SATURN Complaints

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 SATURN ION AND WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT STARTED RAINING. I HAVE VERY POOR VISIBILITY BECAUSE THE DRIVERS SIDE WIPER BLADE FLEW OFF THE SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD. I CALLED SATURN ABOUT THIS CONCERN, WAS TOLD I HAVE TO REPLACE IT. IT SHOWS THE CONNECTIVE JOINT ON THE WIPER BROKE LOOSE AND AFTER READING SEVERAL HUNDRED COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THIS SAME PROBLEM, IT IS APPARENT THAT SATURN KNOWS OF THIS DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, BUT CHARGES HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. MANY INJURIES AND POSSIBLY DEATH COULD RESULT FROM THIS DEFECT AND I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH SATURN'S LACK OF CONCERN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY. I CAN ONLY DRIVE MY CAR WHEN IT IS NOT RAINING BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD 481.00 TO FIX WHAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BROKEN IN THE FIRST PLACE. THE PLASTIC MOLDING ON THE WINDSHIELD CAVITY IS NOT SUFFICIENT OR SAFE FOR ANY VEHICLE. PLEASE ATTEND TO THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED. *TR

MY 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK PASSENGER PRESENCE SYSTEM IS NOT RECOGNIZING AN ADULT SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. BY THE VEHICLE NOT RECOGNIZING THE ADULT THE PASSENGERS AIRBAG IS NOT ARMED IN THE EVENT OF A FRONT END CRASH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A GM DEALERSHIP WHO IS REPLACING THE PPS FOR $1000. HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AND EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THE PPS WAS RECALLED IN 2008 BY VIN BUT MINE WAS NOT INCLUDED. THIS SHOULD BE RE-ADDRESSED. *TR

POWER STEERING REPEATEDLY GOES OUT. TURNING THE CAR OFF AND ON "FIXES" IT FOR A SHORT TIME THEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN. SOMETIMES AFTER 20 MINUTES OF DRIVING AND SOMETIMES 30 SECONDS AFTER RESTARTING. IT STARTED AS A VERY INTERMITTENT ISSUE BUT HAS SINCE GOTTEN WORSE AS TIME GOES ON. BEFORE THIS STARTED I HAD OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES. FIRST THE ODOMETER WOULD FLASH ON AND OFF AND OCCASIONALLY FLASH "TRUNK". LATER THE INDICATOR LIGHT FOR THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD COME ON WITHOUT TOUCHING THE BRAKE. THEY EVENTUALLY WENT AWAY THEN THE STEERING ISSUE STARTED. *TR

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE OF SATURN 2000 TODAY WHILE DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY MY SATURN STOPPED WORKING AND I HAD TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD PARK IN A DANGEROUS LOCATION GET TOWED ONLY TO FIND OUT IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN THAT BROKE CAUSING A CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE. I HAVE TO JUNK MY CAR AND GET A NEW ONE. I AM VERY DISTRESSED TO FIND THE RECALL OF THE TIMING CHAIN IN THIS VEHICLE AND SINCE IT WAS LAWFULLY REGISTERED TO ME AM WONDERING WHY I HAVE NO RECALL FROM YOU? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND LEFT IDLE FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE BECOMING RESPONSIVE YET, THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. IN ADDITION, THERE WERE GASOLINE FUMES ENTERING INTO THE INTERIOR CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND THE CONTACT HAD TO DRIVE WITH THE WINDOWS OPEN TO AVOID BECOMING SICK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER INFORMED HER THAT EVEN IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE FAILURE COULD POSSIBLY RECUR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO VERIFIED THE DEALER'S ADVICE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 87,000. UPDATED 07/15/11

REAR DRIVERS SIDE REAR DOOR LOCK STOPPED WORKING INITIALLY, THEN DRIVERS DOOR STOPPED WORKING RANDOMLY, NOW ALL ARE WORKING RANDOMLY. ALSO, GEAR SHIFTER WHEN IN PARK, IS NOT ALWAYS ENGAGED AN HAS ROLLED. THIS ALSO SEEMS TO CAUSE THE CAR NOT TO START AT TIMES AS IT DOESN'T THINK IT IS IN PARK, GIGGLE THE GEAR SHIFT AND IT WILL START. THESE ARE SAFETY ITEMS AND I DON'T BELIEVE THEY ARE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE GOING AT 50,000 ISH MILES.

