SATURN Complaints

THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE RANDOMLY DURING THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I WILL BE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT NIGHT AND CAN SEE A REFLECTION IN MY REARVIEW MIRROR THAT MY TOP BRAKE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED FOR A MAJORITY OF THE TRIP AND CARS BEHIND ME BELIEVE THAT I AM BRAKING AND WILL TRY TO SPEED UP PAST ME DESPITE MY CAR TRAVELING AT THE SPEED LIMIT. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON, IT DISENGAGES THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE AS THE CAR TENDS TO BELIEVE THAT I AM BRAKING. I BOUGHT THE CAR IN MAY, 2011, STARTED NOTICING THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE STOPPED WORKING BUT DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF IT. THEN A FRIEND WAS DRIVING BEHIND ME AND ASKED WHY I WAS BRAKING THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE DRIVING. I BROUGHT IT TO THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED IN JULY 2011 AND BROUGHT IT BACK ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT REPAIR IT THINKING IT WAS A BRAKELIGHT SWITCH, THEN THEY TRIED TO REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I THEN BROUGHT IT TO A GM DEALERSHIP IN AUGUST 2011 AND THEY REPAIRED IT. THE REPAIR LASTED FOR ABOUT A YEAR, UNTIL IT STARTED OCCURRING AGAIN IN SEPT. 2012. I BROUGHT IT TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THEIR REPAIRS LASTED UNTIL FEBRUARY 2013 WHEN IT STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN. I AM UNSURE WHO TO TAKE IT TO BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS A THIRD TIME FOR AN ISSUE THAT NEVER SEEMS TO BE FIXED AND MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE ON THE ROAD. *TR

2007 SATURN ION I WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT 02/03/2013, WITH VERY MINIMAL DAMAGE TO MY LEFT, FRONT PANEL. ALMOST A MONTH LATER, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND DROVE FINE FOR 3 DAYS. AFTER THE 3RD DAY MY CAR WOULD TURN OVER BUT IT WOULD NOT START. I HAD THE ORIGINAL REPAIR CENTER INSPECT MY VEHICLE AND THEY TOLD ME THE TIMING CHAIN WAS OFF, BUT IT WAS NOT RELATED TO THE CAR ACCIDENT. I GOT A SECOND OPINION FROM ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE ADVISED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS NOT DUE TO MY ACCIDENT. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY TROUBLE WITH MY VEHICLE BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND AFTER SEARCHING THE WEB AND FINDING NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT TIMING CHAIN ISSUES, I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHY THERE'S NO RECALL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR TURNED ALL THE WAY OFF AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF AND BACK ON. ALSO THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON AND WHEN I PRESS ON THE BRAKE THE LIGHT GO OFF. THIS CAR IS BECOMING SO PROBLEMATIC THE SHIFT IS ALSO STUCK A LOT OF THE TIME WHERE I CAN NOT EVEN SHIFT IT OUT OF PARK, I HAVE TO PRESS DOWN HARD ON BRAKE TO RELEASE THE PARK. HOPEFULLY COMPLAINTS FROM MANY PEOPLE WILL CAUSE A RECALL THIS IS NOT SAFE. *TR

THE TIMING CHAIN IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE. THERE HAD BEEN NOISE INTERMITTENTLY COMING FROM THE ENGINE FOR THE LAST FEW MONTHS. UPON REPAIR, THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR AND TENSION ROD PULLEY SYSTEM. THAT MADE THE PROBLEM WORSE AND THEN THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THE TIMING CHAIN BEHIND THE MOTOR IS LOOSE AND SLAPPING THE ENGINE CREATING THE NOISE. THE MECHANIC FOUND THE RECALL ON THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN TRYING TO ORDER IT. LOCAL GM DEALER SAYS MY CAR IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. IT IS A 2001 SATURN L SERIES. *TR

