SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L100. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DECELERATE WITH THE BRAKES PRESSED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS UNABLE TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. BOTH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HIS VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND OFFERED NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 114,736.

EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: UPON ENGAGING THE CLUTCH (PRESSING ON THE PEDAL AS USUAL) I HEARD A LOUD POP/CRACK NOISE AND THE PEDAL BECAME VERY LOOSE AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR VERY EASILY. DATE/TIME/PLACE OF FAILURE: ON 4-19-2011 AT 9:20 AM WHILE PARKED IN A RESIDENTIAL PARKING LOT. THE FAILURE IS DESCRIBED AS THE CLUTCH PEDAL NOT PROPERLY ENGAGING THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH DUE TO A BRACKET OR SOME OTHER PART OF THE ASSEMBLY'S BREAKAGE. THIS BRACKET HOLDS A PISTON IN PROPER PLACE TO ACTUATE THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH AS THE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. SINCE THE BRACKET IS BROKEN, THE CLUTCH WILL NOT ENGAGE FULLY, IF AT ALL. I HAVE TEMPORARILY PLACED DOUBLE-SIDED FOAM TAPE WHERE THE BRACKET USED TO BE ON THE PEDAL SO THAT THE PISTON ROD CAN REMAIN SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO ITS ORIGINAL MOUNTED POSITION - SO THAT I MAY DRIVE THE VEHICLE. SINCE THE FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITS A GRINDING NOISE WHEN SHIFTING INTO THIRD GEAR - PRESUMABLY DUE TO THE PARTIAL ENGAGEMENT OF THE CLUTCH. THIS BRACKETS FAILURE PRESENTS A LOSS OF CONTROL SAFETY ISSUE WHICH I FEEL SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER; WHEN COMING TO A STOP EARLIER TODAY, I WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL WHILE COMING TO A STOP - WHICH NEARLY CAUSED A CRASH. *TR

MY 2007 OUTLOOK EXPERIENCED HEADLIGHT OUTAGE AT APPROX. 32,000 MILES THE SATURN DEALER CHANGED THE MELTED HARNESS AND REPLACED THE BULB HERE WE ARE LESS THAT 4 MONTHS LATER AND I HAVE ANOTHER HEADLIGHT OUTAGE AND PAY $300 + TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO CHANGE THE MELTED WIRES AND REPLACE THE BULB. 3 MONTHS LATER WE ARE BACK TO THE HEADLIGHT BEING OUT AND THE DEALER READY TO CHARGE ME ANOTHER $300+ TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTED MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM BY MULTIPLE CONSUMERS IN VARIOUS STATES. I DON'T FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO KEEP PAYING FOR A PROBLEM THAT APPEARS TO BE WELL DOCUMENTED BY SATURN OUTLOOK OWNERS. I HAVE PLACED A CALL TO GM AND OF COURSE NO HELP FROM THEM ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS PUSH THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COST BACK TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

PASSENGER HEADLIGHT WENT OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WENT TO REPLACE BULB AND FOUND SOCKET WAS CHARRED AND BURNT. BULB WAS STILL GOOD, WHEN BENCH TESTED. THIS WAS THE OE BULB, NOT A HIGHER CURRENT/POWER AFTERMARKET BULB. CURRENTLY DRIVING WITH ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT, WHILE WAITING FOR DEALER TO GET ME A NEW HARNESS. OBVIOUSLY, GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, SINCE TSB #09-08-42-004 INSTRUCTS USING NYOGEL GREASE TO FILL THE SOCKET, I ASSUME FOR THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OR CORROSION PROTECTION. SOCKET REPLACEMENT SHOULD BE DONE ON RECALL, AND DEALERS SHOULD KEEP HARNESS ON ORDER, SO I DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE WITH ONLY ONE HEADLIGHT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 31,800. UPDATED 05/24/11*LJ UPDATED 05/26/11

I JUST HAD TO HAVE MY FUEL PUMP REPLACED AFTER ONLY 20K MILES ON MY SATURN ION 2007 DUE TO THE SMELL OF GAS AND LEAKING ON TOP OF THE PUMP, I WAS TOLD BY A GM DEALER THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS 09226 FUEL ODOR OR SPOTTING ON GROUND-REPLACE FUEL PUMP. MY PROBLEM IS THAT DUE TO THE LOCATION I AM AT ILLINOIS I AM NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL PUMP. I READ THE RECALL AND IT IS ONLY INVOLVING THE STATES THAT ARE CONSIDERED HOT. (IT DOES GET INTO THE 90S-100 IN ILLINOIS ALSO. ALL SOMEBODY HAD TO DO WAS THROW/DROP A MATCH AND IT COULD HAVE IGNITED A FIRE IN THE CAR. THIS ALSO CAUSED HEADACHES WHILE DRIVING DUE TO THE GAS FUMES I HAD TO INHALE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I WAS HOPING THIS WAS A GOOD AVENUE TO TAKE AND HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO WHY AND WHEN ILLINOIS AND OTHER STATES WERE GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WE ARE ALL IN THE SAME DANGER NO MATTER WHAT STATE YOU LIVE IN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WATER WAS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE ROOF, CAUSING VARIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ORIGIN OF THE LEAK BUT REPAIRED THE ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE DEALER DISCOVERED WATER IN THE FUSE BOX AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURS IN RAINY WEATHER AND THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT WATER WAS ENTERING FROM THE DOME LIGHTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,500.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING. WAS VERY HARD TO CONTROL. I HAD MY TWO KIDS IN THE BACK AND DID EVERYTHING TO KEEP FROM GOING INTO THE OTHER LANE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1995 SATURN SL1. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT BEGAN TO RECLINE ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V045000 (SEATS). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200,000. UPDATED 06/03/11 *BF UPDATED 09/19/11

I OPERATE A SATURN ION WHICH HAS A CONSTANT FUEL LEAK AT ALL TIMES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND COULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO A FIRE IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS NEARBY. I GET A CONTINUOUS GAS SMELL AS SOON AS I ENTER THE VEHICLE TO DRIVE IT TO WORK. *TR