SATURN Complaints

I AM BEGINNING TO BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUE WITH THE SATURN ION IS AN ELECTRICAL OR COMPUTER BASED. I PUT IN A COMPLAINT EARLIER ABOUT HOW THE CAR SHUTS OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING TURNS. THIS MORNING AS I WENT TO WORK I WAS MET WITH THE AUTOMATIC STEERING NOT WORKING. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE THE EMERGENCY BREAK WAS STILL UP. I CHECKED MY STEERING FLUID AND IT IS FULL. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN AND TRIED TO MOVE THE WHEEL. NO DICE. I DROVE THE CAR TO WORK FIGHTING WITH THE STEERING ALL THE WAY THERE. WHEN I GOT TO WORK I CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE TO GET MY CAR TO A SHOP. AFTER MAKING THE ARRANGEMENTS, I WENT TO TRY TO STRAIGHTEN UP THE VEHICLE SOMEWHAT SO THAT OTHERS COULD PARK BESIDE ME AND SO THE TOWING COMPANY COULD GET IT OUT. TO MY AMAZEMENT THE CAR STEERING WORKED FINE. THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ON THE WEB ABOUT THIS ISSUE, THE KEY GETTING STUCK IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY BEING REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND THE CAR ENGINE CONTINUING TO RUN ANYWAY, AND THE SHUTTING OFF WHILE GOING OVER TRACKS AND MAKING TURNS WITH THE SATURN ION 2004-2007. PLEASE GET GMC TO FIX THESE ISSUES. WHAT MAKES ME REALLY ANGRY IS THAT THE COMPANY KNOWS, THEY SIMPLY ARE AVOIDING FIXING THE PROBLEMS AND ONLY FOCUS ON THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET KILLED SOONER OR LATER BTW THE SHUTTING OFF ISSUE OR THE STEERING WHEEL ISSUES. I HOPE YOU GUYS LOOK INTO THESE ISSUES AND DEMAND THAT GMC FIXES THEM BEFORE THEN. THANKS. *TR

SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. I'VE READ ONLINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A TON OF OTHER 2007 SATURN AURA OWNERS. I HAVE HEARD THAT THE REPAIR IS WELL OVER $1,000.00 BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO TAKE YOUR PASSENGER SEAT APART TO GET TO THE PROBLEM, & THE LABOR COSTS ALONE ARE PHENOMENAL! IF SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, WHY ISN'T THIS A RECALL??? AIR BAGS ARE VERY IMPORTANT, & IF MINE DON'T WORK, I THINK I SHOULD GET THE COST TO FIX IT (FROM GM) TO PAY FOR THE PROBLEM!!! *TR

ONE OF THE STRUCTURAL WELDS IN THE DRIVER SEAT FRAME HAS BROKEN LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EXPLAINED THE ISSUE. THEY SET UP AN APPT WITH MY LOCAL DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THE DEALERSHIP AGREED WITH ME THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT AND IN THEIR EXACT WORDS (NOTHING YOU (THE OWNER) COULD HAVE DONE, WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE WELD TO BREAK) MY GM DISTRICT SPECIALIST WORKED WITH HER MANAGER, THE MANAGER'S FINAL DECISION WAS THAT ONLY HALF THE COSTS ($400 OF THE $800 TOTAL) WOULD BE COVERED SINCE THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE MANAGER ABOUT THE ISSUE AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE MANAGER WILL NOT TAKE CALLS FROM CUSTOMERS. I OFFERED TO PROVIDE PICTURES OF THE BREAK AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY CANNOT RECEIVE EMAIL FROM CUSTOMERS. THE PICTURES I HAVE TAKEN CLEARLY DETAIL THE COMPONENT WAS WELDED INCORRECTLY AND THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THIS. THIS IS A STRUCTURAL WELD IN THE FRAME OF THE SEAT THAT SHOULD NOT BREAK REGARDLESS OF THE VEHICLES AGE. *TR

DRIVER SIDE HEADLAMP WENT OUT PULLING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHO INFORMED US IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE HEADLAMP HARNESS NOT BULB. HARNESS WAS MELTED AND SCORCHED. ORDERED NEW "IMPROVED" HARNESS AND REPLACED. PASSENGER SIDE HARNESS EXPERIENCED SAME FAILURE ORDERED NEW "IMPROVED" HARNESS AND REPLACED IN JULY. ALL REPAIRS AND REPLACEMENT COST WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY FOR ALL OUT OF POCKET COSTS. ON OCTOBER 3RD PASSENGER SIDE HARNESS BURNED OUT AGAIN. HAVE TO PURCHASE NEW PART AND REPLACE FOR THE 3RD TIME. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS IT IF HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE FACT THAT HARNESS IS SCORCHED AND MELTING ALSO CONCERNS ME. I AM AFRAID OF THE RISK POSED TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILY AS WE USE THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT OUR 2 YOUNG CHILDREN DAILY. *TR

LOST OF POWER STEERING STARTED SOME TIME IN 2009,I HAVE NO RECORD OF THE DATE,BUT IN ONE OF THE INCIDENTS 06/10/2011 I TOOK A PICTURE OF THE DASHBOARD SHOWING THE DATE AND MESSAGE ON THE SPEEDOMETER. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE EVERY TIME THIS HAPPEN TO GET IT BACK TO POWER STEERING .THEN I HAD A SITUATION WHEN I LOST SPEED AS I WAS TRAVELING ON A CITY AVENUE. THE CAR LOST SPEED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AROUND 35 MPH,IT MADE A ALARM OR WARNING SOUND AND DROP DOWN TO 10MPH AND I COULD NOT GET BACK TO 35MPH,I STOP THE CAR AND I RESTARTED THE ENGINE,THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD RECOVER THE POWER ON THE ENGINE. IT HAPPENS TWO OR THREE TIMES IN ONE MONTH. *TR

