SATURN Complaints

DRIVING 60 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY, I WAS RUN OFF THE ROAD BY A SEMI TRUCK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HIT A HIGHWAY SIGN HEAD-ON. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH THE DAMAGE TO THE CAR WAS EXTENSIVE. THANKFULLY I HAD MY SEAT BELT ON, BUT SUSTAINED BRUISES. *TR

WITH THE RECALL OF SATURN ION IN THE NEWS, I'VE BEEN INCREASINGLY WORRIED ABOUT MY 2002 SATURN LW200. EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT THE MODEL OR YEAR IN THE CURRENT RECALL, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM IS ONE THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING AROUND FOR YEARS. I DON'T RECALL WHEN I DISCOVERED THE IGNITION PROBLEM, BUT WHAT I RECALL IS THAT IT WAS PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD, AND IT WASN'T SOMETHING I COULD AFFORD TO HAVE REPAIRED. MY KNEE ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED MY KEYCHAIN WHILE THE CAR WAS RUNNING, AND IT FELL OUT OF THE IGNITION. I WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, IDLING. THE IGNITION REMAINED IN THE RUN POSITION. I WAS ABLE TO RECOVER MY KEYS AND RE-INSERT THE IGNITION KEY INTO THE IGNITION. I AM ALWAYS CONSCIOUS OF MY KEYS, AND MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO NOT TOUCH THEM WHILE DRIVING. ALSO SINCE FIRST PURCHASING THE CAR, THE AIRBAG ERROR LIGHT DISPLAYS WHEN I RESTART MY CAR AFTER TURNING OFF THE IGNITION, BUT KEEPING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION SLOT. THIS IS A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE AS I TURN THE ENGINE OFF FOR FREIGHT TRAIN CROSSINGS AND WHILE WAITING FOR MY CHILDREN AT SCHOOL PICK UP. I THOUGHT THE ERROR WAS JUST A QUIRK THAT NEEDED RESETTING BY REMOVING THE KEY. SO, AS A WORKAROUND, WHEN I TURN THE ENGINE OFF, I REMOVE THE KEY COMPLETELY AND REINSERT IT TO AVOID THE AIRBAG ERROR. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO BUT CONTACT YOU IN THE HOPES THAT OTHER SATURN OWNERS WILL COME FORWARD AS NEWS OF THE RECALL IS RELEASED. *TR

ON OCTOBER 31, AND NOVEMBER 1 OF 2013 I WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND IN NEARLY THE SAME SPOT THE SATURN LOST COMPLETE POWER AND DIED. BOTH TIMES I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. AFTER THE SECOND INCIDENT WE HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE WHERE THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. I DID NOT DRIVE IT AGAIN AND CURRENTLY IT IS IN STORAGE AS I PURCHASED A NEW CAR. I DRIVE 350 MILES A WEEK TO WORK AND NEED DEPENDABLE TRANSPORTATION. WHEN THE RECALL CAME OUT WE REALIZED WE MAY HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR UP TO 2 YEARS. THERE WOULD BE TIMES WE WOULD SHUT THE CAR OFF BUT WOULD BE UNABLE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT. IT WOULD TAKE UP TO A MINUTE BEFORE CLICKING AND WE COULD REMOVE THE KEY. THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. *TR

AFTER EXITING THE HIGHWAY I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. UPON STARTING TO MOVE, THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING AND THE ENGINE REVVED TO 3000RPM AT 15-20 MPH. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO A PARKING LOT AND WAS FORTUNATE TO NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AS I WAS IN A LOT OF TRAFFIC. I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT UNDER THE PADDLE SYSTEM AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO PAST THE THIRD GEAR. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND THEY ALSO NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. THE ENGINE LIGHT THEN TURNED ON. THE CAR HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP WHO HAS STATED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS AN ENTIRE OVERHAUL WHICH WILL COST $3300-3400. THEY ARE CURRENTLY REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL INCLUDING FREE REPAIRS OF THIS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS WITH A VERY SIMILAR SCENARIO. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THIS 04 SATURN ION I LOST POWER STEERING WHILE GOING AROUND A CURVE. I ALMOST HIT THE GUARD RAIL. IF THE CAR IS SHUT OFF THEN RESTARTED THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE "POWER STEERING" WARNING LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASH. SOME TIMES THIS CAN HAPPEN SEVERAL TIMES A DAY AND THERE ARE TIMES WHEN IT DOES NOT HAPPEN FOR WEEKS. IT CAN HAPPEN IN ANY WEATHER OR TEMP. IT KIND OF TAKES YOU BY SURPRISE, ONE SECOND ITS WORKING FINE THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING IS GONE. *TR

