SATURN Complaints

HEADLAMPS BURN OUT WITHOUT WARNING AFTER ONLY A FEW MONTHS. HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE IN ONE YEAR. WIRE HARNESS IS MELTING. *TR

2004 SATURN ION - POWER STEERING GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING! HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR. IF THE CAR IS RESTARTED IT COMES BACK ON FOR A SHORT TIME THEN GOES OUT AGAIN. UNABLE TO IDENTIFY ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY CAUSING THE ISSUE, HAPPENS AT RANDOM. *TR

I OWN A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK, WHICH I PURCHASED NEW IN AUGUST OF 2007. IN FEBRUARY OF 2010, I NOTICED MY RIGHT LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHT/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT WAS OUT. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL SATURN SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE HAD BEEN "SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE WIRING HARNESS" AND I SHOULD BRING IT IN FOR A REPLACEMENT HARNESS, SINCE IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH I DID. IN APRIL 2010, THE LEFT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT/DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT WENT OUT. I AGAIN CONTACTED SATURN AND ASKED IF, ASSUMING THIS WAS THE SAME PROBLEM, IT WOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY, SINCE THEY HAD ALREADY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT A PROBLEM EXISTED WITH THIS HARNESS (THE VEHICLE WAS ABOUT 2,000 MILES OVER WARRANTY BY THIS TIME). I WAS TOLD THAT, SINCE THERE HAD BEEN NO RECALL, IT WOULD NOT BE A WARRANTY ITEM, AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS MYSELF. SINCE THE SATURN DEALER IS ABOUT 50 MILES AWAY, AND IT WAS NOT GOING TO BE COVERED BY WARRANTY, I OPTED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A SHOP MUCH CLOSER TO HOME. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THE BULB WAS FUNCTIONAL, THEY ORDERED A NEW WIRING HARNESS, AND INSTALLED IT IN LESS THAN AN HOUR (TO THE TUNE OF $171.44). I ASKED TO SEE THE OLD HARNESS, AND UPON INSPECTION, I OBSERVED THAT THE HOUSING AROUND ONE OF THE CONNECTION POINTS WAS CLEARLY BURNT AND MELTED. I HAVE HEARD OF NUMEROUS OTHER REPORTS OF THIS FAILURE, MUCH LIKE THE RECALLED WIRING HARNESS FOR THE HEATED WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THIS HARNESS DEFECT CLEARLY IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

IGNITION KEY BROKE OFF IN THE IGNITION. HAD A LOCKSMITH REMOVE THE BROKEN KEY. CAR WOULD NOT START. LOCKSMITH REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH MECHANICAL PORTION. CAR WILL NOT START. I WENT THROUGH THE RESETTING PROCEDURE TO RESET THE SECURITY PASSLOCK SYSTEM. IT WOULD NOT RESET AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP. I HAVE SEEN A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS FROM SATURN OWNERS ABOUT THIS SAME COMPLAINT. THE ONLY WAY TO BE ABLE TO GET THE CAR RUNNING AGAIN IS TO TAKE IT TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TO BE REPAIRED, AND THEY CHARGE A LOT OF MONEY TO DO THIS PROCEDURE. THEY ALSO ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THE REPAIR OF IT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE MANY SATURNS BEING TOWED IN AND DOING THE REPAIRS ON THEM. DUE TO THE LARGE NUMBER OF PROBLEMS IN THIS SYSTEM OF THE SATURNS THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUED FOR THIS INDUSTRY WIDE KNOWN PROBLEM. *TR

1) LEADING EVENTS - PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2009 USED FROM A CERTIFIED DEALER, WAS PROVIDED WITH 2 SEPARATE SETS OF KEYS. WITHIN THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF DRIVING I NOTICED INCREASED DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE CAR WITH THE KEYS PROVIDED. ALERTED DEALER AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER SET OF KEYS. 2) FAILURE - KEY TO IGNITION FREQUENTLY STICKS AND STAYS IN THE IGNITION WHILE CAR IS RUNNING. ALSO HAVE IDENTIFIED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL FREQUENTLY LOCKS WHICH MAKES IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT TO START THE IGNITION. 3) INITIALLY I WAS GIVEN A REPLACEMENT KEY FROM THE DEALER THAT WORKED ON AND OFF. THE CAR WILL BE TURNED IN FOR SERVICE THIS WEEKEND TO DETERMINE WHAT THE DEFECT IS IF ANY ON THE CAR. ESTIMATED COST $250-$500. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE AND DRIVING, THE POWER STEERING WOULD FAIL WITHIN TWO TRAVELED MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE THE MECHANIC ADVISED REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 39,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRAG AND LOSE POWER, MAKING AN UNUSUAL NOISE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND THE FAILURE SEEMED TO CEASE HOWEVER, THE UNUSUAL NOISE RETURNED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE FOR THE SECOND REPAIR AND MOST CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 108,000.

I WAS MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY 696 IN DETROIT AREA. SEMI TO MY LEFT, THOUGHT I COULD ACCELERATE AND EASE IN FRONT. PUT FOOT ON GAS PEDAL STRONGLY AND IT DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR MAKING THE CAR QUICKLY ACCELERATE TO WELL OVER 80 MPH. TOOK FOOT OFF GAS WITH NO EFFECT. PUT FOOT ON BRAKES AND IT TEMPERED SPEED; NO LONGER ACCELERATED, BUT DID NOT SLOW IT DOWN. ALL THE WHILE I COULD HEAR ENGINE STRAINING TO ACCELERATE BUT NOT BEING ALLOWED TO. TRIED EASING OFF BRAKE BUT CAR STARTED TO SPEED UP EVEN FURTHER. WAS PRACTICALLY STANDING ON BRAKE PEDAL NOW WITH LEFT FOOT AND DID NOT SLOW. HIT GAS PEDAL A COUPLE TIMES HARD WITH RIGHT FOOT AND PEDAL RELEASED AND CAR STARTED TO SLOW, BUT HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT WAS THE REASON IT LET UP OR JUST COINCIDENCE. INSPECTED GAS PEDAL AREA. NOTHING TO ENCUMBER PEDAL. NOTHING TO CATCH ON. NO REASON FOR IT TO STICK. ABOUT SCARED ME TO DEATH. IF THERE HAD BEEN A VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME, I WOULD HAVE HIT IT. I WAS JUST SHOCKED. I THEN HAD TO PICK UP MY KIDS IN ANN ARBOR AND DRIVE ALL THE WAY BACK HOME TO ILLINOIS WORRYING IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. WILL CALL SATURN IN MORNING TO SEE WHAT SHOULD BE DONE. *TR

1. AT 38000 MILES MY 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK LOST ONE OF THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS. IT HAS GONE COMPLETELY OUT. 2. IT IS A CONSTANT FAILURE 3. I REPLACED THE LOW BEAM BULB, BUT WHEN I FINALLY GOT THE OLD BULB EXPOSED, I NOTICED THAT THE SOCKET WAS ALL MELTED AND HAD A VERY THIN GAUGE WIRE CONNECTING IT TO THE VEHICLES POWER. *TR

KEY GETS STUCK IN IGNITION AND WILL KEEP CAR RUNNING. SOMETIMES WON'T EVEN TURN CAR ON WITH THE CORRECT KEY. TAKES OVER 5 MINS EACH TIME JIGGLING KEY TO GET KEY CYLINDER TO TURN OVER TO START THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS ON A DAILY OCCURRENCE AND HAS NOT SEEMED TO GET ANY BETTER . *TR