SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY FOR A ROUTINE REPAIR WHEN THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FRONT SUB FRAME EXHIBITED SEVERE CORROSION AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 100,000.

2007 SATURN OUTLOOK XR DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP IS EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT OPERATION. UPON PERSONAL INSPECTION OF THE HEADLAMP, THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF AN ELECTRICAL "MELT" OF THE CONNECTOR WIRES FROM THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP. EVIDENCE SUGGEST THAT THIS PROBLEM STEMS FROM A LESS THAN SUFFICIENT WIRING HARNESS INSTALLED IN THIS AND SIMILAR MODEL GM VEHICLES FROM 2007 TO THE PRESENT. IT IS NOT PRIVY TO HAVE A CUSTOMER PAY ADDITIONAL CHARGES TO AUTHORIZED DEALERS FOR SERVICE ON LESS THAN ADEQUATE PARTS THAT WERE USED IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. AS HEADLAMPS ARE AN ESSENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE AND NECESSARY FOR NIGHTTIME/UNCLEAR WEATHER CONDITIONS DRIVING, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS PROBLEM BE RESOLVED. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS AND FORUMS ON THIS MODEL AND SIMILAR MODEL VEHICLES EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME MALFUNCTION WITH BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVERS' SIDE HEADLAMPS BEING INVOLVED. HOPEFULLY THIS REPORT WILL LEAD TO AN INVESTIGATION THAT ULTIMATELY RESULTS IN A NECESSARY AND APPROPRIATE RECALL BY GENERAL MOTORS. *TR

I HAVE A 2004 SATURN ION LEVEL 2. MY VEHICLE'S 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT APPEARS QUITE FREQUENTLY. I BROUGHT IT TO A DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECK OUT OVER A YEAR AGO. I WAS TOLD THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE. FOR A YEAR, I HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITH A 'CHECK ENGINE' LIGHT RANDOMLY LIGHTING UP. LAST NIGHT, MIDWAY AROUND A BEND, MY VEHICLE'S ELECTRIC POWER STEERING WENT OUT, AND STRAIGHTENED MY WHEEL- PUTTING ME INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I COULD HAVE DIED AND KILLED ANOTHER DRIVER. THIS MORNING, AFTER CALLING AROUND TO DEALERSHIPS AND MECHANICS AND DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE'S MAKE AND MODEL IS UNDER EVALUATION FOR A RECALL CONCERNING THE POWER STEERING. THIS "EVALUATION" WAS ONLY RECENTLY STARTED THIS PAST YEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN NO PUBLIC WARNINGS AND GM IS REFUSING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM EVEN AFTER THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTS HAVE BEEN PERFORMED. MANY DRIVERS ARE DRIVING WITHOUT THE PROBLEM BEING FIXED BECAUSE OF THE PRICE TAG OF THE REPAIR AND THE STATE OF THE ECONOMY. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR A RECALL REGARDING SATURN IONS?! THE DEATH OF A SATURN DRIVER? THIS IS BECOMING ABSURD AND I BELIEVE WORSE THAN THE TOYOTA ORDEAL. THEY ARE SWEEPING THE ISSUE UNDER A RUG, ALONG WITH OUR MONEY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SAFETY OF SATURN DRIVERS' LIVES. I HAVE BEEN CONVERSING WITH OTHER SATURN DRIVERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS, WE ARE FURIOUS AND PARANOID THAT AT ANY POINT IN TIME WE MAY DIE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY STIFF AND THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND WHEN RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THIS FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHILE TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000.