AFTER MY DAY OF DRIVING I PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AT MY HOME AND PUT MY CAR INTO THE PARK GEAR AND CONTINUED TO REMOVE MY KEY--THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO OFF POSITION. IT HAD LOCKED INTO PLACE. I HAD TO CALL MY HUSBAND TO COME HOME AND HELP ME. HE TOO TRIED. IT WOULD NOT TURN TO THE OFF POSITION. THE ONLY WAY WE GOT THE CAR TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE WAS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY CABLES. THE KEY STAYED IN THE ON POSITION. I HAD TO CONTACT THE GM DEALER THE NEXT MORNING -- I HAD TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP IN FREDERICK, MARYLAND. I WAS REPAIRED AND I WAS CHARGED A TOTAL OF $512.36 I RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER TODAY MARCH 14, 2014 STATING THERE IS A RECALL 14063 THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 14V-047 SINCE THIS HAS ALREADY AFFECTED MY CAR AND I HAVE PAID I AM REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *TR

I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, A FIRE IN THE RESONATOR AND 4 OR 5 TIMES WHERE THE CAR JUST STOPS RUNNING AND I'M NOT ABLE TO GET IT TO START AGAIN FOR A WHILE. THE CAR HAS ACCELERATED WHEN MY FOOT WAS NOT EVEN ON THE PEDDLE MAKING ME GO 65 IN 30 WITH NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE. I HAVE ALSO HAD TIMES WHERE THE GAS PEDDLE WAS STUCK AND I WAS UNABLE TO SLOW DOWN EVEN WHEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. AT STOP LIGHTS THE WHEELS KEEP SPINNING WHEN MY FOOT IS ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR MOVES INTO THE INTERSECTION. *TR

IN REGARDS TO CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V-047. I HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE TWICE, ONCE ON 3/13/14 AND THE OTHER ON 3/14/14. BOTH TIMES THE REP STATED THAT A MESSAGE WAS LEFT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. I ALSO CALLED THE DEALERSHIP ON 3/13/14 IN THE EVENING AND 3/14/14 DURING THE DAY. I LEFT MESSAGES BOTH TIMES. I NEVER GOT A CALL BACK FROM THE DEALERSHIP. I REALIZE THERE MAY BE A HIGH VOLUME OF CALLS DUE TO THE RECALL. BUT I HAVE NOT BEEN OFFERED A SOLUTION WHAT SO EVER. GM STATED THEY WOULD PROVIDE A LOANER CAR IN NEWS RELEASES AND THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND THE GMC DEALERSHIP HAVE DONE NOTHING TO HELP PUT A LOANER IN PLACE. I DRIVE MY CAR FOR WORK ON A DAILY BASIS AND DO NOT HAVE THE MEANS OR ACCESS TO ANOTHER CAR. THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THERE HAVE BEEN FATALITIES AND MANY ACCIDENTS RELATED TO THIS RECALL THAT IT WOULD BE A PRIORITY TO ADDRESS MY CONCERN. I'M VERY DISSATISFIED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED AS THE POWER STEERING SEIZED AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A CONCRETE STREET DIVIDER. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT DURING THE CRASH, THE RADIATOR AND CONDENSER WERE DAMAGED AND BOTH WERE REPLACED BY THE MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED IN REFERENCE TO THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SHE ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE BUT THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE FAILURE WAS RECURRING. ADDITIONALLY, THE KEY WOULD BECOME STUCK IN THE IGNITION OR WOULD NOT TURN WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.