SATURN Complaints

AS I DRIVE MY 2007 SATURN ION I GET A "PWR STR" FAILURE NOTICE ON THE DASHBOARD ANNUNCIATION PANEL. THE POWER STEERING THEN QUITS AND IT TAKES MUCH MORE MUSCLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN RESTART THE ENGINE THE SYSTEM RESETS AND THERE IS A RETURN OF THE POWER STEERING. THIS JUST STARTED LAST WEEK AT 61000 MILES. IT HAS NOW HAPPENED 3 TIMES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING SIMILAR TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE VEHICLE WAS AWAITING REPAIRS. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HER VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED IN THE PREVIOUS RECALL. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 103,000.

I OWN A 2005 SATURN ION AND WHEN ITS COLD, CAR WON'T START. THE PASSLOCK ILLUMINATES AND SOMETIMES TAKES 30 MINUTES TO RESTART. I HAVE SPENT OVER $700 TRYING TO FIX IT LIKE CHANGING IGNITION AND STARTER AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I HAVE BEEN LATE NUMEROUS TIMES FOR WORK AND WAS STRANDED THE OTHER NIGHT FOR 30 MINUTES IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE IN MINUS 20 DEGREE WEATHER. ( THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE.) I AM FED UP AND CAN'T BELIEVE THERE IS NO RECALL. *TR

MY 2004 SATURN ION IS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT WHILE I DRIVE THE VEHICLE. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON, IT RESETS IT, AS IT IS ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS AND KEEPS GETTING WORSE. IT WILL TURN OFF ABOUT 10 TIMES IN A MILE ON AVERAGE. I HAVE DONE RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE AND IT HAS CAUSED 14 DEATHS IN OTHER INSTANCES. AFTER CALLING THE DEALER, THEY SAY IT IS NOT A RECALL, AND WILL NOT HELP ME OUT. A FEW GM CARS LIKE THE COBALT HAVE THE SAME ISSUES ALL COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND HAVE THE EXACT SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR AND STEERING COLUMN. I AM IN THE PROCESS TO FIND THE PARTSAND REPLACED THEM, BUT THE DEALER IS NOT WILLING TO HELP IN THIS MATTER. HERE IS A LINK ON A DISCUSSION FORUM FOR THIS TOPIC. HTTP://VLANE.COM/DISCUSS-TOPIC/1695/SATURN-ION-POWER-STEERING-ISSUES. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SATURN SL2 SEDAN. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER ABNORMALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONTACT REFERENCE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09E012000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) BUT HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 180,000.

THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AROUND 24,000 MILES IN WHICH THE DEALER REPLACED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY. 20,000 MILES LATER THE SAME HEADLIGHT WENT OUT FOR WHICH I HAD TO PAY THE DEALER $40 TO INSTALL IT. 5,000 MILES LATER THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT STOP WORKING AND PAID THE DEALER $40 TO REPLACE IT. TWO HOURS LATER IT STOP WORKING AND HAD TO BRING IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR WHICH THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW ASSEMBLY. IF GM DOESN'T FIX THIS PROBLEM THEN THEY LOST A BUYER FOR LIFE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THEY INFORMED HER THAT THE STEERING RACK HAD FRACTURED DUE TO INTERNAL DAMAGES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 83,950.

I DROPPED MY SON OFF AT SCHOOL TODAY. WHEN I ARRIVED, I DID NOT PUT THE CAR IN PARK. HE EXITED THE CAR, CLOSED THE DOOR, AND I DROVE AWAY. ABOUT 100 YARDS LATER, I MADE A LEFT TURN, AND THE PASSENGER DOOR FLEW OPEN. HAD SOME ONE BEEN IN THAT SEAT, THEY COULD HAVE FALLEN OUT EASILY. I TRIED TO CLOSE THE DOOR, BUT IT WOULD NOT LATCH. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TRIED AGAIN. IT STILL DID NOT LATCH. I LOCKED AND UNLOCKED THE DOOR USING THE POWER LOCK SWITCH, AND THAT ONLY WORKED AFTER TWO OR THREE TIMES. LATER ON MY WAY HOME, I STOPPED AT THE STORE. TURNED THE CAR OFF, GOT OUT AND SHUT THE DOOR. AGAIN, IT DID NOT LATCH, AND WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCEDURE. THEN A REPEAT SITUATION WHEN RETURNING HOME. I CALLED SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO SET UP AN APPT WITH MY GM DEALER AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE BETWEEN $50 AND $100 TO JUST HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. REALLY? TO ME, THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND IN MY OPINION SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FREE OF CHARGE.

2005 SATURN ION I POWER STEERING RECALL I HAD THE RECALL NOTICE - CALLED SATURN OF COOL SPRINGS - AND THEY POINT BLANK ASKED "IS IT DOING IT NOW" I SAID "NO" AND THEIR RESPONSE WAS "DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT". ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, A LIGHT (A WARNING LIGHT) CAME ON MY DASH, THEY NEXT THING I KNOW THE STEERING JERKED AND I CROSSED OVER 5 LANES OF TRAFFIC DURING RUSH HOUR AND HIT A CONCRETE WALL HEAD ON. I COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING AS IT WAS LOCKED. GM STATES THE RECALL IS FOR ONLY GOING AT LOW RATES OF SPEED - I THINK THAT IS A COP OUT FROM GM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. THE FAILURE SEEMED TO ONLY OCCUR WHEN THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AROUND A CURVE. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND AFTER RESTARTING, IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000.