SATURN Complaints

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT, PASSENGER SIDE, STOPPED WORKING, DEALER FOUND IT TO BE AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM, LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. LISTED AS A WIRE HARNESS ISSUE. THREE MONTHS LATER , SAME ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURED NUMEROUS TIMES NOW BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE OUT. BOTH HEADLIGHTS ARE STILL GOOD, CHECKED ON ANOTHER GM VEHICLE ( ACADIA ). FUSE IS GOOD, NO CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN HARNESS AND LIGHT, NO POWER AT END OF HARNESS. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM. SATURN IS OUT OF BUSINESS, DEALER REFUSES TO FIX WITHOUT CHARGING A SMALL FORTUNE OF MONEY. LOW BEAMS ARE STILL OUT. *TT

LOST FUNCTIONALITY OF HEADLIGHT ON DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM. REPLACE THE BULB TWICE AS BULB WOULD INITIALLY WORK BUT QUICKLY LOSE FUNCTIONALITY AGAIN. IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PLUG. THE ISSUE IS NOT WITH THE BULB AS IF YOU WIGGLE THE WIRE GOING INTO PLUG THE BULB WILL RESUME FUNCTIONING. PLUG NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, THIS INCLUDES THE ASSEMBLY THAT CONTROLS ALL LIGHT FUNCTIONS. WE HAVE HEARD OF THIS COMPLAINT FROM MANY OTHER OUTLOOK OWNERS AS WELL. THIS DEFECT CONSIDERABLY LIMITS THE ABILITY TO DRIVE SAFELY AT NIGHT. *TT

INITIAL SIGNS WERE A STONG SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE, AND LONGER CRANK TIMES WHEN STARTING. THIS WAS FILLING OUR GARAGE WITH A VERY STRONG FUEL ODOR. TOOK IT TO DEALER TO DIAGNOSE, AND THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FUEL PUMP MODULE AND RECOMMEND REPLACING AT A COST OF $650. THE FUEL PUMP MODULE IS A PLASTIC CASE THAT SITS ON TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. IT IS NOT ACCESSABLE UNLESS YOU TAKE THE FUEL TANK OFF. WE ARE JUST FINISHING A SUMMER OF RECORD SETTING HEAT. LOOKING ONLINE IT HAS CRACKED FOR PEOPLE IN HOT CLIMATES. THERE IS A RECALL FOR A PROBLEM THAT SOUNDS VERY SIMILAR, GM RECALL NUMBER 090226. OUR CAR IS NOT COVERED BY THIS BECAUSE IT IS NOT LOCATED IN AZ OR NV. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD LOCK AND HE COULD NOT TURN TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION HOUSING AND IGNITION SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED HIM THAT DUE TO THE AGE AND THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE, THEY WOULD NOT REIMBURSE HIM FOR THE REPAIRS AND OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES TOUGH TO TURN. DURING THE MIDDLE OF A TURN THE POWER STEERING SEEMS TO COMPLETELY CUT OUT. IT HAS ALSO CUT OUT AND NEEDED TO HAVE THE CAR RESTART FOR IT TO COME BACK ON. THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2004-2007 IONS, BUT NOT FOR 2003. I FIND THIS RIDICULOUS AS IT IS THE SAME ISSUE DESCRIBED IN THAT RECALL. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING WOULD SPORADICALLY BECOME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000. ..UPDATED 09/29/11 *BF THE POWER STEERING MOTOR FAILED ON THE VEHICLE. UPDATED 01/03/12

I AM RECENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING MY 2005 SATURN VUE INTO 1ST GEAR. CALLED A TRANSMISSION COMPANY WHO LOOKED IT UP AND SAID THERE WERE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY ISSUE, YET THERE IS NO RECALL FOR IT. I ONLY HAVE 60,000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT SATURN PUT IN A RUBBER TYPE SHIFTING LINKAGE. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2000 SATURN L-SERIES SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TIMING CHAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED AND DEPENDING ON THE SEVERITY OF THE DAMAGE THE HEAD ON THE ENGINE ALSO HAD TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) MAY BE RELATED TO THE FAILURE BUT IT DO NOT INCLUDE 2000 MODELS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000 UPDATED 04/19/12*LJ UPADTED 04/27/12

WHILE TRAVELING AT CITY SPEEDS (APPROX 35MPH), THE VEHICLE'S INFORMATION CENTER SOUNDED A "DING" AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE READING "PWR STR". THIS OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING. ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THE MESSAGE "PWR STR" INDICATES A POWER STEERING FAILURE, AN INDICATION CONFIRMED BY THE FACT THAT TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, REQUIRING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL BEYOND 1-2 DEGREES FROM ITS PRESENT LOCATION. I ESTIMATE THIS EFFORT WOULD EXCEED THE ABILITIES OF SOME DRIVERS, GIVEN THE SUDDEN ONSET AND DIFFERENCE IN EFFORT REQUIRED TO TURN THE WHEEL BEFORE AND AFTER THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, INCLUDING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (55-65MPH) AND WHILE TRAVELING IN A PARKING LOT (5-15MPH). TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTING IT SHORTLY THEREAFTER SEEMS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM; THE MESSAGE IS NO LONGER DISPLAYED AND THE STEERING WORKS AS EXPECTED. HOWEVER, I HAVE NOTICED WITH THE RECENT INCIDENTS THAT TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN ONLY FIXES THE PROBLEM FOR APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE OF TRAVEL BEFORE THE PROBLEM OCCURS AGAIN. TO DATE, I HAVE MANAGED TO AVOID GETTING INTO A COLLISION AS A RESULT OF THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING, HOWEVER I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURIES OR DEATHS IF THE PROBLEM WERE TO OCCUR WHILE THE DRIVER IS ACTIVELY TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL (E.G. TURNING, CHANGING LANES, NAVIGATING A PARKING STRUCTURE) OR IF THE DRIVER LACKS THE STRENGTH NECESSARY TO TURN THE WHEEL WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL POWER STEERING. IT WOULD SEEM THIS PROBLEM IS ALREADY UNDER INVESTIGATION (NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: RQ10004), AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO HAVE THIS COMPONENT RECALLED AS IT IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *KB

THE RIGHT FRONT HEAD LIGHT WIRING HARNESS MELTS DOWN CAUSING A HEAD LIGHT FAILURE. *KB