SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA XR. WHEN DRIVING AT APPROXIMATE SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL EITHER LEFT OR RIGHT WITHOUT WARRANT. WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND TRAVELING OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD OR UNEVEN ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO EITHER SIDE OR VEER OFF. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 11,000.

IGNITION SWITCH-LOCK MECHANISM IS BAD. MECHANIC STATES THIS HAS BEEN AN ON- GOING PROBLEM. REPLACING WHOLE IGNITION SYSTEM, PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE SINCE AROUND 50,000 MILE MARK. PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME CAR IS STARTED. *TR

2003 SATURN VUE 117,000 MILES TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON BUSY STREET NO WARNING. CALLED GM FOUND OUT ABOUT A "BULLETIN" THEY HAD IN PLACE ON MY SATURN VUE 100,000 MILES OR 8YRS OLD AND THEY WOULD REPLACE TRANSMISSION FOR HALF THE COST WHICH IS 7,000 DOLLARS!!!!! I TRIED TO GET A FEW ESTIMATES BUT NOBODY BUT THE DEALER WANTED TO EVEN MESS WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION? DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ? THIS NEEDS TO BE A RECALL VERY DANGEROUS TO PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO JUST BOUGHT THE CAR NOT KNOWING ABOUT THE FAULTY TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS. PLEASE MAKE GM ACCOUNTABLE. *TR

I WAS TURNING INTO SAM'S CLUB AND THE POWER STEERING QUIT WORKING. THE CAR WAS VERY HARD TO STEER AND, BECAUSE I WAS TURNING A CORNER AND THIS HAPPENED UNEXPECTEDLY, I ALMOST HIT THE CAR THAT WAS WAITING TO EXIT THE SAM'S CLUB LOT. I THEN PARKED THE CAR AFTER STRUGGLING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO TURN INTO A PARKING SPOT. I WENT SHOPPING, CAME BACK AND, WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED, I HAD MY POWER STEERING. I HAD ANOTHER FAILURE WITHIN TWO DAYS, AND NOW THE POWER STEERING FAILS EVEN JUST GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE (ABOUT 2 MILES). I CALLED THE LOCAL GM DEALER WHO SAID TO BRING IT IN FOR DIAGNOSIS. WHAT I READ ONLINE IS THIS IS A $1000+ REPAIR USUALLY REPLACEMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. I EVEN WENT TO AN AUTO SALVAGE AND WAS QUOTED $450 FOR THE POWER STEERING COLUMN AND INSTALLATION. MY CAR ONLY HAS 66,000 MILES ON IT. THIS APPEARS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM FOR WHICH GM CURRENTLY HAS A RECALL FOR COBALT AND PONTIAC G6 CARS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN ION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED IT; AFTER RESTART, THE POWER STEERING RESET TO NORMAL. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 88,000.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE, A CHIME AND THE PWR STR LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. I HAD TO BRING THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY, WITHOUT POWER STEERING. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND ON AGAIN, IT WAS FINE. ABOUT A WEEK LATER, SAME EVENT. NOW CAN HAPPEN WITHIN 30 SECONDS OF STARTING A DRIVE OR GO A DAY WITHOUT HAPPENING. IT HAS BEEN AN ISSUE ON AND OFF FOR OVER TWO WEEKS NOW. *TR

THE POWER STEERING MOTOR ON MY 2007 SATURN ION FAILED AT VERY LOW SPEED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS SAME MOTOR HAS BEEN RECALLED IN THE CHEVROLET COBALT (MECHANICALLY IDENTICAL). THIS RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN EXTENDED TO COVER ALL SIMILAR MODELS BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUES INVOLVED. GM IS ATTEMPTING TO LIMIT ITS MONETARY AND PUBLICITY EXPOSURE. THE NHTSA SHOULD NOT LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS. ALL SAFETY ISSUES SHOULD BE DEALT WITH STRENUOUSLY BY NHTSA. YOUR APPROACH SHOULD BE: IF IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE, GET IT FIXED. PERIOD. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2005 SATURN RELAY 2 IN NOV. 2007 WITH 24,000 MILES. AT AROUND 34,000 MILES OUR SERVICE ABS SYSTEM LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. I TOOK IT IN TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR IN THE WHEEL. I PICKED IT UP AND WITHIN 5 MINUTES INTO MY DRIVE HOME THE SERVICE ABS SYSTEM LIGHT APPEARED AGAIN. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND SCHEDULED ANOTHER APPOINTMENT. THIS TIME THEY SAID THE EBD SENSOR WAS DIRTY AND CLEANED IT. AFTER THAT THE LIGHT WOULD INTERMITTENTLY COME ON. I WAS RELUCTANT TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALER SINCE MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED A COUPLE THOUSAND MILES AFTER THE DEALERSHIP HAD TRIED TO FIX IT. THE LIGHT COMING ON HAS BEEN MORE AND MORE FREQUENT AND ON MAY 19, 2010 WITH APPROX. 55,000 MILES THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY A CHIME AND SHORTLY AFTER THE BRAKE LIGHT. THE BRAKES BEGAN PULSATING AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK WHILE COMING TO AN ABRUPT STOP. I WILL BE TAKING IT IN SOMETIME SOON TO THE DEALER FOR THEM TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ISSUE. *TR

2007 SATURN ION POWER STEERING FAILURE. HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. FEELS LIKE THE CAR NO LONGER HAS POWER STEERING ANYMORE. IF I TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON, THE PROBLEM IS FIXED. BUT, NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

2005 SATURN ION 64,000 MILES. POWER STEERING FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE. POWER STEERING IS NOT HYDRAULIC. IT IS VIA AN ELECTRIC MOTOR. NO FUSES BLOWN. STEERING WILL GO BACK TO NORMAL AND THEN FAIL AGAIN. MANY HAVE LOOKED FOR A SOLUTION ON-LINE BUT LITTLE HELP. ATTEMPTED REPAIR EVERYTHING FROM CLEANING ELECTRIC MOTOR BRUSHES AND INTERIOR OF MOTOR HOUSING TO REPLACING THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN AT A COST OF OVER $900.00. NOTHING DEFINITIVE. SAME SYSTEM AND SAME FAILURE ON GM CHEVY COBALT. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. I WILL NOT ALLOW MY WIFE TO DRIVE THE CAR. CAR IS USELESS AND CAN NOT EVEN BE SOLD DUE TO THIS SAFETY ISSUE. WE NEED URGENTLY TO HAVE THIS REPAIRED. *TR