY BEING DRAINED. SES LIGHT WAS ON WHEN THE KEY WAS OUT OF IGNITION. $960 IN PARTS AND LABOR. *TR

IMPORTANT, I DO NOT KNOW THE DATES SO I HAD TO JUST PUT IN A RANDOM ONE. THIS CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF ON 3 OCCASIONS. I BROUGHT IT TO SATURN ON ALL THE INCIDENTS. I WOULD BE DRIVING AND START TO BREAK AND DOWNSHIFT AND THE CAR WOULD LITERALLY JUST TURN OFF, AND I WAS LITERALLY AT THE CARS MERCY TILL IT WOULD TURN BACK ON. AS A FORMER DRIVERS ED INSTRUCTOR, I AM JUST LUCKY I REMAINED CALM. AT SATURN THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN. I DEMANDED IT DID, AND THE ONE TIME EVEN LEFT THE CAR WITH THEM FOR A WEEK. I SEEN THE RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE BUT THAT THEY ARE ONLY RECALLING TILL THE 2003'S. I AM THEREFORE COMPELLED TO MAKE SURE IT IS KNOWN THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED AS FAR BACK AS THE 2000 MODELS. I ALSO AM WILLING TO TESTIFY IF NEED BE BECAUSE I WAS SO UPSET. I HAD NO IDEA BACK THEN HOW TO HANDLE IT, SO I LET IT GO. HOWEVER, NOW I KNOW WHAT TO DO AND SO I AM FILING IN HOPES THIS HELPS PEOPLE BE SAFE. I DO NOT REMEMBER THE DATES BECAUSE IT WAS SO LONG AGO, BUT I BELIEVE THE RECORDS SHOULD BE DEMANDED FROM SATURN IN CLARENCE. *TR

IN DEC. 2011, THE CAR WOULD NOT TURN ON AND I PAID $280 FOR A REPLACEMENT IGNITION SWITCH. I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY USED ANOTHER FAULTY SWITCH THAT IS NOW THE SUBJECT OF THE CURRENT RECALL. IN CONCERN FOR MY SAFETY, I AM USING A SINGLE KEY, AS GM INSTRUCTED, AND WAITING FOR THE DEALER TO GET THE PART TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. SUPPOSEDLY, IT WILL HAPPEN THIS MONTH - APRIL. ALSO IN 2011 (OR MAYBE THE BEGINNING OF 2012) I EXPERIENCED THE INTERMITTENT LOSS OF THE POWER STEERING. THAT WAS PAID FOR BY GM BUT, AGAIN, NOW I HAVE NO IDEA IF THEY PUT IN ANOTHER FAULTY POWER STEERING COLUMN THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF TODAY'S RECALL. WHEN I CALLED GM TODAY, THEY SAID THAT LAST POWER STEERING REPLACEMENT WAS NOT A RECALL, IT WAS A SPECIAL SAFETY ISSUE #10187. I ASKED IF THE INCENTIVE TO TRADE IN THE CAR WOULD BE EXTENDED DUE TO ANOTHER RECALL AND THEY COULD NOT ANSWER THE QUESTION BECAUSE THAT IS A SALES ISSUE, NOT A REPAIR ISSUE. I THINK IT'S TIME TO REPLACE THIS CAR, MAYBE WITH A FORD! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SECURED IN PARK, IT WOULD ROLL AWAY IN EITHER DIRECTION. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD TO BE SECURED IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO START AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD TO BE APPLIED IN TO STOP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO DEALER. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V460000 (POWER TRAIN) HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,540.

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS STEERING WOULD SUDDENLY STOP WORKING DISPLAY A POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILURE ON DASHBOARD AND ENTER MANUAL STEERING MODE. I WOULD PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL TURN VEHICLE OFF AND ON TO RESET COMPUTER AND STEERING TO BRING IT BACK TO A NORMAL CONDITION. AS TIME PROGRESSED THE FAULT WOULD APPEAR MORE FREQUENTLY BEFORE GETTING IT REPAIRED AT LOCAL SATURN AUTHORIZED REPAIR GM FACILITY. PAID CLOSE TO $1,000 FOR THE REPAIR AND PARTS. NOW THAT VEHICLE HAS LIFETIME WARRANTY ALL PERVIOUS REPAIRS SHOULD BE REFUNDED TO CONSUMERS. *TR