SATURN Complaints

IF YOU DRIVE THIS SATURN THROUGH A PUDDLE AFTER A RAINSTORM, THE POWER FAILURE LIGHT COMES ON, THE POWER STEERING STOPS WORKING AND THE CAR IS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER...THIS ALMOST CAUSED A CRASH IN A RESIDENTIAL STREET. THE TEMP GAUGE ALSO GOES UP HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND THE LIGHTS DIM. *TR

OUR 2002 SATURN L200 SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR FACILITY IT WAS TOWED TO SAID THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND WHEN A WET COMPRESSION TEST WAS DONE ON THE ENGINE, WE WERE TOLD THE ENGINE WAS DAMAGED. THE COST TO REPAIR WAS TOO MUCH COMPARED TO THE VALUE OF CAR. THE COST TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN AND ENGINE WAS $4500. ONLY OWNED CAR FOR 5 MONTHS. CAR ONLY HAD 70000 MILES. GM INDICATED THIS MODEL YEAR WITH THE 2.2L ENGINE HAD A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN DESIGN. GM'S SAFETY RECALL 07V-519 ONLY INCLUDED THE CARS MANUFACTURED 11/2000 - 2/2001, NEGLECTING THE REMAINING OF THE 2002 SATURN L SERIES CARS WITH THE 2.2 L ENGINE THAT HAD THE DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN BUT WERE NOT MANUFACTURED DURING THESE SELECTED 4 MONTHS. GM DID NOT INTRODUCE A NEW TIMING CHAIN DESIGN UNTIL MAY 2002, SO OWNERS WITH THIS MY CAR MANUFACTURED FROM 3/2001 UNTIL THE REDESIGN IN 5/2002 WERE LEFT TO PAY FOR THEIR OWN REPAIRS IF THEIR TIMING CHAINS BROKE. THE 2002 SATURN L200 WE PURCHASED WAS MANUFACTURED IN 9/2001 SO DOES NOT FALL INTO THE CARS COVERED BY THE RECALL SO AT THIS POINT, MY REPAIRS ARE NOT COVERED BY GM. I HAVE CALLED SATURN TWICE ONLY TO TALK WITH UNPLEASANT CUSTOMER SERVICE REPS WHO WERE NO HELP. ALL THEY TOLD ME IS THAT THE VIN OF MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 4 MONTH RECALL AND THEY CAN'T HELP ME. WHEN I ASKED TO SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR, I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD GIVE ME THE SAME ANSWER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 20 MPH WHEN THE FUEL TANK FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL TANK, WHICH WAS LEAKING. THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS FILLED WITH GASOLINE FUMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS WERE DEFECTIVE AND WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH PROVED A DEFECTIVE BODY CONTROL MODULE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

HEARD THIS STRANGE NOISE COMING FROM MY ENGINE...NOT SURE WHAT IT WAS. DROVE A LITTLE ORE ABOUT A MILE AD THE NOISE GOT LOUDER DECIDED TO PULL OVER, SHUT OFF MY CAR. TRIED TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO SEE IF THE NOISE CONTINUED AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OVER. HAD MY CAR TOWED TO MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN (BELT). $1000.00 BILL. I FIND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL ON CERTAIN VIN'S AND HUNDREDS MORE AFTER THAT COMPLAINED AND NOTHING IS DONE. THAT'S CRAP! I AM THE SECOND OWNER...THE CAR HAS ONLY 100,000 ON A CAR THAT IS 11 YEARS OLD. I HAVE MY OIL CHANGED EVERY 3000 MILES AND SERVICED ALL THE TIME. I BELIEVE THIS CAR HAS A FAULTY TIMING CHAIN AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT WHEN IT IS CLEARLY THE MANUFACTURERS FAULT. DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO HAVE A FIRE OR DIE TO BE COVERED...IT SEEMS THAT IS WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR! COULD SOMEONE PLEASE ADVISE! *TR

BATTERY DIED IN 2008. IT WAS REPLACED AND THE ODOMETER RESET BACK TO ZERO. THE SECURITY ALARM/ POWER DOORS DO NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY ( UNABLE TO LOCK WITH REMOTE CONTROL). SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON WHILE DRIVING. CD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING AND FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT SHOW THE ACCURATE AMOUNT OF GAS. I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE LIGHT COMES ON. NOW IN JULY 2012, THE AC WAS FIXED DUE TO A HOLE IN THE LINE AND THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. THE AC NO LONGER WORKS AND IS GIVING A CODE P0102 (MAF- MASS AIR FLOW -REFERRING TO LOW VOLTAGE). THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON ALONG WITH THE AIRBAG, GAS GAUGE AND TEMPERATURE NEEDLES NOT MOVING AT ALL. IN ADDITION, THE TRACTION CONTROL IS NOT WORKING. *TR

STARTED LEAKING GAS FROM FUEL FILTER AND I CHECKED ON LINE FOR RECALLS AND WAS ONE FOR THAT VEHICLE I CALLED SATURN THEY SAID THERE WASN'T. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHO ADVISED THAT THE DRAINS IN THE PILLARS WERE CLOGGED, CAUSING A SHORT IN THE FUSE BOX. THERE WAS ALSO MOLD AND WATER UNDER THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES OF THE FLOORBOARD CARPET. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FUSE BOX WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THE WIRING HARNESS WOULD HAVE TO BE CLEANED. THE CARPET WOULD ALSO NEED TO BE REPLACED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT NOTICED A STRONG FISHY ODOR IN THE VEHICLE, WHICH ALSO STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AN INCORRECT BATTERY. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THE BATTERY WAS THE ORIGINAL BATTERY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO SECOND GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT TO THE OTHER GEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION ALSO SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AS WELL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TWO PRIOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

WHILE DRIVING A "PWR STR" LIGHT CAME ON AND THE POWER STEERING STOPPED WORKING WHILE DRIVING. TURNING OFF THE CAR AND CRANKING AGAIN FIXES THE PROBLEM. THIS CREATES A HAZARD WHILE DRIVING AS ITS BEHAVIOR IS UNPREDICTABLE. THIS CAR WAS LEFT OUT OF A PREVIOUS SATURN RECALL WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. A GOOGLE SEARCH OF "SATURN ION STEERING NOT WORKING" WILL RETURN MANY RESULTS OF OWNERS WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR