SATURN Complaints

MY 2008 VUE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE STEERING. IT STARTED WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT FOR 10-30 SECONDS. NOW THERE IS A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND THAT IS OCCURRING WHEN THE WHEEL IS BEING TURNED. GM HAS REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND OTHER MULTIPLE ITEMS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NOT COMPLETELY TURN OFF, WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM REMOVING THE KEY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 56,159.

ALERT SOUNDS ALONG WITH "PWR STR" MESSAGE. POWER STEERING FAILS. THIS OCCURRED DURING BOTH CITY AND INTERSTATE DRIVING. SEEMS MORE FREQUENT IN WARMER WEATHER. POWER STEERING RESETS AND WORKS FINE WHEN CAR IS SWITCHED OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN. MECHANIC CHECKED ON THE ISSUE AND FOUND THE MODULE THAT CONTROLS THE ELECTRIC STEERING SYSTEM TO BE FAULTY, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF STEERING COLUMN. *KB

2004 SATURN ION WITH 118K MILES. THE POWER STEERING WILL GO OUT AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK AT RANDOM TIMES. THIS BEGAN TO OCCUR WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 90K MILES BUT GM REFUSED TO REPAIR. WHEN IT ORIGINALLY HAPPEN IT WOULD OCCUR ABOUT ONCE A MONTH BUT NOW HAS PROGRESSED TO A CONSTANT OCCURRENCE. THE ON BOARD SCREEN NEXT TO GAUGES WILL SHOW "PWR STEER" AND BEEP LOUDLY. THIS MEANS THE POWER STEERING HAS GONE OUT. CAN OCCUR AT ANY SPEED OR ROAD TYPE. CAR WILL BECOME DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE POWER STEERING BACK IS TO RESTART THE CAR BY TURNING IT OFF AND BACK ON. IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE POWER STEERING. *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SELECTOR WAS SHIFTED INTO THE PARK POSITION AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, IT BEGAN TO ROLL. THE CONTACT REENTERED THE VEHICLE WITH CAUTION AND ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE IT. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART UNTIL THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, WHERE IT WAS STARTED AND RESUMED AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE SHIFT LINKAGE WAS FAULTY. THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2009 MODEL YEAR ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V073000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: LEVER AND LINKAGE: COLUMN SHIFT). THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED A SIMILAR FAILURE AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED IN THE SERVICE WARRANTY AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 71,000.

NOTICEABLE GAS SMELL AROUND THE AREA OF THE VEHICLE'S GAS TANK WHICH BECAME WORSE WHILE DRIVING. I BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. EVENTUALLY, AFTER REMOVING THE FUEL TANK, THEY FOUND THE CAUSE OF THE LEAK TO BE A FAULTY FUEL PUMP MODULE. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH SATURN IONS AND THERE IS A RECALL IN EFFECT (09V419000), BUT IT ONLY APPLIES TO VEHICLES THAT ARE SOLD OR REGISTERED IN CERTAIN STATES. I FEEL LIMITING A RECALL TO A CERTAIN AREA IS WRONG. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE CATCHING FIRE. I BELIEVE THAT SATURN (GM) SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY VEHICLES THAT ARE AT RISK FOR THIS DEFECT AND SHOULD REIMBURSE THE OWNERS FOR ANY RELATED REPAIRS. THIS SHOULD NOT BE LIMITED TO CERTAIN STATES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF, AND UPON RESTART THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED APPROXIMATELY THREE TIMES ON THE DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,349. UPDATED 09/07/2011 *LN

I HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM WITH 2004 SATURN SINCE DAY WHEN I BOUGHT IT. TAKE TO DEALER AND THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. BOUGHT NEW BATTERY CAUSE THAT IS WHAT A MECH SAID TO DO NEED LARGER SIZE. LAST MONTH EVERY TIME NEVER FAILED YOU GET IN VEHICLE TURN KEY ON . SOUNDS LIKE IT WANTS TO START, BUT NO YOU HAVE TO WAIT 10 MIN THEN TURN KEY AND IT STARTS. COLD OR WARM WEATHER DIDN'T SEEM TO MATTER. I WAS TOLD MAYBE STARTER! SO I TOOK IT TO A NEW MECHANIC THAT I HAD A DEALING WITH ON ANOTHER ISSUE DIFFERENT VEHICLE. HE DID TESTING AND REPLACED THE PASS LOCK KEY . SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ALARMING SYSTEM. SO KNOCK ON WOOD.. THIS LAST WEEK STARTS EVERYTIME ITS WORKING. TOTAL COST FOR PART IS 250.00 PLUS YOU NEED TO HAVE NEW KEY MADE AND CODED. *TR

FUEL DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN(LOCKS AND UNLOCKS WITH THE REGULAR DOORS). RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM,AND GOT THE SOLUTION; IN THE TRUNK THERE IS A SMALL COVERED OPENING,ON YOUR RIGHT,TURN THE SCREW AND IT WILL OPEN.THERE IS A BLACK WIRE, PULL IT AND THIS WILL UNLOCK THE FUEL DOOR. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED ON 07/09/2011, REDUCING NIGHT TIME EXTERIOR LIGHTING NECESSARY FOR SAFE OPERATION. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED REPLACEMENT HEADLAMP ON 07/10/2011 WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED ON 07/15/2011. FURTHER EXAMINATION INDICATES A FAILED/FAILING HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS SYSTEM PRECLUDING PROPER OPERATION OF THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING NECESSARY FOR SAFE NIGHTTIME OPERATION.