SATURN Complaints

POWER STEERING FAILURE RENDERS VEHICLE INOPERABLE AND JUST PLAIN DANGEROUS. MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON 3 OCCASIONS THIS WEEK AND WOULD BE BACK TO NORMAL AFTER COMING TO COMPLETE STOP AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. HAD THE POWER STEERING MOTOR REPLACED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MOVED THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROADWAY AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE THEN RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000. UPDATED 10/28/10. *LJ THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 11/02/10*JB

WHEN I AM DRIVING, AT ANY TIME, MY ODOMETER AREA CHIMES A FEW TIMES AND READS POWER STEERING AND I AM BARELY ABLE TO STEER MY CAR. THIS IS SO UNSAFE, I CAN BARELY DRIVE IT ANYWHERE NOW! THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR MY CAR AND WAS ALREADY RECALLED FOR THE COBALTS AND G5S BUT NOT OUR SATURN IONS!! IT HAPPENS TWICE A DAY AND I'M REALLY GETTING SCARED. I LOOKED TO SEE HOW MUCH IT WOULD BE AT MY LOCAL GM PLACE AND THEY QUOTED ME AT LEAST 1,000 DOLLARS BUT THE COBALTS AND G5S HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME POWER STEERING SET UP AND THEY GET IT FOR FREE?? *TR

2008 SATURN OUTLOOK 45K MILES- DRIVER SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHT WIRING HARNESS MELTED INTO THE BULB SOCKET AND WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. ESTIMATED COST $400. *TR

PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. UPON INSPECTION, DISCOVERED THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING SERVICE BY A LOCAL MECHANIC, THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A FUEL LEAK. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD PREVIOUSLY SMELLED GASOLINE INTERMITTENTLY FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BUT DID NOT INSPECT FURTHER. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A RECALL FOR THE FAILURE (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09V419000: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE: DELIVERY: FUEL PUMP) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER THAT HIS VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 91,000.

I HAVE A 2007 SATURN ION. IT HAS WORKED FINE UP UNTIL ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO (TODAY'S DATE IS JULY 27, 2010). WE WERE DRIVING ON A NORMAL DAY, NO EXCESSIVE HEAT OR COLD, AND THE POWER STEERING JUST WENT OUT. IT COMPLETELY STOPPED WITHOUT WARNING, WITHOUT APPARENT CAUSE. WE WERE ON A HIGHWAY AROUND CARS DRIVING HEAVY SPEEDS, SO WE HAD TO PULL OFF QUICKLY. AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING THE CAR, IT SEEMED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL. WE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE. BUT THEN IT HAPPENED ABOUT A WEEK LATER, AND IT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY. FOR INSTANCE, THE POWER STEERING STOPPED ABOUT 20 YARDS FROM MY FRONT DOOR YESTERDAY, AND DURING A FIFTEEN MINUTE TRIP, IT WENT OUT THREE TIMES. GIVING IN TO THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING MUCH WORSE VERY QUICKLY, I CHECKED ON THE EXTENDED WARRANTY THAT I HAD BOUGHT WHEN I PURCHASED MY CAR. IT COVERED ALL ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, AS I HAD REMEMBERED, BUT UPON FURTHER REVIEW, I REALIZED THAT POWER STEERING WAS LISTED COMPLETELY SEPARATELY, AND IN FACT, WAS NOT COVERED. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED TO DO SOME RESEARCH TO SEE HOW COMMON THIS PROBLEM WAS IN SATURN ION'S, AND I HAVE FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT ONLY OCCURRING IN 2004-2007 ION'S, BUT HAD ALSO OCCURRED IN OTHER GM VEHICLES. THE DIFFERENCE BEING, THAT THOSE OTHER VEHICLES OF SIMILAR MAKE BUT DIFFERENT BRANDS HAVE BEEN RECALLED, BUT SATURN HAS NOT. I HAVE READ MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF PEOPLE'S LIVES ALMOST BEING LOST DUE TO ACCIDENTS IN WHICH THE STEERING STOPPED AND SENT PEOPLE INTO HEAD-ON TRAFFIC (MUCH LIKE IT DID WITH MY FAMILY), AND YET GM REFUSES TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD ANSWER EVERYONE'S QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS GOING TO TAKE THE DEATH OF A PERSON OR A FAMILY IN A CRASH DUE TO POWER STEERING FAILURE TO MAKE SOMEONE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS PROBLEM? *TR

2007 SATURN ION. THE KEY WAS TURNING FUNNY IN THE IGNITION. I THOUGHT THE KEY HAD BENT OR SOMETHING. A COUPLE DAYS LATER THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE OFF POSITION. THE CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF. WE HAD TO TAKE APART THE STEERING COLUMN TO PULL THE FUSE. THE CAR REMAINS IN THIS CONDITION BECAUSE I AM TOLD IT WILL COST CLOSE TO $500.00 TO FIX. I GOOGLE THIS AND THERE ARE NUMEROUS WEBSITES FILLED WITH THIS SAME COMPLAINT. GM HAS WIPED THEIR HANDS OF THE SATURN. I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND SHOULD BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO SATURN OWNERS. *TR

I HAVE A 2005 SATURN ION. MY WARRANTY RAN UP ON JUNE 11TH. JULY 1ST MY POWERSTEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE STEERING QUIT. TURN CAR OFF AND BACK ON IT WORKS AGAIN. NOW IT TURNS OFF AFTER 5 SECONDS SO BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING FOR WEEKS NOW. I FEEL IT IS VERY DANGEROUS. TRIED REACHING SATURN DEALER KEPT GETTING TRANSFERRED TO VOICE MAIL FOR 2 WEEKS TO A JOHN. NO RESPONSE FROM THEM AFTER 2 WEEKS. WENT TO MY MECHANIC DID DIAGNOSTIC THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WENT BAD AT 42000 MILES. HE TOLD ME THAT ON LINE HE SAW THAT SATURN WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS MOTOR. TOLD ME TO GOTO SATURN. GOT HORRIBLE SERVICE THERE SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE NOT GOING TO WORK WITH ME. THEY WOULDN'T EVEN LOOK AT IT WHILE I WAS THERE AND THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESP ON BACK ROADS. I ASKED ABOUT PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR AND WAS TOLD "WELL THEY HAVEN'T BEEN RECALLED YET SO YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO PAY." WENT TO ONE SITE HTTP://WWW.FIXYA.COM/CARS/T1167668-2004_SATURN_ION_POWER_STEERING_PROBLEM SAW PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ON THE 2004 MODEL THAT HAS SAME MOTOR FOR STEERING. ONE EVEN HAD THE SAME MILEAGE AS I DO. I GO BACK TO THE DEALER ON AUG 3 BECAUSE THEY SAID ITS NOT DIAGNOSED UNTIL THEY DO IT THEM SELVES. ANOTHER $40 FOR SAME TEST MY MECHANIC ALREADY DID. WHAT SHOULD I DO. SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR THIS MODEL CAR. THANKS *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 SATURN SC2. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, SHE NOTICED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS LOOSE. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER AUGUST 2003, JUNE 2004 AND AUGUST 2006. THE FAILURE PERSISTED AND THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE IGNITION CYLINDER WOULD TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 29,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,579.