SATURN Complaints

I BOUGHT THIS 2007 SATURN VUE V6 AWD IN JULY 2012 FROM BRIGHTON FORD, BRIGHTON MI NOTICED A SLIGHT VIBRATION WHEN TEST DRIVING. LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER I BUY IT THE AC GOES OUT, AND THE SHUTTERING GETS WORSE. TAKE IT BACK TO THEM TO LOOK AT AND GET REFERRED TO A TIRE SHOP. WAS TOLD THE AC COIL HAD A HUGE LEAK, AND WAS PROBABLY "TOPPED OFF" AT BY THE DEALER AND THAT THERE WAS SOME TIRE WEAR ISSUES. BRIGHTON FORD REFUSED TO FIX ANYTHING. DRIVE IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR THE SHUTTERING GETS WORSE AND WORSE TAKE IT IN TO BUD KOUTS CHEVROLET, LANSING, MI FOR A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT CAME ON, IT WAS BECAUSE OF A MISS FIRE IN TWO OF THE CYLINDERS. TOLD THEM ABOUT THE SHUTTERING, WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG. 28 DAYS LATER I HAVE A TIRE EXPLODE, TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. TAKE IT BACK AFTER FINDING A HUGE HOLE IN THE SHOCK ABSORBER CASING. THIS TIME SPEAKING WITH THE DEALERSHIP OWNER DIRECTLY, AFTER TWO DAYS THEY FINALLY FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE SHUTTERING, A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. THEY ADMITTED THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE ON THE THESE VEHICLES, BUT STILL WANT ABOUT $2000 TO FIX IT. IF THERE IS NOT A RECALL ON THIS THERE SHOULD BE. I WILL NEVER BY A GM MADE VEHICLE AGAIN. I'VE OWNED THREE NOW AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THEM. THE SUBARU I OWNED HAD WELL OVER 200,000 MILES AND NO ISSUES THE SAME GOES FOR A MAZDA I OWNED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING BACK FROM SCHOOL ALL OF A SUDDEN THE LOW FUEL CAME UP SO I FILLED UP MY GAS TANK AND THEN IT WENT EMPTY BY THE TIME I GOT HOME FROM GRIFFIN. WHEN I CUT THE CAR OFF I GOT OUT AND SAW GAS LEAKING FROM UNDER MY CAR AND SAW THE LONG TRAIL OF GAS THAT I HAD TRAILED INTO MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

DRIVERS SEAT BROKE DOWN ON RIGHT SIDE, CAUSING IT TO SLUMP TOWARDS THE CONSOLE. UPON TAKING IT TO THE DEALER TO SEEK REPAIR, WAS TOLD THAT THE WELDING OF THE SEAT UNIT HAD BROKEN. THE ENTIRE SEAT AND THE HOUSING BASE REQUIRE REPLACEMENT OVER $1000 TO FIX. WHILE IT DOESN'T REQUIRE FIXING TO OPERATE CAR, THE DANGER IS IN A CRASH, HAVING THE SEAT CATAPULT OUT ENTIRELY BEING AS IT IS NOT AFFIXED TO THE VEHICLE ANY MORE. YOU CAN WIGGLE IT UP AND DOWN FREELY, THIS COULD ALSO ALLOW THE SEAT TO THROW SOMEONE INTO THE AIR BAGS AS THEY DEPLOY, CAUSING INJURIES BECAUSE IT IS NOT FASTENED DOWN. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, THIS VEHICLE MAKE AND MODEL IS PRONE TO THIS PROBLEM FOR THE FEW SHORT YEARS IT WAS MADE. WE FEEL THAT GM NEEDS TO UPDATE THIS SEAT PROBLEM, AND WHILE NOT SURE, THEY USE CHEV MALIBU REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR IT, SO THAT MODEL MAY ALSO BE EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM FOR MORE DATA. A SEAT SHOULD BE INTACT, ATTACHED SAFELY TO THE VEHICLE WE WOULD THINK. NEVER HEARD OF SEATS BEING FREE OF THE BODY OF THE CAR WHILE DRIVING.

THE SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON WHEN THE CAR GOES OVER A BUMP OR WHEN A PERSON SHIFTS POSITION IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. APPARENTLY THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS. GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I AM NOT SURE IF THE POWER TRAIN IS THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THIS CAR WILL DOWNSHIFT ON ITS OWN, CAUSING IT TO LOOSE SPEED INCREDIBLY FAST ALMOST TO THE POINT OF STOPPING. I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS TRANSMISSION, BUT GM NOW SAYS THERE WAS NOT. EVEN THOUGH WHEN I FIRST CALLED, THE GENTLEMAN THAT ANSWERED SAID THAT THE SYMPTOMS FIT THE RECALL STATS. WHEN I WAS ABLE TO TALK WITH THE PERSON THAT WAS HANDLING THE CLAIM, SHE SAID IT WAS PAST 8 YEARS, AND THEY COULD NOT FIX THE RECALLED PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE GARAGE, AND TRANSMISSION COMPANY TELL ME THAT THIS TRANSMISSION IS ON A RECALL, JUST BY CHECKING THE VIN #. GM NOW REFUSES TO FIX IT AND DENIES SAYING IT WAS ON RECALL. THE AUTO DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM SAYS THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE SOLD OTHER SATURNS, SAME YEAR. I SPOKE WITH THE GIRL THERE THAT "ENTERS THE VINS INTO THE SYSTEM TO SEE IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THE CAR"...AND SHE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THIS CAR, ALTHOUGH IT HAS 4 OTHER RECALLS LISTED FOR THIS YEAR AND MODEL. OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS, I FIRST CALLED A LOCAL SATURN DEALER, AND THEY BLEW ME OFF SAYING IT WAS JUST "STUCK" (THE TRANSMISSION) I KEPT DRIVING IT THINKING I WAS WRONG IT WAS STUCK LIKE THEY SAID, WHATEVER THAT MEANT. IT GOT WORSE, I ENDED UP CALLING GM AS REFERRED TO BY MANY GARAGES AND AUTO PARTS STORES, AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE RECALL ON TRANNY, THEN FLIPPED IT AROUND . WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR WHETHER IT IS ON THE HIGHWAY OR A STREET, IT WILL SUDDENLY ALMOST STOP WITHOUT HITTING THE BREAKS, AS IT WILL DOWNSHIFT ON ITS OWN. THIS ALMOST CAUSED MORE THAN ONE ACCIDENT. THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN, I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR. *TR

