SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WITH A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS EXTREME DIFFICULTY STEERING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE POWER STEERING MOTOR AND STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR WOULD STICK UNLESS BODY PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE DOOR. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

WHEN THE WEATHER GETS TOO COLD, MY CAR DOES NOT START. I EITHER HAVE TO KEEP TRYING TO START THE IGNITION EVERY 5 MINUTES AND THEN IN HALF AN HOUR IT STARTS OR I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THE SUN COMES OUT FOR MY CAR TO START. I'VE HAD THIS CAR FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS NOW AND I ONLY HAVE THIS PROBLEM FROM NOVEMBER-FEBRUARY. THESE ARE THE COLDEST MONTHS AND EVERY MORNING DURING THESE MONTHS I HAVE THIS PROBLEM OF NOT BEING ABLE TO START MY VEHICLE. *TR

SAFETY CONCERN FOR 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK: LOW BEAM HEAD LAMP FAILURE DUE TO MELTED WIRE CONNECTOR AT BULBS. THE WIRE USED FOR THE HARNESS AND CONNECTION AT BULBS IS VERY LIGHT GAUGE AND REPEATEDLY BURNS THE WIRE, BULB, AND MELTS THE CONNECTOR. THIS CAUSES OBVIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS INCLUDING POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. WHEN OPERATING THIS VEHICLE DURING NON-DAYLIGHT HOURS OR IN TIMES OF POOR VISIBILITY, DRIVERS MUST HAVE DEPENDABLE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FIXTURES. EXCLUDING EXPIRED BULBS OR NEGLIGENT MAINTENANCE, DRIVERS OF THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR OF WIRING, CONNECTIONS, AND WIRE HARNESSES THAT HAVE FAILED (SOMETIMES REPEATEDLY) DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S WORKMANSHIP/DESIGN. FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL MOTORISTS, THE MANUFACTURER OF THIS VEHICLE SHOULD CORRECT THE DESIGN AND/OR WORKMANSHIP CAUSING, OR RELATED TO, THE HEAD LAMP FAILURE. *TR

POWER STEERING HAS BEEN SHUTTING OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON SENSE THE DAY I'VE OWNED THE CAR. IT HAPPENS IN MANY CASES BUT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN ON EVERY DRIVE, LET IT BE ON STARTUP, AFTER 5 MINS OF DRIVING, DURING A TURN WHILE ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 65-70MPH ALL THE TIME NO POWER STEERING, A RECENT RECALL HAS HAPPEN TO TWO OTHER CARS WITH THE SAME POWER STEERING ISSUE/HAZARD WITH THE SAME POWER STEERING MOTOR AND STEERING COLUMN BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON MY CAR WAS LEFT OUT OF THE RECALL SO NOW IM STUCK WITH A ISSUE THAT I'VE HAD AND MIGHT I HAD MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD FOR SOMETIME AND GM WILL NOT EVEN CONSIDER FIXING IT UNLESS ITS A GRAND OR SO IN COSTS. *TR

THE KEY CANNOT BE REMOVED FROM THE CAR AND THE CAR REMAINS RUNNING -- REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO GET OUT OF THE CAR, REMOVE A FUSE OR LETTING THE CAR RUN OUT. THE DRIVER IS STRANDED AND VULNERABLE. *TR

IGNITION LOCK FAILURE. KEY WILL NOT TURN TO OFF POSITION. KEY LOCKED INTO IGNITION CYLINDER. KEY COMES OUT OF CYLINDER BUT CYLINDER DOES NOT TURN TO OFF POSITION AND CAN CONTINUES RUNNING, SOLUTION FOR NOW TAKE KEY OUT AND TAKE OUT IGNITION FUSE TO STOP INTERIOR ELECTRICAL FROM RUNNING OR DISCONNECT BATTERY. IF DOES NOT TURN TO ACCESSORY POSITION HAVE TO REMOVE FUEL FUSE AND IGNITION FUSE. COST OF REPAIR OVER $300, FROM INTERNET READING THIS IS HAPPENING ON MOST SATURN VUE AND SATURN ION VEHICLES. THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED AND ISN'T, JUST HAS A SERVICE BULLETIN WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND COSTING LOTS OF PEOPLE LOTS OF MONEY FOR A DEFECT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLED. PLEASE RECALL! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT FURTHER INSPECTED THE FAILURE AND FOUND THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS OVERHEATING AND CAUSING THE BULB CONNECTION TO FAIL. THE CONTACT STATED HE WOULD PERFORM THE REPAIRS ON THE VEHICLE AND REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS WITH A HEAVY DUTY WIRING HARNESS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

A WARNING LIGHT AND MESSAGE STATING "POWER STEERING OUT" IN CENTER OF DASHBOARD GOES ON, A LOAD BEEP SOUNDS AND POWER STEERING GOES OUT. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT TWICE A DAY IN MY 16 MILES ROUND TRIP COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT FAILURE AS OF TODAY. I TURN ENGINE OFF AND ON AGAIN AND POWER STEERING RE-ENGAGES. *TR

IN 9/2007 I WAS DRIVING MY 2001 SATURN L200 ON A CITY STREET, PULLING OUT ONTO A BUSY STREET NEAR A SCHOOL. THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I HAD THE CAR TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SEPARATED AND DAMAGED THE VALVES ETC. AND THE CAR NEEDED THE ENGINE REPLACED. I AGREED TO LET THE MECHANIC REPLACE MY RUINED ENGINE WITH A NEWER, BUT USED, ENGINE, AS IT WAS ALL I COULD AFFORD. RECENTLY I DISCOVERED THE RECALL OF FEB '08, AND MY VEHICLE FALLS WITHIN THE RANGE OF RECALLED VEHICLES. HOWEVER, WHEN I TRIED TO GET REIMBURSED, GM CLAIMED MY CAR DID NOT ACTUALLY FALL UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE THE ISSUE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A SMALL PART THAT APPARENTLY MY CAR DID NOT HAVE. FROM THE INFORMATION I HAVE GATHERED ON THE INTERNET, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS FACED THIS ISSUE. I AM REQUESTING THAT THE RECALL BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ALL CARS IN THE RANGE. REGARDLESS OF THE SMALL PART ISSUE, MY CAR MET THE SAME REPAIR ISSUES - TIMING CHAIN SEPARATING AND DESTROYING THE ENGINE. *TR

VEHICLE WAS DRIVING IN NON ADVERSE CONDITIONS AT A LOW RATE OF SPEED. AUDIBLE RATTLING SOUND CAME FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT, WITHIN 30 SECONDS THE VEHICLE STALLED. UPON INVESTIGATION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN. THE VEHICLE WILL TURNOVER BUT WILL NOT FIRE. TIMING CHAIN IS STILL AVAILABLE AS REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN COMPLETED, PENDING ANY RESPONSE FROM THE NHTSA, WITH REGARD TO A SIMILAR COMPLAINT AND RECALL FOR SAME MODEL YEAR SATURN L200 SERIES WITH CHAIN MANUFACTURED IN ANOTHER PLANT. *TR