SATURN Complaints

04 JULY, 2012: WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVEWAY, I SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD UNDER POWER AS I WAS EXITING THE VEHICLE.I SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND NOTICED THAT THE SHIFTER WAS BINDING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START ONCE IT WAS SHUT OFF. AFTER A BRIEF UNDER THE HOOD INSPECTION, I NOTICED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE WAS FRAYED AND THE OUTER JACKET WAS COMPROMISED. IT APPEARS THAT THE INNER CORE OF THE CABLE IS BROKEN AND ALL BUT ONE OR TWO OF THE STAINLESS BRAIDED WIRES SURROUNDING THE INNER CORE ARE COMPLETELY BROKEN. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY INOPERATIVE AND NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *JS

WE RARELY HAVE PUT THE REAR SEAT IN THE FOLDED DOWN POSITION BUT DID SO THIS PAST WEEKEND TO BRING HOME SOME BABY GEAR FROM A FRIEND'S HOUSE. WHEN I TRIED TO LIFT THE SEAT BACK TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION IT WOULDN'T RAISE. IT APPEARS THAT THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT LOCKED AND WILL NOT RELEASE. WE HAVE THREE (3) CHILDREN AND MUST HAVE ALL THREE (3)SEAT BELTS USABLE. WENT ONLINE TO SEARCH FOR HELP AND WE FOUND MANY INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING ON MULTIPLE YEAR SATURNS WHICH WOULD INDICATE A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW; YET WE WILL BE LIABLE FOR THE EXPENSE BECAUSE THE WARRANTY HAS PASSED UNLESS WE CAN FIND A WAY TO RELEASE THE LOCKING MECHANISM. *JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY. THE DASH CHIMED 3 TIMES, A DISPLAY CAME UP THAT SAID POWER STEERING. AT THAT POINT THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE JUST AS I WAS ENTERING A CURVE. I HIT THE GRASS IN THE MEDIUM THEN CORRECTED. I DROVE ABOUT 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD TO A QUICK OIL CHANGE PLACE. GOT THE FLUIDS CHANGED AND TOPPED OFF. THEY RESET THE LIGHT IN THE DASH BACK TO NORMAL. THAT IS WHEN I WAS INFORMED THE POWER STEERING WAS ENCLOSED AND COULDN'T ADD POWER STEERING FLUID. I STARTED THE CAR BACK UP THE STEERING WAS WORKING AGAIN. SO I DROVE BACK TOWARD HOME AGAIN. GOT ABOUT 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. *TR

I WAS TRYING TO TURN THE AC ON BECAUSE IT IS 102 DEGREES OUTSIDE. WHEN I WAS TURNING THE KNOB ON THE CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE TO COLD IT NEVER CHANGED IT STAYED BLOWING HOT. ALSO WHEN I TRIED TO GET THE FAN TO BLOW TOWARDS ME IT WAS STUCK IN THE MODE WHERE IT BLOWS ON THE FLOOR. WHILE IT IS STUCK IN THE MID AND WONT CHANGED ITS STEADY BLOWING OUT HOT AIR EVEN WHEN THE MODULE FOR THE FAN IS TURNED OFF. THIS IS CRAZY THAT MOST OF THE SATURN VUE I READ HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND SOMETHING IS ALWAYS MISSING. THERE NEEDS TO BE A SERIOUS RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE THESE WERE THE LAST ONES MADE. *TR

I ARRIVED AT MY DESTINATION, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, RAN INSIDE FOR NO MORE THAN 5 MINS AND WHEN I CAME BACK OUT THE ENGINE WAS UNABLE TO TURN OVER AND MADE HORRIBLE NOISES WHEN ATTEMPTING TO START. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO COME PICK IT UP TO BRING IT BACK TO THEIR SHOP TO CHECK IT OUT. WHEN I ARRIVE AT THE SHOP TODAY THEY TELL ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAS BROKEN AND BENT THE VALVES. THE WHOLE ENGINE NOW NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THEY TELL ME IT IS $3600 MINIMUM TO REPLACE AND THIS IS WITH A USED ENGINE FOR $2400+ JUST FOR HIS USED ENGINE. ALL IN ALL, I'M VERY GLAD THE VEHICLE WASN'T MOVING WHEN THIS HAPPENED BUT STILL VERY FRUSTRATED SINCE THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AN UNCOMMON THING WITH THE SATURN L-SERIES. *TR

