SATURN Complaints

LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT WENT OUT AND I REPLACED THE LIGHT. TWO WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN, I MOVED THE CONNECTOR AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THE LIGHT WORKED FOR TWO WEEKS AND IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB AND IT SMELLED LINE BURNT PLASTIC. I REMOVED THE BULB AND THE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT ON ONE OF THE SIDES. THE WIRE WAS BARELY HANGING ON THE SIDE THE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT. THE WIRE HARNESS SEEMS VERY FLIMSY AND VERY POOR QUALITY. I'M VERY SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED OF THE POOR QUALITY OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAN ALSO POSSIBLY BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

I OWN A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XE (FWD). AFTER A FEW DAYS OF A BIT OF AN ODD HITCH IN THE GEARS AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTING, THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. AFTER A BRIEF STOP AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE AGAIN IT WAS AS IF THE VEHICLE WAS STUCK IN NEUTRAL. WE HAD IT TOWED TO A NEARBY MECHANIC WHERE WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 78,500 MILES. *TR

I OWN A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. YESTERDAY, OUR LOW BEAM HEADLAMP ON THE DRIVERS SIDE WENT OUT. THINKING IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE REPAIR, I BOUGHT REPLACEMENT BULBS. AS I DID THE REPAIR, I FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT THE BULB AT ALL, BUT A WIRING HARNESS THAT HAD FRAYED AND SHEARED ITSELF OFF. WHAT WAS ODD TO ME IS THAT IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE LAMP, I HAD TO REMOVE A NUMBER OF PROTECTIVE SHIELDS, I.E. THE FENDER SKIRT, AND THEN THE END CAP PROTECTING THE LAMP. HOW COULD ANYTHING POSSIBLY GET IN AND SHEAR THE WIRE IF IT WAS THAT WELL PROTECTED? WHEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I AM FINDING THAT IT IS BECOMING A MUCH MORE COMMON ISSUE THAT I HAD ANTICIPATED. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND ISSUING A RECALL NOTICE OUT TO PREVENT OTHER OWNERS FROM EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE I AM HAVING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE POWER STEERING ASSIST MOTOR WAS REPLACED BUT THE DEFECT WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ALSO IN ORDER TO REMEDY THE DEFECT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AT 15 MPH WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR OPENED WITHOUT BEING ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE IGNITION BARREL SWITCH SEIZED AND WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO CONFIRMED THE FAILURE AND ALSO STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCH WAS FRACTURED. THE IGNITION BARREL SWITCH WAS REPAIRED BUT NOT THE DOOR LATCH FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

ON 11/13/2013, I STARTED MY CAR AND THERE WAS A HORRIBLE SOUND AND IT STALLED. I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE PEOPLE WHO USUALLY WORKED ON MY VEHICLE. I DID NOT TAKE IT TO A DEALER, AS I COULD NOT AFFORD A DEALER. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AS THEY COULD HEAR IT WHIPPING AROUND WHEN THEY TRIED TO START THE VEHICLE. THEY ADVISED ME THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT DAMAGES THE ENGINE. I CALLED A HYUNDAI DEALER AS HYUNDAI IS THE DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM. I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN IT DOES DAMAGE THE ENGINE AND THAT IT WOULD COST $4000-$7000 TO HAVE THE ENGINE REPLACED. AT NO TIME WAS I TOLD I COULD BRING IT IN AND HAVE IT EVALUATED. I ONLY KNOW THAT I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE THERE AND HE FELT THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD USED THE DEALERSHIP ALL ALONG. I AM ON LIMITED INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD A LOT SO AFTER CHECKING PLACES WHO COULD BUY THE CAR FROM ME I FOUND SOMEONE WHO WOULD GIVE ME $400 FOR THE VEHICLE. AT NO TIME WHEN I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 8/2007 WAS I TOLD THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. THEY WOULD NOT TELL ME BECAUSE THEY KNEW I WOULD NOT BUY THE VEHICLE IF THEY DID. ALL GM SAYS IS THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THERE WAS NO RECALL BUT BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD HAVE BEEN AWARE THAT THERE WAS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM INVOLVED WITH THE VEHICLE I WAS PURCHASING. THIS DEFINES NEGLECT: HAVING KNOWLEDGE OR SHOULD HAVE HAD KNOWLEDGE OF A PROBLEM AND NOT ADVISING THE PURCHASER OF SAID PROBLEM. THEREFORE, HYUNDAI SHOULD HAVE KNOWN (AS IT IS A GM DEALERSHIP) OR DID KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND FAILED TO ADVISE ME, THE BUYER, AND I WAS HARMED BY THIS NEGLIGENCE. I AM STILL PAYING ON SOME OF THE WORK I HAD DONE ON THIS VEHICLE. I FEEL I SHOULD BE COMPENSATED IN SOME WAY. *TR

LUCKILY THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON A FAIRLY STRAIGHT STATE ROUTE. THE CAR'S ALERT SYSTEM DINGED THEN DISPLAYED AND ERROR OF "PWRSTEER". I COULD, AT SPEED, FEEL THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE. I MADE IT HOME AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR TO GO OUT LATER THE POWER STEERING WAS WORKING FOR ABOUT 3 MILES, THEN THE CAR'S ALERT SYSTEM DINGED AND THE PWRSTEER MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN APPROXIMATELY 30 HOURS SINCE THE 1ST INCIDENT AND EVERY TIME I START THE CAR I HAVE POWER STEERING BUT THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT WITHIN 10 - 15 MINUTES OF ANY DRIVE. *TR

ON SOME COLD DAYS, THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE LIGHTS, RADIO, ETC. WILL TURN ON WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED, BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START AND THE ANTI-THEFT INDICATOR LIGHT WILL BLINK. YOU HAVE TO WAIT ANYWHERE FROM 10-30 MINUTES FOR THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM TO RESET TO ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO START. I ONLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM ON COLD DAYS. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES AND WE'VE CONTACTED GM TWICE, BUT THEY SAY THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF ANY COMPLAINTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP GEARS WITH SEVERE HESITATION WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,365. UPDATED 2/11/14*CN ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE REVERSE WAVEPLATE WAS BROKEN. UPDATED 02/18/14

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP HOME" MODE. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR OUT OF LIMP MODE AND DROVE TO A REPAIR SHOP. A GM CERTIFIED REPAIR FACILITY DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED DUE TO A FAILED 35R WAVE PLATE. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2007 AND 2008 OUTLOOKS, GMC ACADIAS, AND BUICK ENCLAVES. THIS PROBLEM AS BEEN REFERENCED UNDER NHTSA CASE NUMBER [XXX] AND BULLETIN 09-07-30-012. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR