SATURN Complaints

SHORTLY AFTER BUYING THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS FAILURES OF THE POWER ASSIST STEERING SYSTEM. AT ANY SPEED, AT ANY TIME, "PWR STR" DIS DISPLAYED ON THE OBD DISPLAY, SIMULTANEOUSLY AS THE MOTOR STOPPED FUNCTIONING, FORCING ME TO UNEXPECTEDLY MANUALLY STEER THE CAR UNTIL THE IGNITION WAS CYCLED AND THE SYSTEM RESET. SOMETIMES THIS HAPPENS 1-7 TIMES A DAY. I HAVE PERSONALLY CAME CLOSE TO HAVING A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT DUE TO POWER ASSIST FAILURE WHILE CURVING. THERE ARE NO OTHER PREVIOUS FAILURES OF THE STEERING EQUIPMENT LEADING UP TO THIS ISSUE. *TR

THERE WAS A LEAK THAT SOAKED THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOOR. ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM ULTIMATELY FAILED. INITIALLY CAR CONTINUED TO RUN WITH THE KEY REMOVED. SUBSEQUENT ATTEMPTS TO START VEHICLE RESULTED IN KEY STUCK IN IGNITION AND INABILITY TO START ENGINE; BATTERY ONLY SHOWS OUTPUT OF 4 VOLTS!!! *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY SATURN AURA ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE CAR ABRUPTLY DROPPED GEARS AND THE SPEED AT WHICH I WAS TRAVELING WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. I QUICKLY PULLED OVER TO CHECK OUT THE PROBLEM. THERE DIDN'T SEEM TO BE ANY MAJOR MALFUNCTIONS AT QUICK GLANCE. HOPING THAT IT WAS JUST A MINOR MISHAP, I ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE IT AGAIN. IT WAS GOOD FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY JUMPED UP TO 4,000 RPM AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO DRIVE ABOVE 40 MPH. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE NEARBY EXIT AND INTO A PARKING LOT. ONCE THE CAR WAS PARKED, IT WOULD NOT REVERSE. THIS COULD HAVE TURNED INTO A MAJOR INCIDENT HAD THERE BEEN MORE TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS AS THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVING FINE UP UNTIL THEN. I ALSO KEEP UP WITH ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN VUE. TL THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH AND NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG ALERT SIGNAL WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE, INDICATING THAT THE AIR BAG WAS TURNED OFF. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE UNKNOWN REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE FAILURE RECURRED ONCE THE SEAT HEATER WAS ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT SHE WOULD NEED TO RETURN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,500.

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER STEERING ASSIST MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TURN AND/OR UNABLE TO TURN AT ALL. THE WHEEL WOULD THEN LOCK ITSELF WITH EACH 30 DEGREE TURN. AT TIMES, THE WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ONLY BEING ABLE TO TURN IN 15 DEGREES IN EITHER DIRECTION. THIS HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY OCCURING SINCE FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012. THE SERVICE DEALERSHIPS STATE THEY CANNOT FIX THE ISSUE UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE ISSUE UPON APPOINTMENT. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING SEIZED. IN ADDITION, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILED AND THE FRONT WINDOWS DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE WINDOWS COULD NOT BE OPENED OR CLOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD DECIDE IF THEY SHOULD OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

LOSS OF POWER STEERING DURING HIGHWAY SPEED. PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED CAR, POWER STEERING CAME BACK ON THEN STOPPED AGAIN. EVER SINCE THIS INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED THE POWER STEERING WILL RANDOMLY SHUT OFF. THIS COULD BE A DANGEROUS SITUATION WHEN IT OCCURS DURING MAKING TURNS OR DRIVING SHARP CURVY ROADS AS IT TAKES A LOT OF UPPER BODY STRENGTH TO TURN THE WHEEL AT LOWER SPEEDS. *TT

VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULTY CRANK SENSOR. COST TO REPLACE $160.50. *TT

CAR RUNNING VERY ROUGH. MECHANIC DIAGNOSED A FAULTY CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. COST TO REPLACE SENSOR $264.14. *TT

ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK CAR TO MECHANIC AND A FAULTY THERMOSTAT WAS DIAGNOSED; ENGINE RUNNING TOO COLD. THERMOSTAT IS LOCATED BENEATH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THEREFORE DIFFICULT AND TIME-CONSUMING TO ACCESS. COST TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT WAS APPROXIMATELY $450. *TT