SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT SUBMITTED AN EMAIL COMPLAINT AND REQUESTED TO HAVE THE COMPLAINT SUBMITTED VERBATIM TO THE EMAIL SUBMISSION.RE: 2006 SATURN ION GENERAL MOTORS CASE NUMBER: 71-1262884818 DEAR MS. DAVIS: I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO EXPRESS MY EXTREME DISSATISFACTION WITH A RECENT REPAIR THAT WAS DONE ON MY 2006 SATURN ION. ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2014, MY SON ARRIVED HOME WITH MY CAR AND SAID HE COULD NOT TURN THE CAR OFF. FINDING THIS STRANGE, I WENT OUTSIDE TO TRY, AND COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION OR TURN OFF THE CAR. I CALLED EMERGENCY ROAD ASSISTANCE TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST ME. UPON THEIR ARRIVAL, THEY COULD NOT GET THE KEY OUT, SO I HAD THE TECHNICIAN TO FOLLOW ME TO THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR SHOP. ONCE THERE, THE EMERGENCY ROAD TECHNICIAN RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS OVER THE PHONE ON HOW TO AT LEAST TURN THE CAR OFF BY REMOVING A FUSE. I LOCKED MY CAR, WITH THE KEY STILL IN THE IGNITION. BETWEEN THE TIME I DROPPED MY CAR OFF, UNTIL THE SHOP WAS SCHEDULED TO OPEN ON MONDAY, THE TEMPERATURES PLUMMETED TO A RECORD LOW OF AT LEAST 45 DEGREES BELOW ZERO. I WAS INFORMED THAT MY LOCKS WERE FROZEN AND MY CAR WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE. THE EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES DID NOT ALLOW MERLIN ACCESS TO THE INSIDE OF MY CAR. MERLIN?S WAS ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, AND THAT THEY HAD ALREADY VERIFIED IT COULD ONLY BE FIXED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE IGINITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. NEXT, I CONTACTED THE GENERAL MOTORS CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO REPORT WHAT HAD HAPPENED.GM INFORMED ME THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH HAS BEEN REDESIGNED TO AVOID THE NATURE OF REPAIRS SUCH AS MINE, FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE.THE IGNITION SWITCH SHOULD DEFINITELY BE CLASSIFIED AS A RECALL.

POWER STEERING WARNING APPEARED AFTER STARTING CAR. IMMEDIATELY POWER STEERING SHUTDOWN WHICH CAUSED DIFFICULTY WITH STEERING AND CONTROLLING THE VEHICLE. *TR

APRIL 2010, PASSENGER LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. WAS PULLED OVER AND TOLD TO GET IT FIXED. WENT IN TO CHANGE THE LIGHT, BUT FOUND THE HARNESS WAS MELTED AND WIRES WERE FRAYED AND SHOWED SIGNS OF ARCING. I REPLACED THE HARNESS AND BULB. JAN 2014, TAKE CAR TO GET SAFETY INSPECTED AND GET TOLD THAT PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM IS OUT AND FAILED INSPECTION. FOUND EXACT SAME PROBLEM AS IN APRIL 2010, FRAYED WIRES AND SIGNS OF ELECTRICAL ARCING. *TR

SEAT BELT ALERT ON DASH KEEPS TELLING ME THAT THE SEAT BELT FOR THE DRIVER IS NOT BUCKLED EVEN WHEN DRIVER IS BUCKLED IN. THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE THAT HAD BEEN HANDLED UNDER A WARRANTY CLAIM BY REPLACING THE DASH CLUSTER AFTER MANY TRIPS TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS REPLACED UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY. NOW THE ISSUE HAS RETURNED AND GM IS REFUSING ANY SORT OF REPLACEMENT OR DIAGNOSIS ON THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH IT DEALS WITH PASSENGER SAFETY. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS NEW AND HAVE ON GOING ISSUES WITH THE DASH CLUSTER AND IT MALFUNCTIONING WITH GM TELLING ME EVERY TIME THAT THEY WILL NO LONGER FIX IT. I WOULD HATE TO SEE SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY HURT AS A RESULT OF THE SEAT BELT NOT LOCKING IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE ELECTRONICS DO NOT SEE THE SEAT BELT AS BEING BUCKLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO DECELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 54,363.

VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON, THEN LIGHT WOULD SAY ENGINE POWER REDUCED. ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE 2011. BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. TODAY COMPLETE POWER LOSS, TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT RESPOND AGAIN. 85000 MILES NOW. THIS HAS HAPPENED FROM EVERY SPEED FROM 1 MPH TO 60 MPH. *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE WHILE ENGINE RUNNING. VALVE DAMAGE IN HEADS. ENGINE NEEDS UPPER OVERHAUL. FILED COMPLAINT WITH GM SINCE SO MANY TIMING CHAIN FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED WITH THIS ENGINE. GM STATED THAT THIS VIN WAS OUTSIDE THE RECALL WINDOW EVEN THOUGH THE REDESIGNED TIMING CHAIN ASSEMBLY DID NOT TAKE PLACE TIL THE FOLLOWING MODEL YEAR. WOULD NOT HELP IN REPAIRS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A VISIBLE FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 41,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE! I WAS TRYING TO PARK, THE REVERSE CONTROL DIDN'T WORK PROPERLY, CHECK ENGINE CAME ON. AFTER FEW HOURS PARKED, I WENT BACK HOME, THE SPEED WASN'T WORKING (RPM 3 AND 4 SPEED 35) AND THE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I GOT HOME, A MECHANIC CAME OVER TO CHECK IT, HE SAID IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT TO GMC, THEY WORKED THE RECALLS (?? I DON'T KNOW STILL WHAT RECALLS THEY WORK ON IT), AND TOLD ME IT IS THE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE TO PAY $4,500 IF I WANT A NEW ONE, $200 LESS IF I WANT AN USED ONE OR REBUILD. SINCE IT IS MORE THAT 5 YEARS OLD, NO WARRANTY ON IN. I STILL OWE $11000 ON THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSITION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED.