SATURN Complaints

OVER THE NINE MONTHS THAT I DROVE THE VEHICLE AFTER PURCHASE, A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE CONTINUALLY ENTERED THE CABIN WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING OPERATED AND COULD BE SMELLED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS WELL. THE CAR ALSO GRADUALLY BECAME HARDER TO START, TURNING LONGER THAN NORMAL. THE ODOR CONTINUED TO GET STRONGER AND MORE FREQUENT UNTIL I DISCOVERED VIA AN ONLINE SEARCH THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL INVOLVING THE FUEL PUMP CRACKING FOR THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR IN ARIZONA AND NEVADA. I CALLED SATURN TO VERIFY THAT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THAT RECALL SINCE I WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I TOOK THE CAR TO BE FIXED WHERE AFTER AN INSPECTION OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WHERE A LEAK WAS FOUND COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE TANK, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL PUMP MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FINAL COST FOR AN AFTERMARKET PUMP, INITIAL INSPECTION, AND LABOR CAME TO $657 DOLLARS. I HAD A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE PURCHASING. THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THERE WAS A FUEL STAIN ON THE TANK, BUT HE BELIEVED IT TO BE INACTIVE AND LEFTOVER FROM POSSIBLE PRIOR WORK DONE ON VEHICLE. SO PUMP FAILURE MAY HAVE BEGAN EARLIER THAN THE STATED MILEAGE.

DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. REPLACED BULB. APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS LATER, SAME HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN. REPLACED BULB. SAME HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN IN JULY 2010. REPLACED A 3RD TIME. BULB WENT OUT AGAIN IN NOV 2010. INFORMED WIRING HAD MELTED AND HARNESS/CONNECTOR NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. YESTERDAY 12/21/2010 PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND SAME PROBLEM.

OUR 2008 SATURN JUST HAD TO HAVE THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW LAMP HEADLIGHT FIXED. MELTED HARNESS PIECE. WE HAD TO PAY FOR THIS ONE BECAUSE WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY TIME (60K MILES). THE PASSENGER SIDE LAMP WENT OUT WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT WE JUST SPENT $279 TO HAVE A LIGHT REPAIRED THAT SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH SATURNS... BEFORE THAT WE HAD THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG LIGHT PROBLEM. THE CAR DOESN'T SENSE WHEN SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT. DEALERSHIP SAID CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT WILL COST US BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY A FAULTY SENSOR. THIS IS OUR SECOND OUTLOOK. LEMON-LAWED THE 2007 AND THOUGHT WE'D GIVE THEM ANOTHER CHANCE. NOT SMART ON OUR PART IN RETROSPECT! *TR

I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS, STOPPED TO GET GAS (CAR WAS WORKING FINE), WHEN I PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION I HEARD THE WARNING CHIMES AND THE DASH FLASHED "PWR STR". IMMEDIATELY IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAKE ANY TURNS, BUT STILL POSSIBLE. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WAITED A MINUTE, TURNED IT BACK ON. FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS THE STEERING FELT FINE AND I HAD NO WARNING CHIMES OR LIGHTS, THEN AS I PULLED OUT INTO THE STREET, THE CHIMES AND THE PWR STR WARNING CAME BACK AND I WAS ON MY OWN AGAIN. I DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME AND LATER IN THE EVENING TRIED TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST A FLUKE, BUT ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED I IMMEDIATELY HAD THE WARNING. THIS JUST HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY SO I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED YET. *TR

2006 SATURN ION. DAUGHTER HIGHWAY DRIVING RETURNING FROM COLLEGE, INDICATOR LIGHT ON DASH CAME, POWER STEERING FAILED. SHE PULLED OVER TURNED VEHICLE OFF, TURNED BACK ON AND IT DROVE FINE. NEXT DAY DRIVING AT A SLOWER SPEED THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE. CONTACTED AUTHORIZED SATURN SERVICE DEALER, THEY SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS BUT AFTER TAKING OUR VIN# INDICATED GM HAS NOT MADE A RECALL FOR OUR VEHICLE. TO REPAIR THIS AT THE DEALERSHIP WE ARE LOOKING AT $300+. I JUST SPENT OVER $200 SIX MONTHS AGO ON A PROBLEM I FEEL GM SHOULD ALSO OWN UP TO...THE IGNITION PROBLEM WITH THE KEY STICKING IN THE IGNITION AND NOT ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. I KNOW THIS ELECTRIC STEERING PROBLEM IS ALSO SHOWING UP IN OTHER GM VEHICLES AND FOR WHAT EVER REASON THEY ARE ONLY FIXING A SELECT FEW IN A SELECT FEW STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. I HAVE READ WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN 14 ACCIDENTS RESULTING IN DEATHS TRACING BACK TO THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL MY DAUGHTERS SAFETY IS AT RISK. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY AN AMERICAN COMPANY WOULD ALLOW THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE TO BE COMPROMISED. *TR

MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT ON MY 2007 OUTLOOK STOPPED WORKING. I STARTED TO REPLACE THE BULB BUT NOTICED WHEN I LOOKED AT THE CONNECTOR THAT IS ONE OF THE WIRE'S HAS ALMOST COMPLETED BROKEN/BURNT AWAY FROM THE IT. *TR

THE IGNITION KEY WOULD NOT TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. IT WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION WITH THE CAR RUNNING. I HAD TO DRIVE TO MY MECHANIC AND HAVE HIM DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO GET IT TO STOP. HE REBUILT THE IGNITION, BUT I CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE KEY GETTING STUCK AFTER SHUT OFF. THERE HAS BEEN ANOTHER CONTINUING IGNITION PROBLEM IN MY 2006 ION FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, BEFORE AND AFTER THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. THE KEY CONTINUALLY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AFTER SHUT OFF AND WILL NOT COME OUT UNTIL I PLAY WITH IT (RESTARTING THE CAR, MOVING IT A BIT, PLAYING WITH THE DOOR LOCKS, ETC.) FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 ION THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER I STOPPED SOMEWHERE, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED THE CAR, THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. THE SAME THING CONTINUED TO HAPPEN MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY, HOWEVER, AND NOW HAPPENS EVERY TIME I DRIVE THE CAR ALMOST AS SOON AS I START DRIVING. I HAVE SEEN MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE REGARDING THIS DANGEROUS FAILURE OF VEHICLE EQUIPMENT ON CARS THAT ARE NOT VERY OLD.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN L-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE KEY REMOVED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IT ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS DESTROYED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE THE GEAR SHIFT WAS IN REVERSE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED AS WELL. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THE CRASH. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN DRIVE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE CRASH AND THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO ASSIST HIM. THE CONTACT NOTICED A RECALL FOR THE POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) (00V344000) BUT THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR AT A STOP LIGHT THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WOULD SHUT OFF AND HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN IT BACK ON. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE HEADLIGHT WIRING AND SOCKET MELTED AND NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT WIRING AND SOCKET WERE REPLACED. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAD ALSO EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS THE RIGHT HEADLIGHT. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT HAS YET TO BE INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000. UPDATED 02/23/11*LJ THE HEAD LIGHT WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/20/11