SATURN Complaints

BOTH IN 2008 AND 2010 WAS FORCED TO HAVE REPAIRS MADE TO STEERING TO REPLACE POWER STEERING GEARS DUE TO GROANING/GRINDING WHEN TURNING. THE CAR AGAIN HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. CONCERNED ABOUT STEERING FAILURE. *TR

WHILE MERGING INTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC ON THE 210W IN IRWINDALE, CA, WE EXPERIENCED MODERATE LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL. THE YELLOW ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, BUT THERE WAS NO WARNING BEEP AND THE PWR STR LIGHT DID NOT ACTIVATE. WITH DIFFICULTY WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, THOUGH THERE WAS A DEFINITE INCREASE IN RISK OF COLLISION. WE INTEND TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS ON THE ENGINE CONTROL COMPUTER AND THE STEERING MOTOR. *TR

A/C COMPRESSOR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY MISSING. SEEMS THE COMPRESSOR BUILDS UP TOO MUCH PRESSURE AND BLOWS THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY OFF MAKING THE A/C INOPERABLE. *TR

ENGINE BEGAN HAVING A SLOW KNOCKING NOISE, PRIOR TO THAT I WOULD HEAR A NOISE OF THE CHAIN SLAPPING, WHICH I WAS EXPLAINED TO BY SATURN THAT THIS WAS NORMAL IN MY VEHICLE. DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME THEN WHILE I WAS PARKING, HEARD A LOUD BANG AND WHEN I GOT OUT - THERE WAS OIL GUSHING FROM UNDERNEATH. PARKED THE CAR AND HAVE NOT REPAIRED IT SINCE... WAS JUST DOING RESEARCH NOW TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AND FOUND THAT FINALLY THERE WAS ANOTHER ROUND OF RECALLS REGARDING THE ENGINE. I HAVE ASKED MY SATURN DEALER BEFORE ABOUT THIS (WHILE THEY WERE STILL IN BUSINESS) AND WAS TOLD THAT ONLY SPECIFIC YEARS WERE COVERED... *TR

I HAVE A 2006 SATURN ION-2. EVERY MORNING WHEN I GET IN MY CAR AND I GO TO START IT DOESN'T START AND THE PASSLOCK LIGHT COMES ON. WHEN I CALLED SATURN THE SAID IT IS MY IGNITION SWITCH. THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING TO ALL VARIETIES OF SATURN MODELS, INCLUDING ONES BEFORE 2006. I HAVE READ MANY REVIEWS AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR SATURN. IF SATURN OR GM SEES THIS HAPPENING HOW COME THIS HAS NOT BEEN DECLARED AS A RECALL? I WOULD LIKE SATURN TO FIX THE ISSUE SINCE THE BAD THING IS THEY KNOW ABOUT IT AND IF YOU ARE OUT OF WARRANTY YOU ARE PAYING FOR A PROBLEM SATURN SHOULD HAVE RECALLED, BUT INSTEAD THEY MAKE MONEY OFF THE PROBLEM. *TR

IN 2007, BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SERVICE TECHNICIANS AND OTHER OWNERS OF MY CAR'S MODEL, I PURCHASED NEW MICHELIN HYDROEDGE TIRES. UPON RECENT INSPECTION AND ROTATION AT A SERVICE CENTER, IT WAS NOTED THAT ALL FOUR OF MY TIRES WERE DRY-ROTTING AT THE SIDEWALL NEAR THE TREADS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT "MICHELINS DO THAT." THE TIRES ARE 4 1/2 YEARS OLD, HAVE BEEN DRIVEN 23,000 MILES WITH VERY LITTLE TREAD WEAR (9/32" LEFT) AND ARE NOT HOUSED INSIDE A GARAGE WHERE OZONE COULD AFFECT THEM. I DRIVE 10 MILES ROUND TRIP EACH WORK DAY. I ALSO DO NOT LIVE IN AN URBAN AREA. I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS OF DRY ROT LEADING TO BLOWOUTS, OFTEN WITH RELATED ACCIDENTS. IN MANY INSTANCES MICHELIN DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY AND SITED EVERYTHING FROM ENVIRONMENTAL REACTIONS TO POTHOLE AND CURB HITS BY DRIVERS SOMETIMES DENYING A CLAIM BEFORE RECEIVING THE CUSTOMER'S DOCUMENTATION. THERE ARE TOO MANY COMPLAINTS TO IGNORE ANYMORE. JUST BECAUSE MANY OF US HAVE FOUND THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE TIRES CAUSED AN ACCIDENT DOESN'T MEAN THIS IS NOT SERIOUS. HOW MANY OCCURRENCES DOES THE NHTSA NEED BEFORE IT ACTS PROACTIVELY TO END THIS SAFETY RISK? I HOPE THIS COMPLAINT SPEAKS FOR CONSUMERS WHO FILED PREVIOUSLY, OTHERS WHO HAVE NOT FILED AND FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE AT RISK. PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL A HIGH-PROFILE FIERY CRASH BRINGS LIGHT TO THIS ISSUE (AS SEEMS TOO OFTEN TO BE THE CASE IN OUR SOCIETY.) MICHELIN HAS HAD A FEW MAJOR TIRE RECALLS, ONE JUST RECENTLY, SO THERE IS PROBABLE CAUSE TO INVESTIGATE THE DRY ROT COMPLAINTS. INVESTIGATE NOW SO WE CAN ALL BENEFIT FROM THE NHTSA, AN ENTITY THAT IS AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU. *JS