MY CAR HAS 103,000 ON IT AND HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED. IT SUDDENLY DIED WITH NO WARNING WHILE I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE SHOP, WHERE THEY RAN A DIAGNOSTIC. I HAVE A TRANSMISSION LEAK, A BAD INTAKE MANIFOLD THAT CAUSES THE ENGINE TO RUN INCREDIBLY LEAN, AND A SENSOR PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS BABIED, AND WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE SHOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING ANY ISSUES WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE TRANSMISSION. THE SENSOR I CAN UNDERSTAND FAILING, BUT THE AMOUNT OF ISSUES THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD, AND THE AMOUNT OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN FROM OTHER OWNERS OF THE 2003 SATURN VUE V6 AWD IS STAGGERING. THESE ARE CLEARLY VEHICLES WITH ISSUES AND SATURN OWNERS SHOULD RECEIVE SOME SORT OF COMPENSATION FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE ARE PUTTING OUT TO MAKE REPAIRS FOR SHODDY WORKMANSHIP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD INTERMITTENTLY SEIZE WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH AND ABOVE. WHENEVER THE FAILURE RECURRED, THE CONTACT WOULD STOP THE VEHICLE AND SHUT IT OFF. UPON RESTART, THE VEHICLE WOULD OPERATE AS NORMAL. A POWER STEERING SERVICE LIGHT WOULD ALSO ILLUMINATE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DURING THE FAILURE AND A WARNING BELL WOULD SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

2006 ION. STRONG GAS SMELL DEVELOPED OVER A WEEK IN SEPT 2011. AN INDEPENDENT TECHNICIAN FOUND GAS LEAKING FROM TOP OF TANK. RESEARCH LEAD ME TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V419000. GM PERFORMED THE RECALL ON ONLY 53K CARS IN AZ AND NV IN OCT 2009. SEEMS THE FUEL PUMP MODULE CONNECTIONS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND CRACK WITH HEAT AND ROAD VIBRATION. HOWEVER, A CALL TO SATURN REVEALED THEY ARE HIDING BEHIND A VIN SPECIFIC RECALL AND THAT THE OTHER THOUSANDS OF IONS WITH THIS SERIOUS SAFETY-DEFECT ARE ONLY COVERED BY GM FOR 10 YR/120K MILE "SPECIAL COVERAGE WARRANTY" EXTENDED TO THIS DEFECTIVE PART. HAD SATURN/GM INFORMED ME MY CAR MIGHT BURST INTO FLAMES BACK IN FEB 2010, WHEN THEY WERE TO NOTIFY THE 53K OWNERS IN AZ AND NV, I WOULD HAVE HAD THIS REPAIR DONE ASAP AS I WOULD STILL BE UNDER THEIR "SPECIAL COVERAGE" LIMITATION. I AM ANGERED AND OUTRAGED THAT GM SEEMS TO TAKE THE POSITION OF "LET'S WAIT UNTIL THE CAR BECOMES A DEATH-TRAP" BEFORE WE TELL PEOPLE THEY MIGHT BE IN DANGER AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS. WITH NO NOTIFICATION, I CONTINUED TO DRIVE MY ION. NOW THAT THE CAR ACTUALLY HAS BECAME LIFE-THREATENING, I AM "NOT COVERED" BY GM'S SPECIAL COVERAGE. MY ION DOES NOT QUALIFY BECAUSE I AM OVER THIS ARTIFICIAL LIMIT IF 120K MILES. ALL VEHICLES WITH THIS DEFECTIVE PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. THIS IS CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT. BET YOU MY MILEAGE WAS BELOW THIS ARTIFICIAL LIMIT IN FEBRUARY 2010. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DIDN'T SHOW UP UNTIL AFTER 200+ DAYS OF OVER 90 DEGREE DAYS IN EAST TEXAS - I HAVE TO PAY $600 TO REPAIR THEIR OBVIOUS DEFECT. THE REPAIR COSTS ARE UNFAIR, BUT THE SAFETY ISSUE SCREAMS FOR JUSTICE. I GUESS SOMEONE'S FAMILY WILL HAVE TO DIE IN A TRAGIC FIREBALL BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES GM TO TASK FOR THIS SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS FUEL SYSTEM DEFECT. *TR

POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT NOTICE WHILE DRIVING. UPON RESTARTING CAR, POWER STEERING RESTORED, BUT THIS HAPPENS EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS. *TR

FIRST LEFT HEADLIGHT WAS GOING IN AND OUT. WAS PULLED OVER BY POLICE WHO SAID IT WAS OUT. TURNED CAR OFF THEN ON AND LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT TO DEALER WAS REPLACED FOR MALFUNCTION, DEFECT REPAIRED FOR FREE AT 20000 MILES. THEN PARKED CAR NOSE FIRST. WAS UNABLE TO REVERSE CAR OUT OF PARKING SPACE. HAD TO WAIT FOR CAR IN FRONT TO MOVE TO SO I COULD DRIVE OUT FORWARD ONLY. CAR DROVE FORWARD FOR 1 WEEK, THEN COMPLETELY WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE. WAS TOWED TO DEALER AT 39000 MILES AND TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED FOR FREE, COVERED BY WARRANTY. THEN RIGHT HEADLIGHT WAS GOING IN AND OUT AT 44000 MILES. NOT COVERED. FIXED FOR $300. THEN AT THAT TIME WAS TOLD POWERSTEERING UNIT LEAKING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED FOR APPROX $800.00. NOW ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THIS CAR IS THE WORSE CAR I EVER HAD, AND I HAD MANY. WHAT NEXT. MY 1999 FORD WINDSTAR IS A BETTER CAR.. *TR