SATURN Complaints

I HAVE DISCOVERED THE CAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY HIGH FAILURE RATE IN THE BCM'S IN THE SATURN L-SERIES SEDANS. IN AN INVESTIGATION TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE OF THE BCM, WE PULLED THE BCM OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED ELECTRICAL TESTS ON THE UNIT TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEMS WE WERE EXPERIENCING. THE ROOT CAUSE TURNS OUT TO BE MICROSCOPIC FRACTURES IN THE SOLDER JOINTS ON THE HEADER CONNECTOR BETWEEN THE BCM AND THE MAIN WIRING HARNESS. THESE FRACTURES ARE BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY IMPROPER MOUNTING OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAIN BOARD OF THE BCM. AS THE MANUFACTURE OF THE HEADER CONNECTOR HAS PROVIDED STRAIN RELIEF MOUNTING POINTS ON THE CONNECTOR TO KEEP IT WELL MOUNTED TO THE BOARD SO VIBRATION WILL NOT AFFECT THE JOINTS TO ALL OF THE PINS. SATURN HAS FAILED TO USE THESE MOUNT POINTS AND HAS OPTED TO NOT USE ANY MECHANICAL DEVICE OR BOLTS TO SECURE THE HEADER CONNECTOR TO THE MAINBOARD AT ALL. THIS ULTIMATELY LEADS TO THE VIBRATION CAUSED MICRO FRACTURES IN THE PIN SOLDER JOINTS CAUSING INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL OPENS TO THE MAINBOARD ON THE HEADER PINS.THE ULTIMATE SAFETY COMPLAINT COMES INTO PLAY WHEN THE BCM STOPS DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON THE DASH (I.E. ALL OF THE DASH GAUGES GO DEAD), THE DRIVER HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT SPEED THEY ARE DOING, NOR IF ANY OF THE SAFETY SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE ARE WORKING AT ALL. THE ELECTRICAL ENGINEER THAT SIGNED OFF ON THE PLANS FOR THIS DESIGN SHOULD HAVE AN ETHICS VIOLATION COMPLAINT FILED AS WELL, FOR KNOWINGLY ALLOWING THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT TO GO INTO FULL PRODUCTION PUTTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC SAFETY INTO QUESTION. *TR

THERE IS A STRONG FUEL ODOR IN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE AND FUEL DRIPPING UNDERNEATH. *TR

2008 SATURN OUTLOOK DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT DARK DUE TO EXPOSED WIRES IN THE WIRE HARNESS NEAR THE BULB SOCKET. *TR

SATURN OUTLOOK 2007 HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT AND I CANT SEE AT NIGHT. EACH TIME IT COST OVER $600 TO FIX. IT SAID IT IS THE WIRING HARNESS AND IT IS BURNT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AS IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE AND NOT TO MENTION LIMITED VISIBILITY TO SEE AT NIGHT! *TR

AFTER LESS THAN A YEAR OLD, THE DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY ON MY 2007 OUTLOOK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP DID THE NECESSARY REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. IN JULY 2010, I HAD A HEADLIGHT OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I BROUGHT MY CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP ACCEPTING SATURNS SINCE SATURN HAD NOW CLOSED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE "HEADLIGHT HARNESS" HAD MELTED. I PAID A HEFTY FEE TO HAD THAT REPAIRED. IN OCTOBER 2010, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT HARNESS. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO SUGGESTION ON TO HOW TO KEEP THIS FROM RE-OCCURRING. FURTHERMORE, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE AIR "BLED" FROM THE "CLOSED" POWER STEERING LINE 3 TIMES. ALSO, THE STABILITRAC SYSTEM WILL OCCASIONALLY "TURN ITSELF OFF" CAUSING THE CAR TO LOSE POWER ON TURNS. *TR

WHEN I PROCEEDED TO TURN MY KEY TO TURN OFF MY CAR, MY CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF. MY KEY WOULD ONLY TURN HALF OF THE WAY BUT WOULD GET STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND MY CAR WOULD NOT TURN OFF. I THEN TURNED MY CAR BACK ON AND THEN TRIED TO TURN OFF MY CAR AGAIN. IT FINALLY WORKED AFTER JIGGLING MY KEY. SOMETIMES MY CAR WOULD TURN OFF FINE BUT MOST OF THE TIME, IT WOULD NOT. I BECAME FRIGHTENED AND VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH DRIVING MY CAR BECAUSE THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I THEN DID RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND OUT SEVERAL OTHER SATURN ION OWNER ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. SOME SATURN ION OWNERS EVEN HAVE NOT BE ABLE TO TURN THEIR CAR OFF AT ALL AND HAD TO LEAVE THERE CAR RUNNING UNTIL THE GAS RAN OUT. I DID NOT WANT THIS TO HAPPEN TO ME, SO I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR IN TO GET IT FIXED. THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER AND THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GET IT REPLACED. I WAS VERY UPSET THAT THIS IS SATURN IONS FAULT AND I HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE. MY IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER WAS REPLACED WITH A BRAND NEW ONE FROM SATURN. NOT EVEN A DAY LATER THE SAME PROBLEMS STARTED ONCE AGAIN. MY CAR STILL TURNS OFF WITH A LITTLE JIGGLING OF THE KEY BUT I KNOW IT WILL NOT LAST. THIS IS NOT SAFE! I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SATURN'S CARELESSNESS. *TR

ELECTRIC DRIVER'S SEAT ON 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK IS BROKEN AND NO LONGER MOVES FORWARD, IT IS BROKEN IN THE FARTHEST BACK POSITION. I CAN BARELY REACH THE PEDALS AND MY FOOT HAS SLIPPED OFF THE GAS AND THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK THE CAR INTO SATURN AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE $645.00 TO REPAIR. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SEAT SHOULD HAVE BROKEN SO SOON (OR AT ALL), 3 YEARS OLD WITH 54,000 MILES ON CAR. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY DID THEIR INVESTIGATION (IF YOU CALL IT THAT) AND SAID THEY WOULD NOT PAY FOR REPAIRS, OR EVEN GIVE ME A DISCOUNTED PRICE ON THE REPAIR. *TR

WHEN I DRIVE MY 2006 SATURN ION MY POWER STEERING OUT OF NO WHERE TURNS OFF. WHEN I TURN MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON MY POW STEERING WORKS BUT THEN AFTER DRIVING FOR A LITTLE LONGER IT WILL TURN OFF AGAIN. *TR

2009 SATURN OUTLOOK HEADLIGHT WIRING HARNESSES HAVE MELTED ON BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SIDE FOR THE LOW BEAMS, AND THE HARNESS AND LIGHT BULBS HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DIM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE WARNING HARNESS MELTED WHICH CAUSED THE BULB TO FAIL. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WERE APPROXIMATELY 89,000.