I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH TO TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD NOTED IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THIS FIRST OCCURRENCE THAT I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF, REMOVING THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH, WITHOUT PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK FIRST. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# FOR ASSISTANCE AND THEY HAD ME REMOVE A FUSE FROM THE ENGINE TO TURN THE CAR OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY, JUNE 1ST, WHERE THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER AS THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED. THEN, IN MARCH 2011, I FOUND THE KEY HAD A TENDENCY TO GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION UNTIL, ONCE AGAIN, I COULD NO LONGER REMOVE THE KEY OR TURN THE CAR OFF. RECALLING REMOVAL OF A FUSE AFTER THE FIRST INSTANCE, I DID SO AGAIN IN THIS CASE UNTIL I COULD GET IT TO A GARAGE FOR REPAIR. I CONTACTED SATURN'S 800# TO ADVISE THEM AS TO WHAT HAD AGAIN HAPPENED, INQUIRING IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY SORT OF A RECALL. I WAS ADVISED THERE WAS NOT. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY OWN GARAGE FOR REPAIR AND THEY HAD TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER & SWITCH. HOWEVER, THEY WERE ABLE TO DISLODGE THE KEY THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF REPAIR WAS 120462. NOW, IN MARCH 2013, I AM ONCE AGAIN FINDING THE KEY HAVING A TENDENCY TO STICK. I CAN GET THE CAR TO TURN OFF, BUT THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL NOT DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS. UNLESS THE DOOR LOCKS DISENGAGE, I CANNOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. ON OCCASION, I'VE BEEN HAVING TO RESTART THE CAR MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE THE LOCKING MECHANISM WILL DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCKS ALLOWING ME TO REMOVE THE KEY. MY CURRENT MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 165,000. *TR

MY SWITCH WILL NOT TURN BACK TO RELEASE MY KEYS. AT TIMES TRYING TO START THE CAR THE SWITCH WILL NOT TURN, AS WELL. EVENTUALLY IT WILL TURN, FOR NOW. *TR

MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE DOWNSHIFTED. SO WHEN I DECIDED TO DRIVE IT. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT IN TO GEAR PAST 20 MILES AND HOUR. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL DEALER. I TOLD HIM I HAVE RESEARCH THIS ONLINE AND IT BETTER NOT BE THIS THING CALLED A WAVEPLATE. WELL TO MY SURPRISE IT WAS. THEY ARE CHARGING ME FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR $2200.00. I STATED TO HIM, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CARS THERE IS NO WAY THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE STARTED SLIPPING SO SOON. THIS VEHICLE HAD SO MANY ISSUES AND IT IS TOO SOON FOR ME TO TRADE IT IN. BUT IF I COULD I WOULD. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT THE BRAKES BEING ENGAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. AS A PRECAUTION, THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BRAKE SWITCH HOWEVER, THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 85,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WOULD NOT SWITCH TO THE NEXT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

THE ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT LUCKILY IN A PARKING LOT AT A SHOPPING CENTER IN OCTOBER 2012 THE MOTORS WERE REPLACED PREVIOUSLY BEFORE SATURN WENT DEFUNCT BACK IN APPROXIMATELY 2006 AND AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MILES. THESE ARE EXACTLY THE SAME MOTORS THAT A RECALL WAS PROPOSED ON THE CHEVY CRUZ AND GM SAYS THEY ARE NOT COVERED OR NO COVERED UNDER THE SATURN PROGRAM. NOW OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS THE IGNITION SWITCH WHICH GM KNOWS HAS PROBLEMS HAS SHUT THE ENGINE OFF WHILE DRIVING AND NOW IT'S TO THE POINT WHERE IT LOCKS INTERMITTENTLY NOT ALLOWING THE DISENGAGING OF THE ENGINE TRANSMISSION WHEN ATTEMPTING TO TURN OFF AND PARK. AGAIN GM SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL BUT THEY HAVE RECALLS ON OTHER GM VEHICLES. I HAVE SPENT UPWARDS OF $700 DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS AND BATTERIES AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I'VE READ OF THE MANY NIGHTMARE ON THE INTERNET AND WONDER IF YOUR BUREAU CAN DO ANYTHING TO REMEDY THE SITUATIONS. THANKS.