SATURN Complaints

I PURCHASED A 2007 SATURN ION IN THE FALL OF 2008. MY GRANDAUGHTER TOOK THE CAR TO CALIFORNIA AND DECIDED TO LIVE THERE. A FEW MONTHS AGO SHE CALLED TO TELL ME THAT SHE KEPT SMELLING FUEL IN THE CAR WHEN SHE DROVE. SHE TOOK THE CAR INTO SEARS AND THEY TOLD HER SHE NEEDED A NEW FUEL PUMP. SHE KEPT SMELLING FUEL AND FOUND OUT THE SEARS DID NOT REPAIR THE CAR SO SEARS GAVE HER A FULL REFUND AFTER SHE COMPLAINED. SHE TOOK THE CAR TO A SERVICE STATION AND HAD THE FUEL LINE REPLACED BECAUSE SHE WAS TOLD IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED....IT WAS CRACKED. AFTER SHE HAD THE CAR REPAIRED I RECEIVED A NOTICE ABOUT THE RECALL FOR SATURN IONS AND THE FUEL SYSTEM PROBLEM. I HAD HER SEND ME THE BILL FOR THE REPAIRS. THE LETTER GM SENT STATED THAT IF WE HAD ALREADY MADE REPAIRS FOR THE FUEL PROBLEM, THEY WOULD REIMBURSE. WHEN I GO TO THE GM WEBSITE NOW, IT STATES THAT THE 2007 SATURN ION HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. I HAVE ALSO TRIED CALLING GM WITH NO SUCCESS. WHERE DO I SENT THE BILL WE HAVE? WHY IS GM NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE RECALL FOR THE 2007 SATURN ION FOR THOSE BOUGHT OR REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA?? THANK YOU! *TR

VEHICLE OPERATOR TRIED TO TURN OFF MOTOR WHILE IN A PAID PARKING LOT. KEY WAS STUCK IN IGNITION AND CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. DEALER STATIONS WERE CLOSED AT TIME OF INCIDENT. OPERATOR RETURNED 30 MILES HOME AFTER VARIOUS ATTEMPTS TO REMOVE KEY AND A FAMILY MEMBER DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY. NEXT DAY THE BATTERY WAS RECONNECTED AND OPERATOR WENT TO DEALERSHIP WHERE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER, HOUSING AND KEY WERE REPLACED FOR $461.47 PLUS TAX. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT REPAIRED NOR DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE ON 500 MILE TRIP HOME TO DALLAS. AFTER PULLING OFF THE FREEWAY IN WICHITA FOR DINNER, THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T ACCELERATE AND SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AT ABOUT 30 MPH. HAD TO TOW IT TO A DEALER. WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION HAD "FALLEN APART" AND NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $3,600. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THIS TO BE A RATHER COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

9/20/2010 - MILEAGE - 77,245 - ENGINE WAS STRAINING; REQUESTED CHECKOUT BY DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE; DEALERSHIP INDICATED A BULLETIN FOR HESITATION IN TRANSMISSION, SO THEY REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM); REPAIRED UNDER OWNER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. 06/02/2011 - MILEAGE - 86,232 -- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING GEARS PROPERLY; VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP INDICATED CODE P0776 WAS DETECTED. DEALERSHIP FOUND FLUID WAS BURNT AND CONTAMINATED WITH METAL; REMOVED TRANSMISSION AND TEAR DOWN; FOUND 3/5/R WAVE PLATE BROKE AND DAMAGED SEVERAL HARD PARTS. REPLACED REACTION SUN SHELL AD END COVER. 3/5/R WAVE PLATE CLUTCH HOUSING; REMOVED DEBRIS AND REPLACED FILTER. REASSEMBLED WITH NEW PARTS, RESET TAPS, SET TOE FLUSHED COOLER LINES; VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER OWNER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER INDICATED REPAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND $4,000 IF COSTS WERE OUT-OF-POCKET. 09/04/2013 - MILEAGE - 134,349 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; WHEN TAKING OFF FROM STOP LIGHT ONTO MAIN ROAD, ENGINE JOLTED; TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY INTO APPROPRIATE GEARS. SCHEDULED VEHICLE FOR APPOINTMENT AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP INDICATED CODES P0989, P0877, P0752, AND P0700 WERE SET ON VEHICLE. IN SHORT, TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ISSUES. COST OF REPAIR $1,250. GM PROVIDED ASSISTANCE OF $450. COST TO OWNER IS $800 FOR REPAIR. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED AS OF 09/11/2013. VEHICLE HAS LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE. THERE ARE TOO MANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE FOR A RECALL NOT TO HAVE OCCURRED. IT IS NOT "JUST" FOR THE CONSUMER TO COME OUT OF POCKET EVERY TWO YEARS TO BAND-AID A FAULTY TRANSMISSION DESIGN. *TR

