SATURN Complaints

ON MORNINGS WHEN IT IS COLD AND HAS BEEN DURING THE NIGHT AS WELL, MY 2004 SATURN ION WILL NOT START. IT HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW. I HAVE ALREADY REPLACED THE BATTERY AND NOW I AM GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE MY CAR TO ANOTHER SHOP IN ORDER FOR IT TO DIAGNOSE THE REASON IT IS NOT STARTING. THE FIRST MECHANIC SAID IT IS THE TBS THAT IS OUT ON THE NO CRANK, NO START FOR THE IGNITION. THE OLD PART IS STILL CURRENTLY IN MY CAR. *TR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STOPPED IN TRAFFIC, HAD TO BE PUSHED HOME. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORMER SATURN OF NAPERVILLE DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD TIMING CHAIN WAS BROKE, COST TO REPAIR WOULD BE $4700.00 TO $4900.00. HAD VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO HOME GARAGE. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT OUT ON THE 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. WENT OUT ONE DAY, A FEW DAYS LATER STARTED WORKING AGAIN. NOW IS OUT FOR GOOD ON "LOW BEAM" WILL WORK FOR "HIGH BEAMS". *LN

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS 2004 SATURN ION 3. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE WEATHER BECAME EXTREMELY COLD SHE WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. SHE STARTED TO NOTICED THE FAILURE WHEN SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE OUTSIDE. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE ONLY WAY SHE WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WAS TO PLACE A HOT TOWEL AROUND THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CONTACT WILL TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 162,000.

ONGOING INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG. DASHBOARD "SERVICE AIR BAG" WARNING LIGHT ACTIVATED. FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG INDICATOR LIGHT SHOWS 'OFF' EVEN WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE SEAT WITH THE SEATBELT ON. SATURN DEALER FINALLY REPAIRED PROBLEM AFTER 4 SERVICE VISITS. DEALER REPLACED SEAT CONNECTOR, AIRBAG WIRING HARNESS, & PASSENGER PRESENCE MODULE ASSEMBLY. PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE RESOLVED. *TR

SPONTANEOUS LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILURES DUE TO WIRING HARNESS DEFECT. HEADLIGHT SOCKET HARNESS & WIRING WAS MELTED. PASSENGER SIDE FAILED IN OCTOBER 2010. DRIVER SIDE FAILED IN DECEMBER 2010. IN BOTH CASES THE GM DEALER NEEDED TO REPLACE HARNESS & BULB. *TR

I HAVE A SATURN VUE 2004, BLUE. ON SATURDAY DEC 11, MERGING ONTO I-495 EAST AT EXIT 31, I ACCELERATED SHARPLY AND STEADILY; 'PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN.' THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON BUT NOT ENGAGED. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS TAPPED OR NOT DURING THE ACCELERATION, BUT I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY ENGAGE IT. REGARDLESS, WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR, I DID NOT EXPERIENCE A RELIEF OF ACCELERATION. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE PEDAL STAYED LOOSE, RELATIVELY. I TRIED THE BRAKE - IT SLOWED THE ACCELERATION BUT DID NOT STOP IT. I TRIED THE ACCELERATOR TO LOOSEN IT. I APPLIED THE BRAKE IN A SUSTAINED FASHION. I WAS CURRENTLY GOING ~80 MPH, FASTER THAN INTENDED. AT THIS TIME, I MOVED ONTO THE SHOULDER, TO THE RIGHT, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED ON THE BLINKERS. THE ENGINE RACED AND THE TACHOMETER WAS HIGH. I BRAKED TO ABOUT 40-50 MPH. I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS ON, AND TURNED IT OFF. THE ENGINE STOPPED RACING AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW A BIT MORE. ONCE I WAS SURE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER CONTROL, I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, DEACTIVATED THE BLINKERS, REGAINED SPEED, MERGED OFF THE SHOULDER AND CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION. I HAVE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

MY 2007 SATURN VUE (6CYL) EXPERIENCED A STEERING PROBLEM FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS YEAR. THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN APRIL 2010. IN DEC 2010 THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN WORST THEN THE 1ST TIME. ITS HARD TO TURN AROUND CORNERS AND VERY TOUGH TO IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER OUT OF PARKING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE DEALER SAID ITS THE POWER STEERING PUMP, THE PUMP IS UNDER A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST ONE MONTH. THEY REFUSE TO REPLACE IT FOR FREE AS I RAN OUT OF WARRANTY AND DROVE MORE THEN 12K MILES SINCE THE LAST RACK & PINION REPLACEMENT. THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND CURRENTLY PARKED WAITING FOR PART TO BE AVAILABLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN L200. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH UP AN INCLINE WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FUEL PUMP AND FUEL FILTER WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 81,230. UPDATED 02/09/11*LJ UPDATED 09/19/11

MY SATURN 2008 HAS 47 000 MILES AND IT ALREADY NEEDS HEATER CORE REPLACEMENT. I TOOK IT IN BECAUSE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. IT COST $333 TO REPLACE CAM HAFT ACUTERS. SIX MONTHS AGO I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR ONE OF THE SAFETY RECALLS BECAUSE GM WAS RECALLING 44,451 2008 SATURN VUE VEHICLES WITH BODY COLOR OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES. THE OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES MAY STICK OR BIND. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THE DOOR MAY NOT LATCH WHEN CLOSED. CONSEQUENCES DRIVING WITH AN UNLATCHED DOOR COULD RESULT IN AN UNBELTED OCCUPANT FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE, CAUSING INCREASED RISK OF INJURY. A MONTH AGO I TOOK IT FOR A DIFFERENT RECALL. GM WAS RECALLING 42,408 2008-2009 SATURN VUE VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE NUT SECURING THE POWER STEERING LINE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY LOOSEN. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THERE MAY BE A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK. CONSEQUENCES THE FLUID COULD CONTACT HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. NOW I HAVE COOLANT FLUID DRIPPING ON MY ENGINE AND I CAN NOT BREATHE WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE. THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I AM GOING TO PAY FOR IT. DEALERSHIP IS ASKING FOR $1100 FOR JUST A PART PLUS HOURS OF WORK. THEY USUALLY CHARGE $80 AN HOUR. MY 2008 SATURN IS SPENDING MORE TIME IN SHOP IN REPAIRS THAN ON THE ROAD.