SATURN Complaints

OWNER WAS STOP N GO CITY DRIVING PULLED INTO HIS HOME DRIVEWAY NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER DASH. PARKED CAR AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED FIRE SERVICE. CAR DASH IGNITION AREA BURST INTO FLAMES AND WAS HEAVILY DAMAGED BY FIRE. FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED QUICKLY BY FIREFIGHTERS, EXTREMELY FAST MOVING FIRE AND EXCESSIVE SMOKE. TOTAL DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. ALL DAMAGE LIMITED TO INTERIOR. POINT OF ORIGIN WAS LEFT OF LOWER DASH AREA UNDER STEERING WHEEL. UNDER INVESTIGATION AT THIS TIME AS TO CAUSE. SUSPECTED ELECTRICAL IN NATURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A WARRANTY EXTENSION REGARDING THE POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT DUE TO THE VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN A PREVIOUS CRASH, THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

ON AND OFF FOR THE PAST YEAR MY CAR HAS HAD MOMENTS WHEN IT WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING. AT FIRST IT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I MAY ACCELERATE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. ONE DAY I'M JUST DRIVING DOWN A PARKWAY AT ABOUT 40MPH, AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF. THE RADIO STAYED ON BUT THE ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. LUCKILY NO OTHER CARS WERE NEAR ME AT THAT POINT. I TOOK MY CAR TO SEVERAL MECHANICS AND THEY ALL SAID IT MAY BE THE BATTERY. WE CHANGED THE BATTERY AND THAT DIDN'T STOP THE PROBLEM. MOST RECENTLY, I PULLED OUT INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN, AT THAT MOMENT, MORE THAN 10MPH AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN WITH CARS RAPIDLY SPEEDING UP ON ME AND MY CAR NOT MOVING. IT WAS TERRIFYING AND I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE. *TR

MY HUSBAND HAD LEFT TO TAKE OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL ON MARCH 8, 2013. HE SAID WHEN HE PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY IT WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF 1ST GEAR. IT WOULD ONLY GO ABOUT 15 MPH. WE WERE PLANNING TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE ON A WEEKEND TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS (4 HOUR DRIVE ONE WAY). HE TURNED AROUND AND CAME HOME TO GET HIS VEHICLE TO TAKE THE KIDS TO SCHOOL. WE DECIDED IT WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO TRY TAKING THE SATURN TO THE MOUNTAINS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE WENT TO ADVANCED AUTO PARTS TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT. IT SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT SOLENOID WAS FAULTY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. WE WERE HOPING IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. LESS THAN 2 WEEKS LATER, MARCH 20, 2013 I WAS DRIVING THE SATURN ON MY LUNCH BREAK AND WHEN I WENT TO ACCELERATE AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT (WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN) IT WOULD NOT SHIFT UP. AND WAS STUCK IN 1ST GEAR. LUCKILY I NAVIGATED ACROSS THE DOUBLE LANE TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING AREA AND TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR A MINUTE AND STARTED IT BACK AND THEN IT DID FINE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON AND WE CONTACTED A GM DEALER THAT HAD WORKED ON IT JUST MONTHS BEFORE FOR AN OIL LEAK AND THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT IT THE VERY NEXT DAY. ONCE THEY LOOKED AT IT THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT MODULE WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT IT WOULD COST $1237.00. MY SATURN ONLY HAS 85,000 MILES ON IT. IT SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THE WARRANTY JUST WENT OUT ON IT ON JULY 31, 2012, SO OF COURSE GM WILL NOT COVER THE REPAIR. I HAVE SEEN THAT THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING ALOT WITH THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THANKFULLY BOTH TIMES IT HAS HAPPENED WITH OUR VEHICLE WE HAVE BEEN IN LIGHT TRAFFIC ALTHOUGH IT IS A VERY SCARY SITUATION WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN. *TR

