SATURN Complaints

THE FIRST TIME MY CAR WAS PARKED, AND MY KEYS WERE IN MY PURSE, I WAS GETTING SOMETHING OUT OF MY TRUNK. MY CAR MOVED FORWARD AND HIT THE CONCRETE PILLAR IN THE PARKING GARAGE, MY BUMPER WAS DAMAGED ON THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE. THIS SCARED ME. THE SECOND TIME MY 77 YEAR OLD MOTHER WAS SITTING IN THE CAR,THE CAR WAS IN PARK THE KEYS WERE REMOVED AND IN MY PURSE, MY CAR MOVED BACKWARD. MY MOTHER WAS FREAKED OUT,AND SHE WAS TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE CAR WHEN I RETURNED TO THE CAR. THE 3RD TIME WAS JUST LAST WEEK, AGAIN MY CAR WAS PARKED, MY KEYS WERE IN MY POCKET AND MY CAR MOVED FORWARD AND ALMOST HIT ANOTHER CAR. *TR

HALFWAY DURING THE HALF MILE COMMUTE TO MY HOME FROM WORK ON DECEMBER 21, 2012, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THIS HAPPENS VERY FREQUENTLY. I HEAR THE CHIME AND THEN THE PWR STRNG LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE TO STEER MANUALLY. I OFTEN HAVE TO STOP MY CAR AND TURN IT OFF JUST TO RESET THE STEERING. SOMETIMES IT IS VERY HARD TO TURN THE CAR SAFELY WHILE DRIVING VERY SLOWLY AND/OR PARKING. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM AS I SEE FROM THIS SITE THAT IT'S A COMMON AND KNOWN PROBLEM. IF AN ELDERLY, PHYSICALLY WEAK OR INEXPERIENCED DRIVER SHOULD HAVE THIS HAPPEN, IT COULD RESULT IN MANY SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I'VE OWNED MY VEHICLE FOR 6+ YEARS SINCE BRAND NEW. *TR

SOMETIME IN NOVEMBER I STARTED EXPERIENCING AN EXTENDED CRANK WHERE IT TOOK MY CAR A FEW SECONDS LONGER TO START UP. BY DECEMBER THIS WAS STILL HAPPENING BUT NOW I WAS STARTING TO SMELL GASOLINE IN AND AROUND MY VEHICLE. A FRIEND OF MINE WAS A MECHANIC FOR SATURN FOR 17 YEARS AND NOW WORKS FOR ANOTHER DEALER. HE CHECKED THE CAR AND DETERMINED THIS WAS A PROBLEM IN THE FUEL LINE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THIS ISSUE MATCHES A RECALL ISSUE FOR THE 2007 SATURN ION. I CONTACTED GM AT 800-521-7300 TO ASK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS FOR THE AURA FOR THIS ISSUE THAT IS IDENTICAL TO THE ION RECALL AND WAS TOLD THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR MY VEHICLE. THIS ISSUE SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD WARRANT A RECALL AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND POSES THE SAME RISK FOR FIRE. MY VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 50, 000 MILES ON IT. I DON'T WANT TO RISK A VEHICLE FIRE WHILE FIGHTING TO GET A RECALL ISSUED SO I WILL END UP PAYING OUT OF POCKET TO FIX THIS DEFECT. *TR

WHEN THE CAR SITS FOR A DAY OR MORE IT WON'T CRANK AND NEEDS TO BE JUMPED OFF. THE BATTERY AND ALTENATOR ARE GOOD AND SO ARE THE FUSES. I HAVE CHANGED IGNITION RELAY AND NO DIFFERENCE. HAD CAR RUNNING AND WOULD NOT THIS MORNING AFTER SITTING FOR 18 HRS. BATT IS TOTALLY DEAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP AND ATTEMPTING A RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE VEHICLE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN STREET ENGINE STOPPED. REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND IT SHOULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED ON CAR. I CHECKED ON RECALLS AND THERE WERE RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM FOR 2001 ENGINES! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED! GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAILURE! ALMOST $3000 LATER MY CAR WILL BE FIXED! PLEASE HELP? *TR

MY DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WAS REPLACED ABOUT 2 MTHS AGO. THE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. I TOOK IT INTO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID THE HARNESS WAS MELTED!! I LOOKED THIS UP ONLINE FOR A RECALL AND FOUND NOTHING. HOWEVER, I DID FIND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. ANY TIME SOMETHING ON A VEHICLE IS MELTING... I WOULD THINK THIS SHOULD BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. CONSIDERING IT HAS HAPPENED OVER AND OVER TO MANY PEOPLE, I WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE A RECALL. IT COST ME WELL OVER $100. I FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR THIS. THANKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE STEERING RACK, COLUMN AND THE MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

WHILE DRIVING ALONG W/CRUISE CONTROL ON IT SUDDENLY SHUTS OFF, AND MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WITHOUT APPLYING MY BRAKES, THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAY ON UNTIL I APPLY MY BRAKES THEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE THE LIGHTS GO OFF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE & THE BRAKE LIGHTS GO ON & STAY ON UNTIL I APPLY THE BRAKES AGAIN & THE CRUISE WILL NOT WORK WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHT ARE ON & WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR I HAVE TO PUSH REAL HARD ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO GET THE CAR OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALMOST EVERYDAY FOR MONTHS NOW. I'VE HAD MECHANICS CHECK IT OUT THEY REPLACED STOP LIGHT SWITCH & CLEANED CONTACTS & RESET COMPUTER BUT NOTHING WORKS, GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD HAVE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEBODY GETS IN A BAD ACCIDENT. *TR

I HAD SMELLED A VERY STRONG GAS ODOR IN MY CAR AND CONTACTED GM/SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE ON NOVEMBER 28, 2012 IN REGARDS TO THE SMELL AND TO FIND OUT IF MY CAR WAS INCLUDED IN A RECENT RECALL FOR THE FUEL PUMP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FUEL PUMP RECALL WAS ONLY INCLUDED IN CERTAIN STATES AND MY STATE WAS NOT INCLUDED. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY MECHANIC ON 12/14/12 AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT MY CAR SMELLED OF GAS DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL PUMP AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAULTS WERE DUE TO BEING IN STATES THAT HIGH HEAT. I LIVE IN MARYLAND AND THE FUEL SMELL CAME ABOUT DURING THE SUMMER WHICH IS VERY HOT IN THE STATE. I CONTACTED GM BECAUSE I FEEL THAT I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED FOR A FAULTY FUEL PUMP SINCE IT IS A FIRE AND SAFETY HAZARD. *TR