THE AIR BAG SEAT SENSOR (PPS) IN MY VEHICLE FAILED ONLY 12 MOS AFTER ITS 'BUMPER-TO-BUMPER' WARRANTY EXPIRED. ANY PASSENGER IN THE CAR FACES ADDED RISK IF AN ACCIDENT WERE TO OCCUR. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE OWNER'S COST TO FIX THIS ITEM IS PROHIBITIVE ($700 - $1000), AND THAT THE EARLY FAILURE OF THIS PART IS SOMEWHAT COMMON FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

POWER STEERING CUTS IN AND OUT. THE DEALER STATES THE POWER STEERING COULD BE LOST ALTOGETHER. THE ISSUE IS THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING MOTOR. I TOLD THE DEALER OF A TRANSPORT CANADA RECALL # 2012331 ON THIS ISSUE. THE DEALER STATED IT COULD A PART FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE. IS THE NHTSA AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM? IF SO, HAS YOUR INVESTIGATION PROVED IT IS NOT THE PART RECALLED IN CANADA? I THINK THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWERING STEERING IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALER IS WEST HERR CHEVROLET OF ORCHARD PARK NY. *TR

I'VE BEEN SMELLING GAS IN MY CAR. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD SPILT GAS ON MYSELF BUT NOW I SEE THERE'S A LEAK AND I'M GETTING HORRIBLE MILEAGE. IT APPEARS THERE'S A RECALL IN CERTAIN "WARM WEATHER" STATES FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. I LIVE IN NC. HOW IS THAT NOT A WARM WEATHER STATE? SO I HAVE TO PAY OUT OF A POCKET FOR A PROBLEM THAT GM KNOWS EXIST BUT SOMEHOW THEY MANAGED TO EEK OUT OF TAKING RESPONSIBILITY EXCEPT IN A FEW SELECT AREAS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO DO. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND I CAN'T AFFORD A REPAIR LIKE THIS RIGHT NOW

AIRBAG MODULE FAILED AFTER JUST 36K MILES. THIS IS A COMMON AND WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IN A RECALL. *LN

I RECENTLY NOTICE THE SMELL OF GASOLINE EMANATING FROM MY VEHICLE. I INITIALLY CHECKED THE FUNCTION AND FIT OF GAS CAP. I REMOVED TO ENGINE COVER AND STARTED THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT FUEL LINES IN THE ENGINE BAY AREA AS WELL AS THE AREA OF AND THE FUEL DELIVERY SYSTEM ITSELF TO THE MANIFOLD. ALL THE ABOVE INSPECTIONS PRODUCED NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF FUEL LEAKAGE. I LIFTED THE VEHICLE TO INSPECT THE FUEL SYSTEM FROM THE FIREWALL AREA TO THE FUEL TANK. AGAIN, NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF LEAKAGE. AT THE FUEL TANK THE SMELL WAS MORE INTENSE BUT STILL NOTHING OBVIOUS. DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE FUEL TANK, INSPECTION OF THE TOP HALF WAS NOT POSSIBLE WITH MY TOOL AVAILABILITY. YET THE INTENSITY OF THE SMELL IN THE FUEL TANK AREA GAVE A STRONG INDICATION OF A LEAK AT THE TANK. UPON A SEARCH ONLINE FOR POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS, I FOUND THAT THE 2007 SATURN ION HAS A FUEL PUMP RECALL FOR EXACTLY THIS ISSUE AND IT SPECIFIES ARIZONA AS AN IMPACT STATE. I TRULY BELIEVE MY AURA IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME TROUBLES ASSOCIATED WITH THE FUEL PUMP ISSUE OF THE ION. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE ISSUE DIAGNOSED AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP. WHILE SEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND SEVERAL POSTING BY OTHER AURA OWNERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME PROBLEM. OF THOSE WHO PAID FOR RESOLUTION, ALL FOUND THE LEAK STEMMED FROM A CRACKED PLASTIC FITTING AT THE FUEL PUMP. THE REASON BEHIND THE ION RECALL. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO EXPAND THE RECALL TO OTHER GM VEHICLES BEFORE A DANGEROUS ISSUE ARISES AND SOMEONE IS INJURED. I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX MY VEHICLE AT THIS TIME YET I MUST TRAVEL DAILY TO AND FROM WORK. I PRAY THAT EITHER I CAN AFFORD RESOLUTION MYSELF, OR THE NHTSA FINDS RESOLVE FOR AURA OWNERS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR A VEHICLE RECEIVES MAJOR DAMAGE DUE TO THIS FUEL LEAK PROBLEM.