SATURN Complaints

POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN THIS VEHICLE WHILE AT THE SAME TIME POWER STEERING CONTROL FAILED. MANUAL STEERING WAS USED UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AND UPON RESTARTING, POWER STEERING RETURNED. *JS

I WAS ON MY HONEYMOON IN ORLANDO, FL. ON NOV. 17TH, 2011 WHEN IT WENT OUT THE FIRST TIME. I DISCOVERED THAT WHEN I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN, THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD RETURN TO PROPER OPERATION. SINCE THAT DAY, IT HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT. NO TYPICAL TIMING OR ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION, JUST RANDOMLY STOP WORKING. IT DID THAT FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL 3 WEEKS AGO WHEN IT WOULD SHUT OFF 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE EVERY TIME. NOW, IT DOES NOTHING, IT NEVER COMES ON. I CHECKED BOTH FUSES AND BEING IN THE VEHICLE INDUSTRY MYSELF, I KNOW THAT A FUSE, RELAY, OR CIRCUIT BREAKER JUST DIES. I FEEL THAT IF IT WERE THE FUSE, IT WOULD NOT ONLY WORK SOMETIMES BUT IT WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. I AM EXPECTING THE MANUFACTURER TO REPLACE THIS. AS THIS IS MY 3RD SATURN AND I HAD WELL OVER 200K ON THE OTHER 2 WITH NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. *TR

1) CAR NO LONGER SHIFTS OUT OF FIRST GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). 2) CAR CONTINUES TO RUN FOR UP TO 30 SECONDS WHEN THE KEY IS REMOVED. DEALER STATES THAT A WATER LEAK BEGINNING AT THE SUNROOF LEAKS WATER ONTO THE FUSE AREA IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT CAUSING FAILURES REQUIRING A FUSE BOX REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAS HAD LEAKS LEAVING WATER ON THE HEADLINER, FRONT SEATS, FRONT DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER FLOORS IN THE PAST ALL REPAIRED BY THE DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. DEALER CHARGES SO FAR ARE $500 TO REPAIR THE LEAK, $500 TO REPLACE THE FUSEBOX, AND STILL NOT SURE ANY OF THOSE REPAIRS HAVE RESOLVED THE TWO INITIAL ISSUES. *TR

WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN TURNING RIGHT AT A STOP SIGN MY CAR JUST STOPPED PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE. HAD IT TOWED AND WAS TOLD THE TIMING BELT WENT OUT AND IT CAUSED IT TO BREAK THE VALS IN THE CAR AS WELL HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR 10 YEARS SO ITS BEEN A GOOD ONE FOR THE MOST PART. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, A WARNING CHIME SOUNDED INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN CAUTIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN MANEUVERING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. SAFELY STEERED CAR TO SHOULDER OF 2 LANE HIGHWAY. TRIED TO RESTART CAR. IT WOULD NOT RESTART. HAD CAR TOWED TO A SATURN CERTIFIED MECHANIC. MECHANIC FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN HAD FAILED. MECHANIC IS NOT SURE WHAT FAILED FIRST. (THE CHAIN, TENSIONER OR OILER?) MECHANIC DID STATE THE CHAIN GUIDES DID NOT SEEM EXCESSIVELY WORN FOR THE MILEAGE OF THE CAR. MECHANIC TOLD ME GM HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TIMING CHAIN, GEAR AND OILER SETS IN THIS YEAR MAKE AND MODEL. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND DECIDED TO REPORT THIS. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW IN 2001. HAD IT SERVICED EVERY 3,000 MILES AT THE DEALER TILL WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. SERVICED IT MY SELF FROM THEN ON EVERY 3,000 MILES. FROM 36,000 TO 157,000 MILES WE ALWAYS USED FULL SYNTHETIC 5W30 ENGINE OIL. *TR

I NOTICED MY OUTLOOK LEAKING WATER 3 MOS. AFTER I BOUGHT IT. THE AIRBAGS ON PASSENGER SIDE STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF IN THE GARAGE. THE DEALER STATES ITS A LEAK THAT HAS ALLOWED WATER TO RUIN THE ELECTRONICS ALL OVER THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A PROBLEM ALL OVER THE INTERNET. NO ONE CAN FIX IT.THEY HAVE 7 TECH BULLETINS...STILL NO FIX. THE DEALERSHIP WANTS 1500.00 TO "START" LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP ME! I CAN'T DRIVE A MOLDY CAR WITH INTERMITTENT AIRBAGS AND POSSIBLE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION WITH MY KIDS IN THE CAR! THIS WILL BANKRUPT ME. WHAT DO I DO?? NO ONE ONLINE HAS FOUND A SOLUTION...JUST 1000'S OF DOLLARS AND SCARY SITUATIONS ON THE ROAD (DEFROST BLOWERS BREAKING, LOSING POWER STEERING, ENGINE QUITTING, WATER DUMPING ON THEIR LAPS). PLEASE MAKE THEM RECALL THIS OR HELP US FIX IT! *TR

POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAILS AT RANDOM, NO DISCERNIBLE PATTERN. POWER STEERING SYSTEM SEEMS TO RESET AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO STEER...CAUSING DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE DIRECTIONAL STOPPED WORKING. CHANGED BULB STILL DID NOT WORK. TOOK TO SATURN DEALER SAID THEY HAD TO ORDER A PART FOR $185 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. FIND THAT THE 2003 & 2004 IONS WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT THE 2005. BELIEVE THE 2005 WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2004 SO SHOULD HAVE THE SAME PARTS AS THE 2004. WHY WAS THE 2005 NOT RECALLED ALSO IF IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

ABS SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. ABS SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN WHILE LIGHT IS ON. EBCM WAS REPLACED BY GM DEALER, BUT PROBLEM PERSISTS. *TR