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE POWER STEERING JUST STOPS WORKING YOU HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE SAFELY. *JS

PURCHASED ON 9/17/2008 AND NOTICED A WET SMELL AND BROUGHT IT IN 12/1/09 WE ALSO INFORMED THEM OF AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM DVD/REAR HATCH - THEY FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THE ISSUES. ON 2/10/10 CAR IN DUE TO A WET SMELL REAR HATCH/DVD ELECTRICAL ISSUES. FOUND NO ISSUE WITH HATCHBACK BUT THE WATERLEAK REPORT "EXTERIOR - POOR FITS, WATER TESTED- REMOVED HEADLINER FOUND EXCESSIVE WATER LEAKING AROUND GLASS-WATER RUNNING DOWN HEADBOARD TO REAR - NECESSARY SUNROOF WINDOW REPLACEMENT. 4/14/2010 BACK WITH THE DOME LIGHT NOT WORKING AND SMELLED WET- DOME LIGHT "INOP VERIFIED DUE TO WATER INTRUSION FROM SUNROOF LEAK"ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE REAR SEAT TRACKS -LOTS OF RUST- "SURFACE RUST ON SEAT TRACKS- PER TAC NORMAL CONDITION - DID SPRAY DOWN WITH SILICONE LUBRICANT". IN 6/8/2010 BECAUSE OF WET SMELL SERVICE STATES, "VERIFIED WATER IN VEHICLE ABOVE HEADLINER, REMOVED HEADLINER FOR WATER TEST - REMOVED SUNROOF MODULE AND INSTALLED URETHANE SEALER IN DRAIN HOLES AND REMOVED CROSS HATCH AREA IN DRAIN TUBES - WATERTESTED GOOD" AND UNDER REPAIR 1 "07-08-57-002E WATER DRIPPING FROM 'A' PILLARS OR ROPCODE:C9818 AND REPAIR 2, "07-08-57-002E WATER DRIPPING FROM 'A' PILLARS OR ROPCODE: C9820. BACK ON 8/24/2010 BECAUSE A MOLDING WOULD NOT STAY ATTACHED AND FRONT SEATBELT ADJUSTERS WAS CUT. IN 12/23/11THIS TIME TO ROSNER CHEVROLET - ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH WARNING LIGHTS-"OPEN RECALL 10085 AND THEY REROUTED WIREHARNESS/REPLACE-OPEN RECALL- REPLACED CONNECTER AND RE-ROUTED HARNESS AS PER RECALL". NOISE COMING FROM THE TIRES AND"BOTH FRONT HUB/BEARING ASSEMBLIES TO BE BAD AND REPLACED BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT". THE CAR HAS CONTINUED TO STINK LIKE "WET DOG" EVEN THOUGH WE ARE NOT SEEING ANY DRIPPING WATER. TODAY USED A MOISTURE METER - HIGH LEVELS OF MOISTURE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CAR - ALL 4 DOOR FRAMES, THE FLOORING, THE HATCH, PULLED BACK FLOOR MATS TO FIND WHITE POWDERY MILDEW. *JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A LOCAL STREET IN MY HOMETOWN. I WAS DOING THE SPEED LIMIT AND JUST CRUISING WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST ALL POWER IN MY CAR. I DIDN'T ACTUALLY NOTICE UNTIL I WENT TO PUSH THE GAS PEDAL AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM MY ENGINE. I WAS ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL OF THE CAR AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER LOOKING UNDER THE HOOD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND THEY DISPATCHED A TOW TRUCK. AFTER GETTING THE CAR HOME I CALLED A LOCAL MECHANIC FRIEND OF MINE HOPING HE COULD GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS AFTER TAKING THE ENGINE COVER OFF WE WERE ABLE TO VISIBLY SEE THAT THE CHAIN ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY ENGINE WAS BROKEN. AFTER SEEING THAT HE PRETTY MUCH SAID I'M LOOKING AT A BROKEN TIMING BELT AND POSSIBLY VALVE AND PISTON DAMAGE. IN THE END IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT MY ENGINE WAS NOT FIXABLE. *JS *TR

IN CARWASH AND DURING RAIN, WATER RUNS IN THROUGH BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG PORTS IN THE FRONT, THROUGH THE DVD PLAYER, THROUGH THE PASSENGER SIDE VISOR, THROUGH THE TOP PART OF THE WINDSHIELD. FOLLOWING FIRST INCIDENT THE RADIO BEGAN TO SHORT OUT, INDICATING THE WATER HAD EFFECTED THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, THE DVD PLAYER NO LONGER WORKS, AND FOLLOWING THE FIRST INCIDENT THE "CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM" LIGHT CAME ON AND HAS REMAINED ON. THE DEALER CANNOT TELL ME IF THE AIRBAGS WILL WORK PROPERLY. REPAIRS BY THE DEALER HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM. IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE IF WATER IS EFFECTING THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND THE AIRBAGS? I CAN HEAR WATER SLOSHING AROUND BUT THE WATER CANNOT BE SEEN. THERE IS A DAMP, MUSTY SMELL IN THE VEHICLE LEADING ME TO BELIEVE THAT WATER IS POOLING SOMEWHERE......IS IT IN THE AIRBAG SYSTEM? *JS