SATURN Complaints

THE DRIVERS SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLAMP STOPPED WORKING AND THE HARNESS APPEARS TO BE MELTING DUE TO OVERHEATING. *TR

WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, AND THE POWER STEERING IN HER SATURN ION JUST QUIT WORKING MAKING THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER. NO ONE WAS HURT, BUT NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THE DEALER IS THAT THE ELECTRIC MOTOR ON THE STEERING COLUMN OVER HEATS AND JUST STOPS WORKING. VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX, AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. SHUTTING CAR OFF AND RE-STARTING MAKES IT WORK AGAIN, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED FOUR OTHER TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE POWER STEERING CUTS OUT. THIS BEGAN HAPPENING PERIODICALLY ONCE OR TWICE A MONTH BUT NOW IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME. IT IS NOW CUTTING OUT ABOUT EVERY 5 MINUTES OR MORE WHICH MAKES THE CAR VERY DIFFICULT AND DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY WIFE TO DRIVE. WHEN IT INITIALLY HAPPENED I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST ABOUT $500.00 BECAUSE THE ELECTRIC MOTOR OF THE POWER STEERING IS BAD (SHORTING OUT) AND IT IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. AT THE TIME THE CAR HAD ABOUT 45,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TIMING CHAIN BROKE ON 2003 SATURN VUE ON ATTEMPTING TO START VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF A 3 HOUR HIGHWAY TRIP. NO PRIOR WARNING OF FAILURE. ENGINE VALVES BENT AND RECOMMENDATION OF NEW ENGINE FROM GM DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. *TR

I DRIVE A 2007 SATURN ION, AND FROM WHAT I CAN TELL ONLINE THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM THAT GM HAS AND IT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED OR RECALLED. I GOT HOME FROM WORK AND WENT TO TURN THE KEY OFF AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF. THE KEY WAS STUCK. I HAVE TALKED TO SEVERAL GM DEALERS AND THEY ALL SAY IT'S A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM BUT STILL EXPECT ME TO PAY AROUND 500 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR BUT IT'S NOT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS DEFECTIVE AND KNOWN ABOUT. GM EITHER MADE THESE INTENTIONALLY THIS WAY TO SCAM IN MONEY OR REALLY SCREWED UP AND SHOULD FIX IT. THIS COULD OF GONE A LOT DIFFERENTLY WHAT IF THE CAR WOULD OF LOCKED UP WHILE DRIVING AND LOCKED OUT THE STEERING WHEEL? SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS ALL SATURNS OR JUST THE ION MODEL BUT IT SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING THAT HAS GONE ON FOR SOMETIME. AS TAX PAYERS WE BAILED THEM OUT OF FINANCIAL PROBLEMS AND THIS IS HOW WE ARE REPAID AND TREATED. PLEASE MAKE GM DO A RECALL ON THE SATURN IGNITIONS IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE A 10 MONTH OLD AND STUFF LIKE THIS SCARES ME. *TR

NO CRASHES OR INJURIES. MY POWER STEERING KEEPS GOING 'OUT'. ONE TIME I WILL DRIVE AND IT WILL BE FINE, I'LL START IT UP AN HOUR OR SO LATER AND BOOM FOR WHATEVER REASON THE P.S. LIGHT IS ON AND I HAVE NO P.S.. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO FIND OUT, THE SAME PS 'COLUMN' THAT WAS ALSO INSTALLED IN A FEW OTHER GM CARS WERE RECALLED, BUT, FOR WHATEVER REASON THE SATURN ION WAS NOT? THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I AM TAKING IT TO SATURN FOR A DIAGNOSTICS TEST ON MON. I AM ALSO HOPING THAT SATURN CAN 'CLEAR THE CODES' IF THIS IS JUST AN ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER PROBLEM. IF NOT, IT SEEMS TO ME THEY SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL SET OUT TO THE OTHER CONSUMERS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM!. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN 2005. IT HAS BEEN A GREAT CAR OTHERWISE. *TR

OWN A 2008 OUTLOOK. PASSENGER SIDE LOWBEAM HEADLIGHT KEEPS GOING ON AND OFF WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT IN AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A WIRING HARNESS. DEALER WANTED $400 TO REPLACE BECAUSE 1000 MILES OVER WARRANTY. *TR

I AM REALLY GETTING TIRED OF THIS PART BREAKING AND GM NEEDS TO FIND A FIX AND RECALL THIS CAR AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. I FOUND 44 PAGES OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON THIS SAME CAR ON THIS WEBSITE: (HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/SATURN_IGNITION_LOCK.HTML) I OWN A 2003 SATURN ION SEDAN. MY IGNITION IS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION. THE ONLY WAY I CAN SHUT MY CAR OFF IS TO PULL THE FUSE TO THE ECM. THE KEY DOES NOT TURN IN ANY DIRECTION AND WILL PULL OUT OF THE SOCKET WITH THE CAR RUNNING. I HAVE HAD THIS IGNITION PART CHANGED 4 TIMES ALREADY. THE FIRST TWO TIMES WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND THE KEY WOULD PULL OUT WITH CAR RUNNING, THE SECOND TWO TIMES I HAD TO PAY FOR. THE LAST TWO TIMES IT WOULD NOT LET ME START THE CAR BECAUSE OF THE KEY NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT WON'T LET ME TURN IT OFF. I KNOW THIS IS AN OLDER CAR, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH... [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHEN DRIVING... NOT NECESSARILY TURNING AT ALL.. PWR STR COMES UP ON THE DISPLAY WITH THE CHIME AND THE POWER STEERING QUITS WORKING. MUST RESTART CAR TO MAKE IT WORK AGAIN. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE OFTEN WHEN WEATHER IS HOT...MAY JUST BE A COINCIDENCE. HAPPENS SOMETIMES 3 TIMES A DAY (WITHIN AN HOUR) , SOMETIMES NOT FOR A WEEK. POWER STEERING SYSTEM AND MOTOR WERE REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. DON'T KNOW IF THEY KEPT THE DEFECTIVE PART. CAR HAS LESS THAN 30K MILES ON IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF 65MPH, THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE STEERING FAILED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. THE DEALER AND ADVISED THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 94,000.