KEY STUCK IN CAR EVERY DAY SINCE I HAVE PURCHASE THE CAR. CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THE CAR, NOW CAR WONT START AT ALL, LIGHTS ON DASH COME ON THEN ABOUT 20 SECONDS LATER THEY ALL GO OUT CAR WONT TURN OVER, IT WAS PARKED GOT IN TO START IT UP TO HEAD HOME FROM WHERE I WAS WITH MY 11 YR OLD DAUGHTER AND CAR WOULD NOT START. LUCKILY I HAVE ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE THEY TOWED THE CAR TO MY HOME. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 1 YEAR AGO I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS GETTING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION TO GO BACK TO THE 'LOCK' POSITION WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF. AFTER JIGGLING THE KEY IT WOULD EVENTUALLY COME OUT - UNTIL THIS PAST SUNDAY WHEN THE KEY REFUSED TO TURN AT ALL AND I WAS UNABLE TO SHUT MY CAR OFF. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I HAD TO REMOVE THE IGNITION FUSE TO SHUT OFF THE CAR. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE DEALERSHIP MONDAY MORNING AND WAS QUOTED A PRICE OF $390 PLUS TAX TO REPLACE THE IGNITION CYLINDER. I WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME HOW IT WOULD BE FIXED BECAUSE THEY HAVE REPLACED MANY IGNITIONS DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. BASED ON THAT INFORMATION, I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND A WEB-SITE (HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_IGNITION_LOCK.HTML) WITH 88 PAGES OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER SATURN OWNERS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE. GENERAL MOTORS HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR OVER 5 YEARS (AT LEAST) AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RE-CALL NOTICE. HOW MANY CONSUMERS DOES IT TAKE TO GET THEM TO BE A RESPONSIBLE COMPANY? I CONTACTED GM AND VOICED MY CONCERN. THE TWO INDIVIDUALS I SPOKE TO WERE RATHER SNIPPY. THEY WERE ALSO LESS THAN CORDIAL WHEN THEY SPOKE TO THE DEALERSHIP - WANTING TO KNOW WHY I WAS GIVEN THEIR PHONE NUMBER. I TOLD GM THAT I HAVE DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THIS HAS BEEN AN EXISTING PROBLEM WITH THE SATURN LINE AND THEY HAVE KNOWN ABOUT IT SO MY QUESTION TO THEM WAS WHY HAVEN'T YOU ISSUED A RE-CALL. THEIR RESPONSE WAS 'WE CAN'T ACCEPT THIRD PARTY DOCUMENTATION AS PROOF OF ANY PROBLEM'. IT ENDED UP THAT I ONLY HAD TO PAY $100, WHICH I AM VERY GRATEFUL ABOUT BUT I WOULD STILL LIKE THE CORPORATION OF GENERAL MOTORS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR AN OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW THAT COULD RESULT IN A VERY DEADLY OUTCOME IF SOMEONE WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN THEIR CAR OFF IN AN EMERGENCY.

WHEN TURNING ONTO MORGANTON ROAD IN FAYETTEVILLE NC (HIGH TRAFFIC AREA DUE TO PROXIMITY OF THE MALL) AND ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, WITH TRAFFIC SPEED AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THERE WAS A POP FOLLOWED BY THE CAR LOSING POWER. WITH NO POWER IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO GET THE CAR OFF OF THE MAIN ROAD AND INTO THE BANK PARKING LOT. ONCE THE CAR WAS TOWED HOME A MECHANIC CHECKED OUT THE CAR AND ADVISED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS THE PROBLEM. THE CAR IS STILL SITTING IN THE YARD WAITING TO BE REPAIRED DUE TO THE COST. AFTER RESEARCHING I BELIEVE THIS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM AS OTHER SATURN OWNERS. THE MAY 2002 L-SERIES ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME FAULTY TIMING CHAIN EQUIPMENT AS THOSE VEHICLES INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

ON 4/26/11, I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH WAS COVERED BY A RECALL. AT THAT TIME, I PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT HAD A 30 DAY AND 1,000 MILES WAITING PERIOD. ON 5/22/11, I DROVE HOME AND WENT TO TURN MY KEY OFF AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I HAD TO CALL AAA TO COME OUT AND THEY PULLED A FUSE TO GET THE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. THEN THEY DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND PUT THE FUSE BACK IN. I HAD TO HOOK THE BATTERY BACK UP TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER LOCK AND HOUSING FOR A COST OF $594.00. THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY ISSUE AND BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL! I HAVE SEEN 138 COMPLAINTS JUST ON THIS ISSUE ALONE. WHAT DOES IT TAKE? *TR