SATURN Complaints

WE OWN TWO 2008 SATURN OUTLOOKS. BOTH HAD HEADLIGHT FAILURES IN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. BOTH HAD THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLIES REPLACED. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP THE HEADLIGHTS (NON-BRIGHTS) ON BOTH ARE FAILING, AND IT IS NOT THE BULBS. MECHANIC "JIGGLES" THE WIRES AND HEADLIGHTS COME ON ONLY TO FAIL LESS THAN A WEEK LATER. NUMEROUS ONLINE SEARCHES SHOW THE HARNESS TO BE AT FAULT, WITH INDICATIONS THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS BEEN RE-ENGINEERING TO ADDRESS THE KNOWN DEFECT. *TR

THE KEY IS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION IN THE IGNITION AND THE CAR CAN NOT BE SHUT OFF. I FOUND A CONSUMER AFFAIRS WEB SITE THAT HAS 7700 LISTINGS FOR THIS PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_IGNITION_LOCK.HTML GM WANTS ME TO BRING THE CAR IN AND CHARGE ME $115 TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. WITH THE AMOUNT OF INFO ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY GM HAS TO DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A SERIES ISSUE WHEN A CAR CAN NOT BE SHUT OFF AND GM NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. *TR

THE POWER STEERING FAILURE LIGHT COMES ON AND I WILL HAVE NO POWER STEERING. I CAN CUT CAR OFF AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND THEN THE LIGHT IS OUT AND THE POWER STEERING WORKING. VERY SPORADIC. SOMETIMES HAPPENS 3 OR 4 TIMES IN 40 MILE TRIP. SOMETIMES DOES NOT HAPPEN AT ALL. IF VERY DANGEROUS WHEN IT HAPPENS AND I AM TURNING A CORNER. *TR

THE POWER STEERING ON THE SATURN ION CONTINUALLY GOES OUT. IT TYPICALLY WILL COME BACK ON WHEN THE CAR RESTARTS ONLY TO GO OUT AGAIN WHILE DRIVING. SOMETIMES IT GOES OUT 2 MINUTES INTO A DRIVE, OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T GO OUT AT ALL AND OTHER TIMES IT'S AFTER 30 MINUTES. IT'S QUITE ANNOYING AND DANGEROUS. *TR

MY SATURN VUE 2003 EXPERIENCES SERIOUS HESITATION IN POWER WHEN TRAVELING OVER 45 MPH. THE DANGEROUS SPUTTERING GETS HARDER WHEN I NEED TO DRIVE MORE THAN 45 MPH SUCH AS WHEN I HAVE TO TRAVEL ON PARKWAYS OR EXPRESSWAYS. ON DECEMBER 3, 2011, I ENTERED EXIT 36 OF THE GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY AND MAINTAINED A STEADY SPEED OF 55 MPH IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. AS THE TRAFFIC INCREASED TO EXIT 17, THE CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE AND APPEAR TO WANT TO COME TO A STOP. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A DECREASED SPEED OF 45 MPH TO AVOID THE SPUTTERING AND HALTING. I GOT INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND EXITED THE PARKWAY AS MY CAR JOLTED THEN CAME TO A SUDDEN HALT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED 15 MINUTES, PUT MY CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT DRIVE FORWARD. I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND MANEUVERED IT INTO AN OPEN SPACE ALONG THE CURB ON 78TH AVENUE. I TRIED AGAIN AND ONLY WITH HEAVY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL WAS THE CAR ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO STRAIGHTEN INTO A POSITION TO BE TOWED. I CALLED AAA AND WAS TOWED TO A SATURN AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDER, NORTHSHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN, WHERE IT SITS TO THIS DAY. THE BRAND NEW 2010 VT1 TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

APPROXIMATELY ONE WEEK AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE I NOTICED A GRINDING NOISE THAT WAS NOT FAVORABLE AND I WAS PRETTY SURE IT WAS THE TRANNY. I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH THE CAR SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND REPAIR. IT WAS CONFIRMED TO BE THE TRANNY AND THEY TRIED TO PUT A BANDAIDE ON IT BY FLUSHING IT AND CHANGING THE FLUIDS. ONE WEEK LATER SAME NOISE ONLY LOUDER. THEY REPLACED THE TRANNY. 30 DAYS AFTER THE FIRST REPAIR; THE NOISE RETURNED, THEY REPLACED SOME PARTS, IN THE TRANNY THEY JUST PUT IN IT. JUST OVER 12,0000 MILES LATER I WAS ATTEMPTING TO BACK UP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE. I HAD IT TOWED AND THE TRANNY WAS AGAIN REPLACED, THAT WAS JUST UNDER 12,0000 MILES AGO AND THE TRANNY IS SLIPPING AGAIN, ONLY NOW THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PEOPLE SAY I AM OUT OF FUNDS BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT REPAIR A VEHICLE BEYOND IT'S WORTH. I HAVE HAD THE AXLE REPLACED TWICE AND IT NEEDS TO BE DONE AGAIN, EXTENDED WARRANTY AGAIN SAY'S THEY ARE DONE PAYING OUT ON THIS CAR EVEN THOUGH MY TIME OR MILEAGE IS NOT EXPIRED ON THE WARRANTY. ABOUT A MONTH AGO IT FAILED TO START AND BECAUSE I HAD READ THIS WEB SITE ON CONSUMER COMPLAINTS FOR THIS CAR I KNEW TO WAIT 5-15 MIN AND TRY AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BUT SO FAR IT EVENTUALLY STARTS. I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON CREDIT JUST OVER A YEAR AGO TO GET A RELIABLE VEHICLE BECAUSE I WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK OUT OF MY CAR AND IT IS BECOMING A NIGHTMARE NO-ONE WILL WAKE ME UP FROM. AND BECAUSE I AM UPSIDE DOWN ON THE LOAN I CANNOT EVEN TRADE IT IN FOR SOMETHING THAT IS RELIABLE. FOR THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN THERE SHOULD BE SOME RECOURSE TO THE CONSUMER. I HAVE HAD THE TRANNY REPLACED TWICE AND FIXED TWICE, THE AXLE HAS BEEN DONE TWICE AND NEED IT AGAIN. CHEVY BOUGHT THIS COMPANY OUT AND SHOULD HAVE TO HONOR THE STANDARDS FOR A SAFE VEHICLE OR STOP SELLING THEM TO UNSUSPECTING BUYERS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING FAILED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND BACK INTO DRIVE IN ORDER TO GET THE STEERING WHEEL TO RETURN TO NORMAL FUNCTION. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 83,080.

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT WIRE HARNESS ARCS AND CAUSES LIGHT TO FAIL. REPLACING LIGHTBULB TEMPORARILY FIXES ISSUE. LIGHT FAILS AND CAUSES LOSS OF LIGHT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. ALSO, POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SL2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

MY PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND BEFORE I PUT A NEW BULB IN, IT CAME BACK ON FOR A WEEK. MY HEADLIGHT THEN WENT OUT AND STAYED OUT. WHEN I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB, I SAW THE BLACK WIRE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS WAS MELTED AND ALSO THE PLASTIC OF THE BULB CONTACT WAS MELTED. I HAVE WORKED WITH ELECTRICAL WIRING FOR 30 YEARS AND BELIEVE THE WIRE SIZE IS TOO SMALL FOR THE CURRENT THAT THE HEADLIGHT DRAWS. *TR