SATURN Complaints

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS SINCE DEC 2013, THE KEY WOULD EJECT FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH BEFORE IT IS COMPLETELY TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. ONCE THIS HAPPENS, THE KEY WOULD NEED TO BE FORCED BACK INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH TO ACTIVATE THE SWITCH BY FORCING TO TURN ON THE IGNITION AND THEN CAREFULLY TURNING IT BACK TO THE OFF POSITION TO SUCCESSFULLY EJECT THE KEY. MOST RECENTLY ON MARCH 1ST, 2014, WHILE DRIVING, MY HAND ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE KEY AND THE KEY FELL OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WHILE THE CAR WAS TRAVELING AT ABOUT 45MPH. *TR

ENGINE STARTED WITH RATTLING SOUND, ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. ATTEMPTED TO RESTART ENGINE, WOULD CRANK BUT NOT FIRE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE IGNITION KEY WAS REMOVED HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE. IN ADDITION, THE IGNITION SWITCH TURNED INTO THE OFF POSITION WHEN THE KEY WAS JARRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V047000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,101.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AN UNKNOWN SPEED, SHE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CRASH WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN A SECOND CRASH IN WHICH THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE STARTED MAKING NOISE AND STEERING WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. I TRAILERED THE VEHICLE BACK HOME. CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THE FRONT SUBFRAME/ENGINE CRADLE WAS COMPLETELY RUSTED THROUGH IN MULTIPLE SPOTS, VERY DANGEROUS!!! I CONTACTED THE DEALER TO GET A NEW SUBFRAME AND I WAS ADVISED THE SUBFRAME IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE AND TO TRY FINDING ONE IN A SALVAGE YARD. I CONTACTED A SALVAGE YARD AND THEY SAID THEY HAD A FEW AND IT WOULD BE NO PROBLEM TO PULL ONE. I GOT THE CALL TODAY SAYING THEY WERE SORRY BUT ALL OF THE FRONT SUBFRAMES ON THE SATURN L SERIES THEY HAVE ARE RUSTED THROUGH AND ARE NOT USABLE. I CONTACTED OTHER YARDS WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. I ENDED UP HAVING TO FIND A SALVAGE YARD DOWN SOUTH THAT HAD A USABLE SUBFRAME. I WENT ONLINE TO FIND NUMEROUS FORUM POSTS DISCUSSING THIS TOPIC AND I'M FINDING IT IS VERY COMMON ON THIS VEHICLE. WHY WAS THERE NEVER A RECALL FOR THIS WITH SUCH A WIDESPREAD SAFETY HAZARD? FROM WHAT I CAN TELL IT HAPPENS ON ALL MODEL YEARS OF THE L SERIES. THE IRONY IS THE REST OF THE CAR IS VERY CLEAN, NO RUST ON THE REST OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. THERE IS NO CLEAR EXPLANATION WHY THE SUBFRAME WOULD HAVE CORROSION PERFORATION AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE WITH NO OTHER RUST/CORROSION ON THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. AT A HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THIS COULD HAVE HAD A BAD OUTCOME. THANK YOU. *TR

IGNITION KEY LOCK HAS BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED 5 TIMES. ONCE UNDER WARRANTY. WHEN IT FAILS I CAN REMOVE THE KEY, WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHEN I TURN OFF THE CAR, I CANNOT TURN IT ONCE THE KEY IS INSERTED AGAIN. THIS MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO RE-START THE VEHICLE. I WAS SURE MY CAR WOULD BE ON THE LIST OF RECENT RECALLS, BUT IT IS NOT. CAN YOU HELP US? I HAVE MANY OF THE BILLS TO HELP MY CASE. ..UPDATED 04-16-14 *BF UPDATED 8/23/2017*CN

THE POWER CUTS OFF WHEN HITTING A BUMP/JARRING AND CAR LOSES ALL AUTOMATIC FEATURES--POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES. ESPECIALLY LIKELY WITH HEAVY KEY CHAIN. HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2009, BUT MORE IN PAST TWO YEARS. OCCURS WHEN PULLING INTO DRIVEWAYS OF STORES, HITTING POTHOLE, ETC. THIS IS THE SATURN "SISTER" CAR TO THE CHEVY COBALT SS AND OF SAME YEAR AT THAT RECENT RECALL. *TR

WHEN DRIVING CAR SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY. HAPPENED TWICE IN THE PAST AND DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HEARD ABOUT GM'S RECALL WITH VEHICLES SHUTTING OFF. MY CAR LAST NIGHT SHUT OFF ON ME AND AGAIN THIS MORNING. THERE'S PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANK IT JUST SHUTS DOWN AND WON'T LET ME START. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR MY POWER STEERING LOST POWER FOR A FEW SECONDS.THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER LOCKS KINDA WENT CRAZY.IT WAS VERY FRIGHTENING AND I'M AFRAID IT MIGHT HAPPEN AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. *TR

TO FORMALLY ADD THIS INCIDENT TO YOUR RECORDS, ON 2/22/13, AT ABOUT 9AM, I WAS STARTING TO BRAKE UPON APPROACHING A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A HIGHWAY NEAR MY HOME IN ICY CONDITIONS, ONLY TO FIND THAT I APPARENTLY HAD NO BRAKING CAPABILITY, (AT LEAST ALL EFFORTS SHORT OF STANDING ON THE BRAKE, WHICH WOULD LOCK UP THE WHEELS), AND THE DASH LIGHTS SEEMED TO INDICATE THE ENGINE HAD STOPPED. AFTER SLIDING INTO THE PICK-UP TRUCK AHEAD OF ME AT THE LIGHT, THE COLLISION WAS AT A HIGH ENOUGH SPEED TO ENOUGH TO CRUMPLE THE FRONT HALF OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, BUT THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY, (I THOUGHT MY SPEED AT POINT OF IMPACT WAS ABOUT 25MPH, BUT THE TROOPER TAKING THE ACCIDENT REPORT FELT THAT IT HAD TO BE FASTER THAN THAT). I WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT, AND HAVE SUFFERED ONLY BRUISING AND PULLED MUSCLES. ONLY AFTER READING LAST WEEK OF THE EXPANSION OF THE RECALL REGARDING GM CARS, INCLUDING MY SATURN, DID I CONNECT THE PIECES REGARDING WHY MY CAR BEHAVED AS IT DID. *TR