SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN TURNING THE KEY TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,200.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF TO RESET THE FAILURE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 65,000.

MAJOR SUNROOF LEAK. WHENEVER IT RAIN I HAVE A STEADY STREAM OF WATER LEAKING INTO THE CAR AND CREATING A PUDDLE OF STANDING WATER ON MY PASSENGER FLOOR BOARD. HAVE BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH HENDRICK CHEVROLET AND THEY ARE ADMIT THAT I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE REPAIRS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN L SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IN THE ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE, THE WARNING LIGHTS WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE THERE WAS NO COMPRESSION TAKING PLACE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), DID NOT INCLUDE THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000. UPDATED 02/03/12*LJ THE CONSUMER HAS SINCE TRADED THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 02/10/12

I HAD BEEN DRIVING APPROX. 2 HOURS OF A 11 HOUR TRIP WHEN I SAW A MESSAGE REPLACE THE ODOMETER ABOUT THE POWER STEERING. I LEFT I95 USING EXIT 98 AND PULLED OVER IN A GAS STATION. THE MANUAL STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING WAS ELECTRIC, SO NO STEERING FLUID TO CHECK. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND MAGICALLY THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND MY TRIP ODOMETER WAS MAGICALLY SET TO ZERO. I DROVE AROUND THE FRONTAGE ROAD AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE SO I CONTINUED ON MY WAY. 22 MILES LATER THE SAME THING HAPPENED. I TOOK THE NEXT EXIT, SHUT THE CAR OFF, RESTARTED IT AND MAGICALLY AGAIN IT WAS FIXED WITH NO RESET OF THE TRIP ODOMETER. AGAIN I CONTINUED ON MY TRIP ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN 23 MILES LATER, AT WHICH POINT I REPEATED THE STOPPING/RESTARTING PROCEDURE AND TURNED AROUND HEADED FOR HOME. WHILE DRIVING HOME IT HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES, THEN ONCE MORE IN THE DRIVEWAY WHEN I WAS BACKING UP. SO A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES WITHIN A 5 HOUR PERIOD AND NO PRIOR HISTORY (SINCE I'VE OWNED IT) OF THIS PROBLEM. I PURCHASED THIS CAR USED FROM A DEALER MAY 28 2011 WITH APPROX. 46500 MILES. THE ONLY OTHER PROBLEM I'VE HAD IS THE KEY NOT WANTING TO COME OUT OF THE IGNITION AFTER I'VE TURNED THE CAR OFF; AFTER I PUT THE GEAR SHIFT INTO REVERSE THEN BACK INTO PARK, THE KEY WILL COME OUT; SOMETIMES I CAN HEAR A CLICKING SOUND WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH FIXES ITSELF AND THEN THE KEY WILL COME OUT, ALSO. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED ON ITS OWN WHILE TRAVELING 75 MILES PER HOUR ON THE FREEWAY. SINCE THE STEERING HAS FAILED EVER TIME THE VEHICLE IS USED. I HAVE HAD NEAR MISS ACCIDENTS ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS WELL KNOWN TO THE MANUFACTURER, INCLUDING THE SAFETY RISK, YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. *TR

RIGHT REAR PARKING BRAKE CABLE RUSTED THROUGH AND SNAPPED. RESULT: NO PARKING BRAKE (NO HAND BRAKE). LOCAL MECHANICS ADVISED US THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL. IT CANNOT BE FIXED. SATURN IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. GM NO LONGER SELLS THIS CABLE. NONE OF THE AFTERMARKET COMPANIES MAKE A CABLE THAT FITS THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT IS NOT FUNCTIONING. I HAVE CHECKED INTO REPLACING IT AND IT WILL COST $100 FOR ONE REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP! I HAVE ALSO HEARD THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EVEN ACCESS THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT IS INOPERABLE. I TRIED REPLACING THE BULB, FUSE AND RELAY. FROM FURTHER INVESTIGATION I THINK IT IS THE SOCKET THAT IS BAD. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AT THIS MANY MILES. *TR

AT APPROXIMATELY 35000 MILES, THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP STOPPED LIGHTING. I ASSUMED THAT THE HEADLAMP HAD BLOWN, AND LEFT IT ALONE UNTIL MY STATE INSPECTION WAS DUE, 2 MONTHS LATER. WHEN I FINALLY ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE BULB, I LEARNED THAT THE BULB WAS FINE, BUT THE HARNESS HAD FAILED, AND MY 36000 MILE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED.CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP HAD MELTED, WHERE THE WIRES ENTER INTO THE LAMP BASE, AND ARE HELD INTO THE BASE WITH A POURED PLASTIC "BACKLIGHT" TYPE SEALER, LIKE THE TYPE SEEN POURED OVER CIRCUIT BOARDS, TO PREVENT TAMPERING. I ACCESSED THAT SOCKET, AND CUT THE FACTORY SOCKET OFF OF THE WIRE HARNESS. I REPLACED THE SOCKET WITH ONE THAT I PURCHASED ONLINE, WHICH WAS OF A MUCH HEAVIER GAUGE THAN THE INFERIOR GAUGE OF WIRE THAT CAME FROM THE FACTORY. IT IS NOW 1 YEAR LATER, AND THE EXACT SAME THING HAS OCCURRED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WHEN I HOLD THE FACTORY LAMP SOCKET IN MY HAND, AND BEND THE WIRES AT THE SOCKET BASE, THE BULB WORKS ONLY INTERMITTENTLY, AS IF THE COPPER WIRE INSIDE THE INSULATION HAS DEGRADED SO SEVERELY THAT A GOOD CONTACT CAN NO LONGER BE MAINTAINED. I HAVE NOT YET ORDERED A REPLACEMENT SOCKET FOR THE DRIVER'S SIDE, AND DREAD THE LABOR THAT IS INVOLVED IN REMOVING THE TIRE, DROPPING THE FENDER COWL, CUTTING THE FACTORY HARNESS AWAY FROM THE FACTORY LAMP BASE, AND REWIRING THE NEW LAMP BASE TO THE FACTORY HARNESS.IT IS LABOR INTENSIVE, AND IT IS DANGEROUS. IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE HEAT BUILD UP FROM THE BULB, IN COMBINATION WITH THE UNDERSIZED WIRING ENTERING THE BASE, HAS CREATED A MELT HAZARD, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY ALLOWS MOISTURE INTO THE COPPER STRAND WIRE, ALLOWING THE COPPER TO CORRODE SIGNIFICANTLY, AND ULTIMATELY THE COPPER DISINTEGRATES COMPLETELY, LOSING ITS CONNECTION ALTOGETHER. *TR