SATURN Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 40 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE OWNER'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,381 AND THE CURRENT WAS 32,391.

THE POWER STEERING FREQUENTLY GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING MY 2007 SATURN ION REDLINE. DURING NORMAL DRIVING, THE CAR BEEPS, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ON THE DASH GOES ON (PWR STR), AND THE CAR BECOMES VERY HARD TO CONTROL. THE ONLY WAY TO "RESET" THE SYSTEM IS TO STOP THE CAR, SHUT IT OFF, WAIT 30 SECONDS, AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 8-10 TIMES NOW. SIMILAR CARS FROM GM (CHEVY COBALT, PONTIAC G5, ETC) UTILIZE THE SAME PARTS AND HAVE BEEN RECALLED BY GM. HOWEVER, WHEN CONTACTING GM REGARDING THE SATURN ION, THEY STATE THAT FOR THE ION, "THEY HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL." THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. LOSING POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING CAN CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL AND MAY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AND/OR INJURIES AND DEATHS. *TR

I OWN A 2006 SATURN ION 3. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN IN 2006, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT THE TIME. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR, WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, I STOPPED AT A SERVICE STATION. WHEN I RETURNED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND I COULDN'T PULL THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS SOMETHING I HAD DONE WRONG. FAST FORWARD TO 2008,NOW THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF. THE LIGHT INDICATING POWER STEERING STARTED COMING ON AND THEN THE VEHICLE WOULD SHUT DOWN WHENEVER I WOULD COME TO A STOP OR SIMPLY TURNING A CORNER. THE POWER STEERING LIGHT NO LONGER COME ON BUT THE VEHICLE STILL CONTINUE TO STOP. AS I BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF AND HAS TO BE TURNED BACK ON AT LEAST 3 TO 4 TIMES BEFORE LEAVING THE PARKING SPACE. WHEN I FINALLY GET IT STARTED AND WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE PARKING SPACE OR DOWN THE ROAD IT SHUTS OFF AGAIN. IT SHUT OFF WHEN EVER I HAVE TO SLOW DOWN BEHIND ANOTHER VEHICLE AND I AM TERRIFIED THAT I AM GOING TO BE STRUCK AND KILLED. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL AUTO DEALER WHO TESTED IT AND SAID IT WAS POSSIBLE THE POWER STEERING MODULE OR SOME OTHER PART DEALING WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE TO ANOTHER AUTOCARE CENTER TO HAVE IT A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DONE WHICH THEY QUOTED ME $100.00 JUST TO CHECK IT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM AT THIS TIME BECAUSE I'M EVEN MORE AFRAID OF THE REPAIR BILL, BUT FROM READING ALL THESE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT ARE LIKE MY STORY, I AM SURE THERE IS A DEFECT WITH THIS VEHICLE AND I WANT TO KNOW WHY HAVEN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. MY VEHICLE ONLY HAS ABOUT 87,000 MILES AND ONLY HAD 18MILES WHEN THIS PROBLEM BEGAN. *TR

2003 SATURN VUE. TRANSMISSION WENT OUT WITH NO WARNING. COMING OFF OF A BRIDGE TO A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. A LOT OF SEMI'S TRAVEL THIS ROAD AND AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE EASILY HAPPENED. *TR

MY CAR RAN FINE UNTIL ABOUT 60,000 MILES. THEN THE POWER STEERING GOING. AT FIRST IT WAS SPORADIC. IT WOULD GO OUT AND THEN COME BACK ON. PRETTY SOON IT GOT TO BE ALL THE TIME. I HAVE YET TO GET FIXED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $1,200. *TR

2008 SATURN OUTLOOK HEADLIGHT. THE PASSENGER HEADLIGHT IS GOING ON AND OFF. THE WIRING IS HOT TO THE TOUCH. PLUS I CAN'T GET TO THE LIGHT AREA WITHOUT TAKING OFF THE BUMPER SKIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION. WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP; THE CONTACT HAD TO EXERT EXTREME FORCE TO TURN AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. SHE HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART; SHE TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED A MILE LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTOMOTIVE CENTER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE POWER STEERING MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 106,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THE POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND IMMEDIATELY THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING. LUCKILY WE WERE DRIVING STRAIGHT. HAD WE BEEN TURNING A CORNER IT COULD'VE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT TO THE GARAGE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE MOTOR IN THE POWER STEERING COLUMN. THE SEARCH WAS ON FOR A MOTOR. IF NONE COULD BE FOUND, THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN WOULD HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MOTOR WAS FOUND AND ORDERED. I HOPE TO HAVE THE CAR BACK IN A WEEK OR SO. *TR

GAS FILLER PIPE NECK RUSTY AND FLAKING. COULD START LEAKING CAUSING A FIRE AND LEAKING ON THE GROUND IF NOT FIXED. WANT TO KNOW WHERE , HOW AND HOW MUCH TO GET THE PART. SATURN DEALERSHIP SAID SATURN HAS STOPPED MAKING MANY PARTS AND THIS IS ONE. IF STARTS LEAKING WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET STICKER. TRYING TO TALK WITH GM AND AT FIRST SAID THEY COULD HELP BUT NOW JUST ASK IF IT'S FIXED. CAN NOT FIX UNTIL I CAN GET THE PART. TALKING WITH RUBY AT GM 866-790-5700 EXT 42627 CASE # [XXX] . THANKS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT MY 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK THE PASSENGER LOW BEAM WENT OUT. UPON OPENING THE HOOD WHEN I STOPPED I NOTICED THE DISTINCT ODOR OF BURNT PLASTIC. UPON FURTHER EVALUATION WHILE REMOVING THE BULB I OBSERVED THAT THE INSULATION FOR THE WIRING HARNESS HAD MELTED OFF AND SHORTED AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE WIRE AND CONNECTOR. THE CONTACT FOR THE BULB ALSO EXHIBITED CHARRING AT THE CONNECTOR CONTACT. AN INTERNET SEARCH FOR A REPLACEMENT BULB ALERTED ME THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN (09-08-42-004) ADDRESSING THE REPLACEMENT OF THIS HARNESS SHOULD THE HEADLIGHT FAIL. I FEEL THIS IS A OEM DESIGN FLAW AND SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE HARNESS CAN SHORT OUT TO THE POINT TO WHERE THE INSULATION IS MELTED COMPLETELY OFF EXPOSING BARE WIRES. *TR