SATURN Complaints

MY CAR HAS, AGAIN, DEMONSTRATED FAILURE TO ACCELERATE DURING OPERATION. THE CAR HAS BEEN "REPAIRED" BY THE LOCAL GMC DEALER IN OCT 2011 AND AGAIN EARLIER THIS WEEK FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I PICKED THE CAR UP ON WED EVENING, TWO DAYS AGO, AND THE SAME PROBLEM RECURRED TODAY ON MY WAY BACK TO THE OFFICE FROM LUNCH. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR! ONCE THE GAS PUMP FAILS TO OPERATE, IT SIMPLY WILL NOT MOVE UNTIL THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND ALLOWED TO SIT FOR A WHILE. *TR

MY CAR WILL OCCASIONALLY FAIL TO ACCELERATE. THE GAS PEDAL SEEMS TO HAVE NO EFFECT AT ALL - THE ENGINE IS RUNNING, BUT PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL DOES NOT REV THE ENGINE OR CAUSE THE CAR TO ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES THIS OCCURS JUST AFTER I APPLY THE BRAKES, BUT OTHER TIMES IT JUST HAPPENS WHEN I AM DRIVING. THE ACCELERATION NEVER RECOVERS UNTIL I STOP THE CAR, TURN IT OFF, SIT A WHILE AND RE-START THE ENGINE. THE PROBLEM WILL RECUR SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY AND SOMETIMES NOT FOR SOME TIME. THE FIRST EPISODE HAPPENED IN OCT 2011. AFTER 2-3 INCIDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW DAYS, I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR INTO THE DEALER. THEY MERELY CLEANED THE "CONNECTOR TO APP SENSOR TO PCM." THIS PROBLEM RECURRED LAST WEEK AND WITH MORE SEVERITY. INITIALLY, THE PROBLEM RETURNED LAST WEEK, TWICE, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. WHILE DRIVING OUT OF TOWN FOR BUSINESS ON MONDAY NIGHT, THE PROBLEM RECURRED THREE TIMES. WHILE RETURNING HOME ON TUESDAY, THE PROBLEM RECURRED ABOUT 15 TIMES DURING THE COURSE OF AN APPROXIMATE 60 MILE DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERS UPON ARRIVAL HOME AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DESCRIBED IT AS "RESEALED ALL CONNECTORS RELATED TO ELECT THROTTLE SYSTEM." THEY TOLD ME THE PROBLEM WAS EXCESSIVE CORROSION ON THE PARTS, MORE THAN THEY WOULD EXPECT IN 7 MONTHS, BECAUSE OF OUR LOCATION ON THE COAST. SEARCHING THE INTERNET, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT MY PROBLEM IS NOT AN ISOLATED ONE. THERE ARE NUMEROUS BLOGS AND SITES WHERE SATURN OWNERS DESCRIBE THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I AM HAVING. A LOCAL MECHANIC ALSO ADVISED ME THAT THIS SAME PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED IN A SAAB VEHICLE, WHICH HE ADVISED ME HAD THE SAME PARTS AS MY CAR, AND THAT THE SAAB VEHICLE WAS RECALLED. *TR

WHILE ON VACATION AND 1,250 MILES FROM HOME, DRIVING ON A ENTRANCE RAMP TO AN EXPRESSWAY A THUMP WAS HEARD THEN THERE WAS A RAPID LOSS OF CONTROL. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS THROWN 90 DEG. OFF CENTER AND ONLY AFTER A QUICK DECELERATION TO ABOUT 10 MPH. ENOUGH CONTROL WAS GAINED TO CONTINUE TO THE DESTINATION (ABOUT 1 MILE). AN EXAMINATION UNDER THE HOOD REVELED THAT THE FRAME HAD BROKEN AT THE SUSPENSION CONTROL ARM AND HAD ROTATED ABOUT 45DEG. THE FRAME IS EXTREMELY RUSTY ON THE RIGHT SIDE BUT NOT ON THE LEFT. THIS CAR IS 9 YEARS OLD AND HAS ONLY 70,500 MILES AN IS IN OTHERWISE GREAT SHAPE. THE NHTSA DOCUMENTS SAY THE AVERAGE LIFE OF A CAR IS JUST OVER 13 YEARS AND 165,000 TO 200,000 MILES. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT A CAR SHOULD SUFFER SUCH A MAJOR FAILURE WITHIN THE AVERAGE LIFESPAN. I HAVE COMPLETE DOCUMENTATION AND PHOTOS UPON REQUEST. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. IN ADDITION, FUEL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK MODULE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V419000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP) AND THE VIN WAS INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED 120,000 MILES AND THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE RECALL. THERE WAS NO MILEAGE MENTIONED IN THE RECALL DEFECT. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 158,000.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE BROKE WHEN MOVING FROM PARK INTO REVERSE. CABLE HAD CORRODED AND BROKE NEAR THE POINT OF CONNECTION TO THE TRANSMISSION IN FRONT OF THE FIREWALL. CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS AND WOULD NOT RESTART BECAUSE TRANSMISSION WAS NO LONGER IN PARK AND COULD NOT BE SHIFTED. 2008 SATURN AURA 3.5L WITH 4 SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH PROBLEMS VERY SIMILAR TO NHTSA ACTION NUMBER : EA11015. SATURN WOULD NOT COVER REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY AND REPAIRS COST $307.72. IF BREAKAGE HAD OCCURRED SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN A PARKING LOT IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS WITH NO CONTROL OR ABILITY TO MOVE OUT OF TRAFFIC OR HARM'S WAY. SHOULD NOT HAVE WORN OUT AND BROKEN WITH 40,000 MILES AND 2 YEARS OLD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THERE WAS A STRONG ODOR OF FUEL INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. UPON REACHING THE DESTINATION, THE CONTACT NOTICED FUEL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAULTY FUEL MODULE. THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V419000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INELIGIBLE UNDER THE RECALL. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY SOLD OR REGISTERED IN THE STATES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING FAILED AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE RIGHT. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING MOTOR THREE TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE STEERING CONTINUED TO FAIL AND PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

FIRST FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING. THE LEFT REAR PASSENGER LOCK STOPPED WORKING AND NOW RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK DOES WORK. ALL LOCKS DO NOT RESPOND TO FOB OR SWITCH ACTIVATION. LOCKS DO NOT RESPOND TO PLACING THE CAR IN DRIVE AND DO NOT LOCK AUTOMATICALLY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE POWER STEERING ELECTRONIC MOTOR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000.