SATURN Complaints

THE TIMING CHAIN IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE. THERE HAD BEEN NOISE INTERMITTENTLY COMING FROM THE ENGINE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. UPON REPAIR, THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND TENSION ROD PULLEY SYSTEM. THAT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE AND THEN THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE TIMING CHAIN BEHIND THE MOTOR IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE CREATING THE NOISE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN TRYING TO ORDER IT. LOCAL GM DEALER SAYS MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IT IS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. *TR

I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD NOTED IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS FIRST OCCURRENCE THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF, REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK FIRST. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# FOR ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAD ME REMOVE A FUSE FROM THE ENGINE TO TURN THE CAR OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, JUNE 1ST, WHERE THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER AS THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THEN, IN MARCH 2011, I FOUND THE KEY HAD A TENDENCY TO GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION UNTIL, ONCE AGAIN, I COULD NO LONGER REMOVE THE KEY OR TURN THE CAR OFF. RECALLING REMOVAL OF A FUSE AFTER THE FIRST INSTANCE, I DID SO AGAIN IN THIS CASE UNTIL I COULD GET IT TO A GARAGE FOR REPAIR. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# TO ADVISE THEM AS TO WHAT HAD AGAIN HAPPENED, INQUIRING IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY SORT OF A RECALL. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY OWN GARAGE FOR REPAIR AND THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER & SWITCH. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ABLE TO DISLODGE THE KEY THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF REPAIR WAS 120462. NOW, IN MARCH 2013, I AM ONCE AGAIN FINDING THE KEY HAVING A TENDENCY TO STICK. I CAN GET THE CAR TO TURN OFF, BUT THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL NOT DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS. UNLESS THE DOOR LOCKS DISENGAGE, I CANNOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. ON OCCASION, I'VE BEEN HAVING TO RESTART THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS ALLOWING ME TO REMOVE THE KEY. MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 165,000. *TR

MY SWITCH WILL NOT TURN BACK TO RELEASE MY KEYS. AT TIMES TRYING TO START THE CAR THE SWITCH WILL NOT TURN, AS WELL. EVENTUALLY IT WILL TURN, FOR NOW. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED. SO WHEN I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR PAST 20 MILES AND HOUR. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. I TOLD HIM I HAVE RESEARCH THIS ONLINE AND IT BETTER NOT BE THIS THING CALLED A WAVEPLATE. WELL TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS. THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR $2200.00. I STATED TO HIM, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CARS THERE IS NO WAY THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE STARTED SLIPPING SO SOON. THIS VEHICLE HAD SO MANY ISSUES AND IT IS TOO SOON FOR ME TO TRADE IT IN. BUT IF I COULD I WOULD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. AS A PRECAUTION, THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WOULD NOT SWITCH TO THE NEXT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT LUCKILY IN A PARKING LOT AT A SHOPPING CENTER IN OCTOBER 2012 THE MOTORS WERE REPLACED PREVIOUSLY BEFORE SATURN WENT DEFUNCT BACK IN APPROXIMATELY 2006 AND AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES. THESE ARE EXACTLY THE SAME MOTORS THAT A RECALL WAS PROPOSED ON THE CHEVY CRUZ AND GM SAYS THEY ARE NOT COVERED OR NO COVERED UNDER THE SATURN PROGRAM. NOW OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH GM KNOWS HAS PROBLEMS HAS SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WHILE DRIVING AND NOW IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE IT LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY NOT ALLOWING THE DISENGAGING OF THE ENGINE TRANSMISSION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN OFF AND PARK. AGAIN GM SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL BUT THEY HAVE RECALLS ON OTHER GM VEHICLES. I HAVE SPENT UPWARDS OF $700 DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS AND BATTERIES AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I'VE READ OF THE MANY NIGHTMARE ON THE INTERNET AND WONDER IF YOUR BUREAU CAN DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATIONS. THANKS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE TURNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR UNRELATED REPAIRS WHEN THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A STEERING FAILURE AND THE STEERING SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSIST FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L100. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED HOME INTO THE DRIVEWAY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 172,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING HER VEHICLE AND TRYING TO REMOVE THE KEY, IT FAILED TO RELEASE. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TOWED TO A DEALER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS, THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND HOUSING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 69,000. *TR UPDATED 4/24/13 *CN UPDATED 05/17/2013 *JS