SATURN Complaints

I AM MORTIFIED BY ALL OF THE COMPLAINTS OF ENGINE FAILURE OF THE L200 SERIES DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN AND AM EVEN MORE DEVASTATED THAT THERE IS NO RECALL INFORMATION ON IT. MY CAR HAD 78K MILES ON IT AND DID NOT START TODAY. IT WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND THEY CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT IT WAS MY ENGINE DUE TO THE TIMING CHAIN. THE REPAIR SHOP ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS THE 4TH SATURN WITH THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD SEEN THIS MONTH. I AM A COLLEGE STUDENT WITHOUT A CAR THAT IS STILL MAKING CAR PAYMENTS LIVING ON MY OWN. SATURN BETTER BE HAPPY THAT IT NO LONGER EXISTS, BUT GM BETTER HAVE SOME ANSWERS FOR ME. THERE ARE RECALLS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM FOR 2001 MODELS, THERE ARE EVEN MORE REPORTED ISSUES WITH LATER MODELS. HOW HAS GM GOTTEN AWAY WITH THIS? *TR

DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 35 MPH AND HAD LOSS OF POWER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT IN TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT WITH ONLY 47,918 MILES ON IT AT A COST OF 4000.00 DOLLARS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE PWR SRG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING SEIZED. PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND HAD TOWED TO GARAGE WHERE I FOUND THAT IT WAS THE POWER ASSIST MOTOR. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT BEFORE, BUT ONLY BODY DAMAGE, I BOUGHT IT AT 33254 MILES, IT IS DRIVING FINE, BUT HAVING HESITATION ISSUES, LOOKS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS HAVING A PROBLEM, I HAVE READ OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. APPARENTLY THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE WITH MANY SATURN 2008 OWNERS THIS CAR HAS A SALVAGE TITLE BUT ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BODY DAMAGE ACCIDENT, NOT ENGINE, ALL OTHERWISE IS RUNNING PERFECTLY FINE. *TR

PUT THE KEY IN AND NOW IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF....HAD TO PULL FUSE...KEY WILL NOT TURN BACK AND CAN NOT GET IT OUT. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPED VERY BADLY SWITCHING FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. THANKFULLY WAS IN A POPULATED AREA CLOSE TO HOME AND WAS ABLE TO LIMP INTO A PARKING LOT. ONCE PUT IN PARK, WOULD NO LONGER SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND HAD TO BE FLAT TOWED TO A GARAGE. *TR

WHILE ADJUSTING THE POWER SEAT, THERE WAS A LOUD SNAPPING SOUND AND THE SEAT BEGAN TO LIST TO THE RIGHT. UPON INSPECTING THE SEAT, I FOUND THAT THE FORWARD AND REAR RAILS THAT CONNECT PERPENDICULAR TO THE RIGHT SIDE SEAT FRAME ARE SNAPPED OFF AT THE WELDS. THERE ALSO APPEARS TO BE SURFACE RUST ON THE METAL OF THE FRAME THAT SUPPORTS THE SEAT AND ITS MOTORS. *TR

WHEN I TRY TO TAKE OUT MY KEY I CAN NOT REMOVE IT. I AM ABLE TO TURN OFF THE MOTOR, BUT THEN THE KEY IS STUCK IN THAT POSITION AND I CAN NOT REMOVE IT. I AM CONCERN THAT THEY KEY COULD STICK IN THE POSITION WHERE THE CAR IS STILL RUNNING OR THAT IT WON'T COME OUT AT ALL.. I SOMETIMES HAVE TO STAY IN MY CAR FOR 2-3 MINUTES, SO THAT I CAN REMOVE THE KEY. I KNOW I CAN REMOVE THE KEY WHEN THE CAR MAKES A CERTAIN SOUND. IT IS A SOFT CLICK, AS IF SOMETHING IS RELEASED. IT SOUNDS SIMILAR TO THE WHEN YOU UNLOCK YOUR CAR DOORS WITH THE AUTOMATIC SWITCH, BUT QUIETER. THE KEY STICKS 1-2 TIMES/WEEK AT LEAST. (I USE MY CAR TWICE A DAY, TO AND FROM WORK, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR SEVERAL YEARS AGO. AT THE TIME IT HAD MAYBE 40,000 MILES. NOW IT HAS 82000 MILES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF BUT THE KEY COULD NOT BE TURNED PASS THE ACCESSORY MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD HAVE TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION WAS PREVIOUSLY REPLACED FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE RECENT FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.