SATURN Complaints

THERE IS A CLUNK SOUND IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN MOVING FROM A FULL STOP. A CLUNK CAN ALSO BE HEARD WHEN SLOWING DOWN PREPARING TO STOP. TOOK VEHICLE TO AUTHORIZED SERVICE CENTER, DEALER INDICATED THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND A FULL 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED. REPAIRS ARE SCHEDULED FOR TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TR

MY 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK SUFFERED COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ONLY 59,700 MILES. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ACROSS TOWN AT A RATE OF 25 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN BABIED SINCE WE GOT IT. BASICALLY AN ALL-WHEEL DRIVE MINI-VAN. NO OFF-ROAD ACTIVITIES. DID NOT USE IT TO PULL ANY TRAILERS OR OTHER VEHICLES. WAS A GREAT CAR UNTIL THIS OCCURRED. WARRANTY EXPIRED IN SEPT. OF 2012. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THE "WAVE PLATES" HAD BROKEN AND CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. I AM NOT A MECHANIC AND DO NOT KNOW MUCH ABOUT CARS, BUT I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A CERTIFIED GM REPAIR SPECIALIST. SO, I HAD IT TOWED AGAIN TO A GM REPAIR SHOP AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS THE WAVE PLATES THAT HAD FAILED. THEY ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE WAVE PLATES WERE A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL OF CAR - THEY HAD REPAIRED NUMEROUS VEHICLES WITH THE SAME ISSUE... ALL TRANSMISSION FAILURES AT OR BEFORE 75,000 MILES. IN THEIR OPINION THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND THEY THOUGHT GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL. NO CAR SHOULD HAVE A COMPLETED TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A VEHICLE THAT EARLY! GM CONTACTED THE REPAIR SHOP I WAS WORKING WITH AND INFORMED THEM THAT BECAUSE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, THE BEST THEY COULD DO WAS TO OFFER ME A "CO-PAYMENT" OF $1500 TO "REPAIR" THE TRANSMISSION. IF I WANTED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE FULL COST OF $4500 OUT OF POCKET. I OPTED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED FOR $1500. I FELT IT WAS MY ONLY OPTION. CASH IS TIGHT AND $4500 OUT OF POCKET IS WAY TOO MUCH FOR WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECTIVE PART. I DID NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING AT ALL - GM BUILT A BAD VEHICLE. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD ALL BE RECALLED AND THE WAVE PLATES SHOULD ALL BE REPLACED - AND ALL OF IT SHOULD BE ON GM'S TAB. SO, NHTSB, DO YOUR JOB ... PUT PRESSURE ON GM AND GET THE RECALL IN PLACE. *TR

VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR HYBRID SYSTEM MALFUNCTION IN THE PAST (SERVICE BULLETIN NO. SB-10136A), 07/19/2010, FROM ORIGINAL PURCHASE DATE 05/06/2009. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE ISSUES REGARDING HYBRID SYSTEM PLACING MYSELF AND ALL OTHER DRIVERS IN POTENTIAL DANGER. VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTO STOP FEATURE THAT TEMPORARILY SHUTS VEHICLES ENGINE DOWN TO SAVE ON GAS WHEN IT COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP (EX. RED LIGHTS, NEGOTIATING LEFT TURNS, STOP SIGNS.). WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE, VEHICLE THEN RESTARTS ELECTRONICALLY AND ADVANCES. MY ISSUE IS THAT WHEN I COME TO A STOP, OR MAKE LEFTS, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT TURN BACK ON. THERE IS AN APPROXIMATE 5 TO 8 SECOND DELAY, THEN THE VEHICLE RESTARTS MANUALLY. THE STARTER ENGAGES AND THE CAR GOES AGAIN. THE DELAY HAS HAPPENED TO ME WHILE TURNING LEFT, WHICH LEAVES ME AT A RISK OF EITHER BEING STRUCK FROM BEHIND OR HEAD ON COLLISION FROM ONCOMING TRAFFIC. CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE BATTERY PACK HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE AND THEY CONSIDERED THE MATTER CLOSED. SAME INFORMATION WAS RELAYED FROM THE TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR SATURN. ONCE THE RECALL SERVICE IS COMPLETE, THAT'S IT. VEHICLE APPEARS TO HAVE A PATTERN OF HYBRID BATTERY REPLACEMENT (07/19/2010 AND NOW, MARCH 2013). IN MY OPINION, THE ISSUE WAS NOT RESOLVED AND THE MANUFACTURER GIVES NO IMPLICATION THAT THE SERVICES COMPLETED SOLVED ANYTHING. HYBRID COMPONENT PACK REPLACEMENT APPROX. EVERY 1 OR TWO YEARS SOUNDS UNREASONABLE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED IN THE OWNERS MANUAL IF ,IN FACT, THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH HAVING TO OWN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER ONLY OPERATED WHILE IN REVERSE AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,600.

PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM BULB WAS OUT. BOUGHT REPLACEMENT BULBS BUT NONE OF THEM WORKED. INSPECTED HARNESS AND IT APPEARS THAT THE CONNECTOR IS MELTED/DAMAGED SOMEHOW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START INTERMITTENTLY AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 103,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHEN STANDING OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE. IN ADDITION, HE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WHEN COMPLETING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. *TR

CAR BEGAN GROANING LOUDLY WHEN WHEEL IS TURNED TO THE RIGHT (EITHER PARKED OF MOVING), STEERING FEELS "JUMPY" TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO REPLACED A STRUT AND CHARGED ME FOR IT, THEN I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND CHARGED MY WARRANTY. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP A THIRD TIME AND THEY SAID THE SOUND MUST BE NORMAL BECAUSE NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, BUT THEY CAN NOT CLARIFY WHAT THE ISSUE IS. THE SOUND AND STEERING JUMP FEELING IS ABNORMAL AND GETTING WORSE, SEE VIDEO: HTTP://YOUTU.BE/OHDBXTHSWM0. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT TRIGGERS THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO COME ON. DOES THIS MEAN THAT THE AIRBAGS NO LONGER WORK?