AFTER I PARK MY 2007 SATURN ION THE IGNITION REMAINS LOCKED, IT DOESN'T LET ME TAKE OUT MY KEY AFTER THE VEHICLE IS OFF. I HAVE TO RESTART MY CAR THEN TURN IT OFF AGAIN AND WAIT ABOUT 2-5 MINUTES FOR MY KEY TO RELEASE. *TR

WITHIN 2 MINUTES OF DRIVING MY 2007 SATURN ION THE POWER STEERING FAILS. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE. IF I RESTART MY VEHICLE THE SAME THING HAPPENS, THE POWER STEERING FAILS WITHIN 2 MINUTES. I THEN HAVE TO MANUALLY STEER MY VEHICLE FOR THE DURATION OF MY TRIP. *TR

STOPPED AT A DRIVE-THRU WINDOW. WAS IN GEAR AND UNDER BRAKING. TWO LIGHTS CAME ON AT DASH: SERVICE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION. LIGHTS RESET WHEN VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. LIGHTS HAPPEN AT RANDOM TIMES DURING OPERATION. WHEN SERVICE LIGHTS OCCUR, BRAKE LIGHTS REACT OPPOSITE OF NORMAL OPERATION. *TR

AFTER PARKING THE CAR ON A SHORT DRIVE TO THE STORE, I SMELLED GASOLINE AROUND THE CAR. WHEN I CHECKED UNDERNEATH THE CAR, FUEL WAS VISIBLY POURING FROM THE FUEL TANK AREA AND WAS POOLING UNDER THE CAR. UPON INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM, THE RETURN PORT OF THE FUEL PUMP WAS DISCOVERED TO BE CRACKED AND BROKEN-OFF, ENABLING FUEL RETURNING TO THE PUMP TO POUR OUT OF THE SYSTEM. *TR

BOUGHT MY SATURN ION 2 2006 IN 2005 OBVIOUSLY BRAND NEW AND WAS TALKED INTO PURCHASING A $1500 BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. I IMMEDIATELY HAD PROBLEMS BUT WAS TOLD BY SATURN MECHANICS NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. IN 2009 AS I WAS GETTING HOME THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND WOULDN'T TURN OFF, I COULDN'T TURN OFF THE CAR AT ALL. I WAS LUCKY THAT THE DEALERSHIP WAS OPEN AND ABLE TO UNPLUG THE BATTERY. THEY FIXED IT BUT THE WARRANTY WOULDN'T PAY, SO I PAID OUT OF POCKET TO FIX IT. WELL, LAST SUNDAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN, IN 105 DEGREE HEAT. I HAD NO WHERE TO TAKE IT SINCE DEALERSHIPS ARE CLOSED SUNDAYS. MY CAR RAN FOR OVER 5 HOURS BECAUSE NO ONE COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO UNPLUG THE BATTERY. ONLY A PROFESSIONAL KNOWS HOW TO TURN OFF THE CAR SAFELY, YET MANY PEOPLE RISKED TURNING IT OFF. I AM SURE SOME PEOPLE WOULD FIND IT EASY TO TURN OFF THE CAR BY DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY BUT STILL IT NOT SAFE. MY CAR WAS SO HOT NO ONE COULD TOUCH IT, I WAS AFRAID IT WAS GOING TO START ON FIRE. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TURN OFF AN ENGINE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE, SATURN NOR GM WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT, EVEN THOUGH WHEN YOU GOOGLE SATURN ION 2 2006 ALL THE REVIEWS SAY THE SAME THING ABOUT THE IGNITION CYLINDER. *TR