SATURN Complaints

POWER STEERING MESSAGE COMES UP ON MY 2005 SATURN ION 3-- I WAS DRIVING AND IT ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT-- I HAVE REPLACED THE POWER STEERING MOTOR AND IT STILL DOESN'T WORK AND NOW THEY TELL ME I MAY HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE POWER STEERING COLUMN- GM EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 10 YRS OR 100,000 MILES WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST -WELL I HAVE 5 YEARS WITH MY COMPANY AND I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW AND I HAVE OBVIOUSLY GONE HIGHER THAN THE 100,000 MILES AND NOW GM WILL NOT COVER THE EXPENSES.. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE POWERSTEERING ISSUE. *TR

A CAR WAS GOING 55 MPH, DIDN'T BRAKE AND HIT THE PERSON BEHIND ME WHO WAS PUSHED INTO MY CAR AND I WAS PUSHED INTO A TRUCK. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT MOVED ALL OUR CARS 65 FEET. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH ACCORDING TO SOME COMMENTS BY POLICE AND FIRE, THEY SHOULD HAVE. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THIS JUST IN CASE THERE WERE OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. CAR WAS TOTALED, NO REPAIR DONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 10 MPH WHEN THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE CONTACT HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. THE DEALER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,242 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 117,276.

2003 SATURN ION. OVER THE PAST 3 WEEKS, POWER STEERING FAILS AT LEAST ONCE DURING EACH TRIP. ONE SUCH OCCASION, IT OCCURRED WITHIN 100 YARDS OF A WIDE BEND ALMOST RESULTING IN CRASH/INJURY. THIS IS THE SECOND COMPLAINT I HAVE FILED FOR THIS ISSUE. *TR

ONE EVENING WHILE DRIVING MY CHILDREN HOME FROM AN EVENT, WE SMELLED A TOXIC BURNING TYPE SMELL. WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME, I SAW THAT THE FRONT HEADLAMP WAS OUT (A BIT SURPRISING FOR A 2 YEAR OLD VEHICLE). THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR WAS BURNED. A BIT FRIGHTENING AND NOT TRO MENTION COSTLY. ALTHOUGH THE CAR WAS 2 YEARS OLD, IT HAS JUST ABOVE 36,000 MILES AND THUS OUT OF WARRANTY. MY FAULT FOR NOT GETTING TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE MILEAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN JUST BELOW THE 36,000 MILE MARK. *TR

HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESS ON 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XR MELTS CAUSING FIRE HAZARD. *TR

2006 SATURN ION. CONSUMER STATES PROBLEMS WITH STEERING *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING, SHE RECEIVED A SIGNAL STATING THE POWER STEERING WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED OTHER MODELS THAT HAVE THE SAME STEERING MOTOR WAS RECALLED. THE CONSUMER MAILED IN A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN OF THE AFFECTED MODELS WITH ELECTRIC POWER STEERING PROBLEMS WHICH INCLUDED HER MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. *JB

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM NIGHT CLASSES ONE NIGHT AND MY CAR WOULD START TO SHAKE AT THE STOP LIGHT (WHILE IDLING) WHEN I PROCEEDED TO GO THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND WOULD PUTT THROUGH THE INTERSECTIONS. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME I GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS GOT WORSE AS I DROVE AND I PRAYED ALL THE WAY HOME THAT I WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER ANOTHER RED LIGHT. WHEN I GOT HOME I REMEMBERED THAT SATURN HAD SENT ME A LETTER STATING THAT " THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT SOME 2002 MODEL YEAR SATURN VUE VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH A VTI, MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE NOISE OR REDUCED PERFORMANCE." SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAULTY. IF YOU GOOGLE "2002 SATURN VUE TRANSMISSIONS" YOU WILL FIND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. IF THIS HAD OF HAPPENED A DAY EARLIER MY CHILDREN AND I COULD HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND DIED DUE TO THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I STILL OWE 7000.00 ON THIS CAR AND IT WILL COST ALMOST THAT MUCH TO REPLACE. IF SATURN OR GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO FIX IT, UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE NOT. *TR

DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT . REPLACED HEADLIGHT BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. FOUND AN EXISTING TSB THAT THIS COULD BE A SHORTED WIRING HARNESS. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS A SHORTED WIRING HARNESS. THEY REPLACED IT AND ALL WORKED FINE. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT GM KNOWS THIS IS A PROBLEM AND DOES NOT FIX IT. IF IT HAD BEEN OUT OF WARRANTY, I WOULD HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM COULD HAVE CAUSED A FIRE, # 1 SAFETY PROBLEM. #2 SAFETY PROBLEM IS THAT NOW I WAS WITHOUT A HEADLIGHT AND HAD TO GET IT TO A DEALER TO GET IT BACK. NOT ALL OF US LIVE CLOSE TO DEALERS, WE ARE 50 MILES FROM THE NEAREST. *TR

SECOND HEADLIGHT WENT OUT ON 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK PURCHASED AUGUST 2008. BOTH TIMES THE HARNESS NEEDED REPLACED. FIRST TIME THE REPLACEMENT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THE SECOND TIME WAS NOT, BUT CAR IS ONLY 2 YRS 2MOS OLD. BOTH WIRING HARNESSES WERE BURNT OUT. *TR