SATURN Complaints

HAVE REPLACED PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB 3 TIMES IN TWO YEARS. AFTER LAST REPLACEMENT LASTED TWO DAYS I GOT UP INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY (AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TASK) TO SEE THAT THE WIRING INSIDE THE SOCKET WAS MELTED AND BURNT AWAY. I SUSPECT THAT THE WIRE SHIELDING LEADING TO THE SOCKET WAS NEVER THERE, FROM THE FACTORY. IT APPEARED THAT THE WIRE WAS LEFT UNSHIELDED AND ARCD OUT AGAINST THE METAL SOCKET RETAINER. THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS ARE ALL BUT MELTED AWAY FROM THIS GROUNDING. I WENT TO THE GM DEALER I MADE PURCHASE FROM AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS A "SERVICE ADVISORY", BUT NO RECALL. FURTHER, I'VE WAS TOLD THAT THEY ARE SEEING "A TON" OF THESE. I WAS TOLD OF DISASSEMBLY OF THE FRONT END TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY. LASTLY, THE COST MIGHT EXCEED $300. THIS IS AN UNREASONABLE EXPENSE FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE AS SIMPLE AS CHANGING A BULB. I AM LEFT WITH NO RECOURSE BUT TO ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE WIRING MYSELF WITH THE BEST PARTS I CAN FIND. I CAN ONLY WONDER WHAT THE OTHER HEADLIGHT IS DOING UNDER THERE. I FEAR THAT THE FIRE HAZARD IS REAL AND TANGIBLE. I HAD UNDERSTOOD THAT SATURN'S REPUTATION WAS OUTSTANDING FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPERIOR PRODUCT ENGINEERING. BUT WE LOYAL SATURN OWNERS SEEM TO BE ON OUR OWN NOW. AT LEAST THOSE OF US WITH MILEAGE OVER 36,000 MILES. WHAT I WOULD LIKETO SEE IS GM STAND BEHIND THIS PRODUCT WITH SUCH AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT AS HEADLIGHT SAFETY AND POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. *TR

THE "SERVICE AIRBAG" LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE MESSAGE CENTER DASHBOARD. THERE IS ALSO RED LIGHT THAT DEPICTS AN AIRBAG THAT NEEDS SERVICED ON THE DASHBOARD. *TR

MY 2007 SATURN VUE HYBRID BATTERY LIGHT COMES ON. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN JUNE, 2010 AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW BATTERY PACK (THIS WILL BE THE 3RD ONE), THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE BATTERY PACKS, AND THAT IT WAS "SAFE" TO DRIVE UNTIL THE BATTERIES WERE REPLACED. IT IS NOW DECEMBER 30, 2010 AND NO BATTERY PACKS ARE AVAILABLE. I'M FINDING OUT THROUGH INTERNET RESEARCH THAT ONCE THE BATTERY PACK GOES, ALL POWER WILL DRAIN AND THE CAR WILL CEASE TO FUNCTION WITHIN 30 MINUTES--THAT INCLUDES BRAKES AND STEERING. I'VE COMPLAINED TO GM WHO NOW HOLDS THE WARRANTIES ON SATURN AND THEY ADVISE ME BIWEEKLY THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN BATTERY PACKS WILL BE AVAILABLE. ASIDE FROM SHIRKING ITS WARRANTY OBLIGATION, GM IS CREATING POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS ON THESE HYBRIDS WHEN THE RECALLED BATTERY PACKS FAIL AND POWER IS LOST WHILE THE CAR IS IN OPERATION. I'VE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE MANY VUE HYBRID OWNERS WAITING FOR BATTERY PACKS THAT HAVE BEEN RECALLED AND NOTHING SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING!!!!! *TR

I OWN A 2004 SATURN ION. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS BELOW 36 DEGREES THE VEHICLE FAILS TO START. THE IGNITION LOCKS ME OUT UNTIL THE ANTI THEFT DEVICE RESETS AND I CAN TRY AGAIN. AFTER READING ABOUT MANY OTHERS EXPENSIVE SOLUTIONS TO THIS ISSUE WITHOUT RESOLVE OR RECALL BY GM, I HAVE BOUGHT A SMALL ELECTRICAL HEATER TO SET ON MY FLOOR BOARD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS WARMS UP THE IGNITION INSIDE THE CAR AND IT STARTS RIGHT UP. UNTIL I FOUND THIS SOLUTION I WAS LATE TO WORK, LATE FOR APPOINTMENTS AND ONCE STRANDED IN FRIGID TEMPERATURES. *TR

2006 SATURN VUE PASSENGER AIRBAG SENSOR INDICATES OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHEN ADULT IS SEATED. ALSO, THE PASSENGER HEATED SEAT INOPERABLE. AIRBAG INDICATOR ON MAIN DASH ILLUMINATED WHEN PASSENGER LIGHT IS OFF OR DURING ABSENCE OF PASSENGER. DIAGNOSIS CODE OF B0092 PRESENTED AND DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF AIRBAG SENSOR AND SEAT CUSHION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. SHE ALSO DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 71,000.

THE POWER STEERING GOES OUT RANDOMLY ON MY 2007 SATURN ION ALMOST CAUSING 2 SEVERE ACCIDENTS. ONCE THE CAR IS RESTARTED POWER STEERING IS FINE AND WHO KNOWS WHEN IT JUST GOES OUT CAUSING STEERING TO BE QUITE DIFFICULT ESPECIALLY DEPENDING ON WHO IS DRIVING THE CAR AND WHEN IT GOES OUT!!! COMPLETELY UNSAFE. IS THIS COVERED ANYWHERE TO GET FIXED? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN SHE LOST THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE BEGAN SIX WEEKS AGO. THE CONTACT DID NOT INFORM THE DEALER DUE TO DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND REPAIR COST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 47,893. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000.

THIS CAR IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE THAT GM HAS ISSUED A RECALL FOR. THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING MOTOR IS FAILING AND THE PWR STRNG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON. THE STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT (TWO HANDS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY) FOR A STRONG DRIVER DURING SLOW SHARP TURNS. A POTENTIAL COLLISION IS HIGHLY LIKELY. OTHER COMPLAINTS ARE ON THE WEB WITH MANY PEOPLE AVOIDING DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ALL DUE TO THE INABILITY TO PREDICT OCCURRENCES AND THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT THE LOSS OF POWER HAS. HOW CAN TWO MODELS WITH THE SAME EQUIPMENT BE RECALLED (COBALT AND G5) AND NOT THE SATURN ION?

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN L200. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THERE WAS A KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.