I WAS IN A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AND MY RPMS REVVED UP HIGH AND THEN DROPPED EVEN THOUGH I WAS ACCELERATING SMOOTHLY. I COULD NOT GO FASTER THAN 20MPH. THIS WAS A SUDDEN PROBLEM, WITH LITTLE TO NO WARNING. AFTER GETTING ONTO A LESS BUSY ROAD, I DROVE SLOWLY AS THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY. THE RPMS KEPT GOING UP AND DOWN. I PULLED INTO A BUSINESS TO GET OFF THE ROAD. I TRIED TO SEE IF RESTARTING THE CAR WOULD HELP. THE VEHICLE STARTED FINE BUT THERE WAS NO REVERSE. SINCE I WAS NOW STUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY, I CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK, WHICH TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DIAGNOSED THE WAVE PLATE (KNOWN ISSUE) OR THE TRANSMISSION (KNOWN ISSUE). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT-CAUSING ISSUE IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY OR IF THE TRAFFIC CIRCLE HAD BEEN MUCH BUSIER. I USE THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT MY CHILDREN. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED OR KILLED DUE TO THIS KNOWN PROBLEM AT +/- 100K FOR THIS VEHICLE. WITH MORE AND MORE OF THEM APPROACHING THIS MILEAGE EVERY YEAR... *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AND ARE UNPREDICTABLE. THE MANUFACTURE WARRANTY REPLACED THE BRAKE MODULE ONCE, BUT WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM ON-GOING. MY RESEARCH HAS INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. THE CHEAP CONNECTORS IN THE BRAKE MODULE CORRODE AND CAUSE MAY ISSUES: 1. THE BRAKE LIKES WILL OFTEN STAY ON WHILE NOT PRESSING THE BRAKE. THEN THEY WILL TURN OFF WHEN THE BRAKE IS PRESSED. THIS HAPPENS MOST OFTEN, BUT IS ALSO INCONSISTENT AT TIMES. THE LIGHTS SIMPLY ARE NOT RELIABLE AND DO NOT WORK AS THEY SHOULD. 2. THE CRUISE CONTROL WILL NOT FUNCTION DUE TO FAULTY BRAKE ENGAGEMENT SIGNAL. 3. IT IS DIFFICULT TO SHIFT THE GEAR SELECTOR DUE TO THE SANE ISSUE. YOU MUST PRESS EXTREMELY HARD ON THE BRAKE TO GET IT TO SHIFT AND THIS LEADS TO ABNORMAL SOUNDS AND OPERATION OF THE BRAKE LEVER. WE HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT WE DON'T FEEL IT ACCEPTABLE TO PAY $100 DEDUCTIBLE TO FIX AN ONGOING PROBLEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THIS HAS LED TO US NOT USING THE VEHICLE MUCH DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 50K MILES ON IT AFTER 6 YEARS. THE SERVICE BULLETIN SAYS NOT TO REPLACE THE MODULE, BUT RATHER GREASE THE CONNECTORS. SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY CLEAR CAUSE (REPLACE CHEAP CONNECTORS WITH ONES THAT WILL LAST AND NOT CORRODE... NOT REPLACE MODULE WITH ANOTHER INADEQUATE ONE). PLEASE RECALL. THANK YOU. *TR

CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT SET. NOTICED CENTER BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON WITHOUT STEPPING ON BRAKE. STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OUT. WAS ABLE TO SET CRUISE CONTROL BUT SHORTLY AFTER SETTING THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON AND CRUISE CONTROL RELEASED. DETERMINED BRAKE LIGHTS WERE ON CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED THEN BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT MOMENTARILY UNTIL BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FURTHER. DETERMINED BRAKE PEDAL SWITCH WAS OPERATING CORRECTLY AND ADJUSTED CORRECTLY. SERVICE REP REPLACED CONTROL COMPUTER: APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS LATER PROBLEM RECURRED. GM SERVICE BULLETIN CLAIMS PROBLEM IS CONNECTOR ON COMPUTER BOARD THAT DEVELOPS CORROSION. APPLYING DIELECTRIC GREASE IS SUPPOSED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM; IT DOES BUT JUST TEMPORARILY - MUST BE REAPPLIED EVERY FEW MONTHS. *TR

THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE RANDOMLY DURING THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I WILL BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT AND CAN SEE A REFLECTION IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THAT MY TOP BRAKE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED FOR A MAJORITY OF THE TRIP AND CARS BEHIND ME BELIEVE THAT I AM BRAKING AND WILL TRY TO SPEED UP PAST ME DESPITE MY CAR TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON, IT DISENGAGES THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE AS THE CAR TENDS TO BELIEVE THAT I AM BRAKING. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY, 2011, STARTED NOTICING THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE STOPPED WORKING BUT DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. THEN A FRIEND WAS DRIVING BEHIND ME AND ASKED WHY I WAS BRAKING THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE DRIVING. I BROUGHT IT TO THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2011 AND BROUGHT IT BACK ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPAIR IT THINKING IT WAS A BRAKELIGHT SWITCH, THEN THEY TRIED TO REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN BROUGHT IT TO A GM DEALERSHIP IN AUGUST 2011 AND THEY REPAIRED IT. THE REPAIR LASTED FOR ABOUT A YEAR, UNTIL IT STARTED OCCURRING AGAIN IN SEPT. 2012. I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEIR REPAIRS LASTED UNTIL FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. I AM UNSURE WHO TO TAKE IT TO BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS A THIRD TIME FOR AN ISSUE THAT NEVER SEEMS TO BE FIXED AND MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE ON THE ROAD. *TR

2007 SATURN ION I WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT 02/03/2013, WITH VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE TO MY LEFT, FRONT PANEL. ALMOST A MONTH LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND DROVE FINE FOR 3 DAYS. AFTER THE 3RD DAY MY CAR WOULD TURN OVER BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD THE ORIGINAL REPAIR CENTER INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND THEY TOLD ME THE TIMING CHAIN WAS OFF, BUT IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE CAR ACCIDENT. I GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS NOT DUE TO MY ACCIDENT. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH MY VEHICLE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB AND FINDING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT TIMING CHAIN ISSUES, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE'S NO RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TURNED ALL THE WAY OFF AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF AND BACK ON. ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON AND WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKE THE LIGHT GO OFF. THIS CAR IS BECOMING SO PROBLEMATIC THE SHIFT IS ALSO STUCK A LOT OF THE TIME WHERE I CAN NOT EVEN SHIFT IT OUT OF PARK, I HAVE TO PRESS DOWN HARD ON BRAKE TO RELEASE THE PARK. HOPEFULLY COMPLAINTS FROM MANY PEOPLE WILL CAUSE A RECALL THIS IS NOT SAFE. *TR