RIGHT AFTER PULLING ON TO THE INTERSTATE, I NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT GET UP TO SPEED. WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS, IT WOULD MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. I IMMEDIATELY SLOWED DOWN. I THEN REALIZED THAT THE HIGHEST SPEED I COULD GO WAS ABOUT 50. BUT SOON I COULD ONLY GO ABOUT 15-25 MPH, AND I WAS STUCK ON THE INTERSTATE AT THAT SPEED. I INCHED ALONG UNTIL I GOT TO AN EXIT. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO CHECK THE FLUIDS, OIL, WATER, ETC. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, BY THE WAY IT WAS ACTING. I FINALLY DID GET IT HOME BY DRIVING ONLY 20 MPH AT BEST. THIS HAPPENED FRIDAY. MY WIFE FOLLOWED ME ON MONDAY AND WE DROPPED IT OFF AT THE MECHANICS. I DID DO SOME RESEARCH OVER THE WEEKEND AND FOUND THAT THE WAVE PLATE ON THE 2007 OUTLOOKS WAS A HUGE PROBLEM. SURE ENOUGH WHEN THE MECHANIC HOOKED IT UP TO THE MACHINE, THAT'S WHAT CODE CAME UP. NOW ITS GOING TO COST ME A NICE $4000 TO FIX. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK WHEN I SAW MY HIGH MOUNT BRAKE LIGHT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT BEING PUSHED. THEN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS LIGHTLY PUSHED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF. THE PROBLEM ONLY OCCURS SOMETIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED IN THE IGNITION THE THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATED AND THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 03V231000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 142,710.

AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE AND ARRIVING AT DESTINATION, THE NORMAL ATTEMPT TO TURN OFF IGNITION AND VACATE VEHICLE FAILED INSOMUCH THAT IGNITION KEY FAILED TO TURN TO THE OFF POSITION DUE TO A STUCK IGNITION CYLINDER. CAR COULD NOT BE TURNED OFF AND REMOVING BATTERY TERMINAL FAILED TO KILL THE ENGINE. ONLY AFTER A CRITICAL FUSE WAS REMOVED WOULD THE ENGINE DIE. INTERNET SEARCHES HAS REVEALED A CHRONIC TREND FOR THIS FAILURE AND TYPICAL REPAIR COSTS AT DEALERSHIPS AVERAGE OVER $400. IF THIS FAILURE SHOULD OCCUR AT AN ACCIDENT SCENE WHERE THERE IS SPILLED FUEL THE CONSEQUENCES COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. I AM APPALLED THAT GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL TO WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY EITHER A FLAWED DESIGN OR THE USE OF INADEQUATE MATERIALS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THEIR IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MERGE FROM 38TH STREET TACOMA TO I5 NORTH ACCELERATED FROM THE OFF RAMP VEHICLE TACHOMETER CLIMBED, LOSS OF ACCELERATION-POWER, TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL THEN BACK TO DRIVE WITH NO RESULT. ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED BY I5 DRIVERS DOING 60-65 WITH MY VEHICLE SLOWING, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AGAIN THEN BACK TO DRIVE FOR SECOND TIME WITH NO RESULT, ALMOST GOT HIT A 4TH TIME, VEHICLE FINALLY RESPONDED TO 4TH GEAR IN MANUAL MODE. VEHICLE OPERATED POORLY FOR NEXT FEW MILES UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE INTERSTATE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THERE ARE NUMEROUS INCIDENTS OF THE SATURN/GM PRODUCTS THAT HAVE A DEFECTIVE 35 WAVE PLATE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY LAST SERVICE WAS 7 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS NEAR ACCIDENT NO ERROR CODES OR ENGINE LIGHTS HAD COME ON PRIOR TO THIS HAPPENING. GLAD TO SEE THE FEDERAL GOVT. CAN BAIL OUT A COMPANY THAT ENDANGERS THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND GAMBLES WITH THE IDEAL OF MAY IT WILL MAYBE IT WON'T BREAK, AS LONG AS WE GET MONEY. SOCIETY OF AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERS THEY SHOULD HAVE A NEW ASSOCIATION SOCIETY OF COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR