SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A BOLT BROKE OFF THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CAUSING THE SUB FRAME TO CRACK AND THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND THE SUB FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WE NOTICED THAT WE WERE GETTING WATER IN THE CAR COMING FROM THE REARVIEW MIRROR. WE WERE FINDING WATER DRIPPING THROUGH SUNROOF AND GOING TO THE MUG BOX. WE NOTICED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ALSO: THE HEATING/COOLING MOTOR IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR STOPPED TO WORK AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE IT. THE BUTTONS FOR REAR WIPER DOES NOT WORK ANYMORE. THE WATER OVERFLOWS INTO THE CAR AND AFTER A RAINSTORM WE HAD 1.5 INCHES WATER BELOW DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS. I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL CUSTOMERS THAT HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH THE SUNROOF DRAINS. IT IS A POOR DESIGN THAT THE SATURN CORP. *TR

MY CAR WON'T START DUE TO IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTION. I'VE REPLACED IGNITION SWITCH AS SUGGESTED BY OWNER'S MANUAL TO NO AVAIL, PROBLEM PERSISTS. I'VE ALSO TAKEN THE CAR FOR SERVICE TO A CERTIFIED GM/SATURN SERVICE CENTER (DEALER SERVICE). THE CAR BATTERY AND STARTER MOTOR ARE IN GOOD CONDITION. ONLY AFTER MANY, MANY, ATTEMPTS TO START THE CAR IT'LL EVENTUALLY TURN ON. ONCE CAR IS TURN OFF, FOR EXAMPLE STOPPING AT GAS STATION FOR GAS, PROBLEM MANIFESTS ITSELF AGAIN, CAR WON'T START. THERE ARE NUMEROUS ACCOUNTS OF THIS PROBLEM (2006 SATURN ION IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTION) FOUND BY DOING AN ONLINE (INTERNET) SEARCH. PLEASE HELP! *TR

SHORTLY AFTER STARTING VEHICLE PWR STR IS DISPLAYED AND THE POWER STEERING QUITS WORKING COMPLETELY. IT STARTED A FEW WEEKS AGO. IT USED TO WORK FOR A BLOCK OR TWO AFTER THE CAR WAS FIRST STARTED. NOW IT HAPPENS AS SOON AS THE CAR STARTS MOVING. I KNOW GM HAS EXTENDED THE WARRANTY BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH POWER STEERING, BUT IT DOESN'T COVER MY VEHICLE BECAUSE IT HAS MORE THAN 100K MILES. SHOULDN'T THIS BE A RECALL SITUATION? *TR

RECENTLY I STARTED SMELLING GAS AROUND MY VEHICLE AND INSIDE MY VEHICLE AFTER IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR AWHILE. THEN THE CHECK GAS CAP LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, I ALSO NOTICED THE VEHICLE HAS A LITTLE TROUBLE STARTING. I FOUND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V419000 AND RECALL 09226 BOTH OF WHICH EXPLAIN MY ISSUE. MY VIN NUMBER IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF AFFECTED VEHICLES IN THE RECALL BUT BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WAS NOT ORIGINALLY SOLD OR CURRENTLY REGISTERED IN ONE OF THE STATE LISTED IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. HOW CAN LIVING IN ONE STATE AND NOT ANOTHER INFLUENCE A RECALL? SINCE THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR A FIRE I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS FIXED AND WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PARTS AND LABOR ON MY OWN. *TR

THE POWER STEERING FAILED COMPLETELY WHILE DRIVING IN CLOSE QUARTERS ON THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA CAMPUS,. I WAS NARROWLY ABLE TO AVOID HITTING A TELEPHONE POLE WHEN TURNING OFF THE ROAD. AFTER STALLING AND RESTARTING THE CAR, IT WORKED FOR 3-4 MINUTES BEFORE AGAIN FAILING COMPLETELY. USING REPEATED CYCLES OF DRIVING UNTIL IT FAILED, TURNING THE CAR OFF, THEN RESTARTING IT, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET HOME, BUT THE POWER STEERING CONTINUED TO FAIL RECURRENTLY JUST A FEW MINUTES AFTER EACH RESTART. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2007 SATURN VUE FROM A DEALER AS A USED VEHICLE. SHORTLY AFTER, THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. SOMETIMES IT WOULD GO OFF AND IT HAS PERSISTED TO THE POINT NOW THAT IT DOESN'T GO OFF AT ALL. WHEN THE PROBLEM FIRST OCCURRED, I CONSULTED THE OWNERS MANUAL AND FOUND NOTES WRITTEN IN IT BY THE PREVIOUS OWNER ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS INDICATED THAT IT WAS FIXED (SENSOR) BUT STARTED AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER. EVERY MONTH MY ON STAR REPORTS INDICATE A PROBLEM WHICH REQUIRES IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I HAD IT SEEN AT A GM DEALER THEY WANT ANOTHER $500 TO FIX IT. *TR

THIS IS THE SAME ENGINE FOR WHICH THERE HAS BEEN THREE SEPARATE INVESTIGATIONS BY NHTSA CAUSED BY LACK OF OILING TO THE TIMING CHAIN. THE BROKEN TIMING CHAIN CAUSED DAMAGE TO 4 VALVES AND SEVERAL ROLLERS AND OTHER PARTS IN THE ENGINE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STOPPED RUNNING AND WOULD NOT RESTART. THE REPAIR SHOP SHOWED ME THE SMALL OILING ORIFICE FOR THE TIMING CHAIN, AND SHOWED ME THE UPGRADE KIT THAT GM ISSUED WITH A MUCH LARGER OPENING FOR OILING THE CHAIN - ALSO, THE CHAIN AND OTHER PART ARE STRONGER THAN THE ORIGINAL PARTS. GM ISSUED A RECALL FOR SOME OF THESE ENGINES, BUT NOT FOR MY VEHICLE DESPITE THE FACT THE ENGINE IN MY CAR HAD THE SAME DEFECT. MY BROTHER'S SATURN ALSO HAD THE SAME TIMING CHAIN PROBLEMS, BUT SINCE HE WAS TRAVELING AT HIGHWAYS SPEEDS, HIS ENGINE WAS BEYOND REPAIR. GM USES VARIATIONS OF THE SAME ENGINE IN MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES, SO IT IS PROBABLE THAT THERE ARE MANY MORE DEFECTS THAT HAVE GONE UNREPORTED IN OTHER GM VEHICLES. THESE REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE - MORE THAN $3,000. GM NEEDS TO ANSWER WHY SOME DEFECTIVE ENGINES WERE RECALLED, AND OTHERS WERE NOT, AND GM SHOULD REIMBURSE OWNERS WHOSE CARS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY THIS DEFECT. GM SAID ONLY SOME ENGINES WERE AFFECTED, BUT THE ENGINE IN MY SATURN WAS CLEARLY, AND UNMISTAKABLY DEFECTIVE - I SAW IT, AND THE REPAIR SHOP CLEARLY SAW THE DEFECT. *TR

THIS IS THE SECOND SATURN WHERE WE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT A NEW SATURN IN 2001, AND HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER WITHIN A WEEK BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT WORK. THE SATURN DEALER REPLACED THE CAR (FREE OF CHARGE), AND AT 61,507 MILES, WE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH THE FUEL GAUGE AND SENDING UNITS THAT COST MORE THAN $700 TO REPAIR PLUS THE COST OF TOWING THE CAR. *TR

PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO START UP THE CAR WITH THE ORIGINAL CAR KEY. *TR