POWER STEERING LIGHT FLASHES ON DASH COMPUTER DISPLAY RANDOMLY, MORE OFTEN WHEN THE CAR'S BEEN DRIVEN A LOT AND POWER STEERING IS LOST COMPLETELY. YOU CAN TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART AND ITS FINE. SOMETIMES DOES IT ONCE IN A DAY, SOMETIMES 15 TIMES. IF CAR IS IN PROCESS OF MAKING A TURN OR AVOIDING SOMETHING IN ROAD, THIS COULD CAUSE A SEVERE CRASH AND BODILY HARM, IF NOT DEATH. YOU HAVE TO STOP CAR AND TURN OFF TO CLEAR THIS. TOOK CAR TO NAPA AND DISCOUNT AND NO CODES WOULD READ. CHECKED FUSE, IT WAS FINE. GM HAS ISSUED RECALLS ON 2 OF THEIR CARS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE WHERE THE SAME PARTS ARE USED BUT NOT SATURN. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I REFUSE TO FORK OUT MY MONEY ON A CAR THAT ISN'T BEING MADE ANYMORE BECAUSE GM WON'T ADDRESS THERE IS AN ISSUE. THERE ARE 95 OTHER COMPLAINTS SIMILAR TO MINE..........DO SOMETHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THE KEY WOULD INTERMITTENTLY FAIL TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. ON ONE OCCASION, SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE KEY BEING RESISTANT TO MOVEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A DIAGNOSIS OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 33,000. UPDATED 09/09/10. *LJ THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/14/10*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL CAUSING THE STEERING WHEEL TO BECOME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED AND THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY FOR ABOUT 15 MILES WHEN I STARTED TO HEAR A HIGH PITCHED GRINDING SOUND OR CAVITATION NOISE WHICH I THOUGHT MAY HAVE COME FROM THE AXLE OR BRAKES. UPON EXITING THE HIGHWAY I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES WHICH WENT TO THE FLOOR BEFORE I FELT THEM BEGIN TO STOP THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO PUMP THE BREAKS AND THE CAR DID STOP. I DROVE ABOUT A MILE MORE ON LOCAL STREETS BUT WAS STILL ONLY ABLE TO STOP BY PUMPING THE BRAKES. SO I STOPPED AT A PEP BOYS STORE AND HAD THEM CHECK OUT THE BRAKES. THEY SAID I HAD PLENTY OF BRAKE PADS AND BRAKE FLUID. THEY TEST DROVE IT BUT COULD FIND ANYTHING WRONG. SO I DROVE THE CAR HOME AND IT WORKED FINE ALL THE WAY. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM SCHOOL IN MY 2006 SATURN ION WHEN THE POWER STEERING WENT OUT. I HAVE A LOT OF CURVES ON MY WAY HOME AND TAKE A U TURN TO GET HOME. IT TOOK A LOT OF STRENGTH TO DO BUT I MANAGED TO GET HOME. WHEN I WAS HOME I ASKED A FRIEND TO GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE CAR. THEY FIGURED THAT IT JUST NEEDED SOME POWER STEERING FLUID. WHEN WE WENT OUT AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR WE COULDN'T FIND ANY PLACE TO PUT IN SOME POWER STEERING FLUID. THEN HE TURNED ON THE CAR AND THE DASH BOARD DIDN'T SAY THAT THERE WAS ANY PROBLEM WITH THE POWER STEERING. WE WENT ON LINE TO FIND OUT THAT THERE IS NO PLACE TO PUT IN POWER STEERING FLUID. IT IS CONTROLLED BY A MOTOR IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THIS WAS UPSETTING TO LEARN BECAUSE I HAVE ALREADY HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING COLUMN BEFORE WHEN MY KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND MY CAR WOULDN'T TURN OFF. I'M PRETTY SURE THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN THEN, BUT THAT WAS UNDER A RECALL. NOW MY POWER STEERING GOES OUT ABOUT EVERY DAY TO EVERY OTHER DAY. I HAVE TO STOP AND TURN MY CAR OFF AND THEN START IT UP AGAIN SO THAT I CAN HAVE POWER STEERING. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 SATURN AND THE LOW BEAN HARNESS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WAS MELTED AND THE LIGHT BULB SHORTED OUT. THE GM DEALER, GERRY LANE, WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM DUE TO A SERVICE BULLETIN AND SAID IT IS NORMALLY A $300-$400 JOB, BUT THEY WILL REPLACE IT AS A GOOD GESTURE FOR A CHARGE OF $50. THE SERVICE BULLETIN IS "TSB #09-08-42-004 "LOW BEAM HEADLAMP REPLACEMENT/DIAGNOSIS (INSPECT FUSE, BULB, HARNESS, REPLACE HARNESS AND FILL CONNECTOR CAVITY FOR LOW BEAM BULB CONNECTOR WITH NYOGEL GREASE) - (MAY 29, 2009). DOCUMENT ID: 2284787. APPLIES TO MODELS 2007-2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND COULD BE DANGEROUS BY CREATING A FIRE NEXT TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CUSTOMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS, ESPECIALLY SINCE THEY KNOW THIS IS A FREQUENTLY OCCURRING SAFETY CONDITION. *TR