SATURN Complaints

COULD NOT TURN THE CAR OFF, THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE ON POSITION WITH THE CAR STILL RUNNING, HAD TO PULL THE SPARK PLUGS OUT TO TURN OFF THE CAR AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO KEEP FROM DRAINING DUE TO BEING IN THE ON POSITION. THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER WAS BOUND IN THE HOUSING. DEALER REPLACED THE IGNITION CYLINDER AND HOUSING, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY STILL HAVE THE OLD PART. *TR

I OWE A 2004 SATURN ION AND LIKE MANY OTHERS, I HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH. THE POWER STEERING ALSO GOES OUT WHILE DRIVING. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN 2006 AND STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS 3 MONTHS AFTERWARDS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY MY VEHICLE UNTIL I WAS LOOKING FOR A PART VIA THE INTERNET AND RAN ACROSS OTHER COMPLAINTS. IT'S A SHAME THAT GM HASN'T DONE A RECALL. THERE ARE SEVERAL CONSUMERS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED HE NOTICED THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED, INDICATING THE AIR BAG WAS OFF. HE STATED THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE SEAT WAS OCCUPIED OR UNOCCUPIED. THE WEIGHT OF THE PASSENGER WOULD VARY FROM 120 TO 200 POUNDS AND THE FAILURE WOULD PERSIST. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 05/19/2010. *LJ

I OWN A 2004 SATURN VUE WITH A VARIABLE TRANSMISSION. IT HAS 83,000 MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO BE LOOKED AT BECAUSE OF HEARING ALL THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THESE CARS HAVE HAD. SOMEHOW WHILE THEY WERE LOOKING AT IT THE TRANSMISSION WENT AND I COULDN'T DRIVE MY CAR OVER 20 MPH. I WAS STUCK THERE AT THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD I HAD TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION. SATURN WILL ONLY PAY FOR HALF SO NOW AFTER PAYING OVER $20,000 FOR THIS CAR I HAVE TO PAY ANOTHER $3,000 TO GET A NEW TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THEN THAT THE NEW TRANSMISSION MIGHT HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS THIS ONE HAS HAD. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THEY DON'T STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND WILL NOT COVER THE WHOLE REPLACEMENT OF SOMETHING THEY KNOW TO BE FAULTY. *TR

SIDE PASSENGER AIRBAG DEPLOYED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. THERE WAS NO OUTSIDE FORCE ON THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE PASSENGER PRESENT MODULE WAS DEFECTIVE BUT HER VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 07V062000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE). THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER BUT WAS OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 43,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 SATURN ION 3. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING SEEMED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT POWER STEERING MOTOR AND STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,340. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,342.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN ION 2. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING FAILED; THE STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ACCOMPANIED BY A KNOCK FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT SO THAT THE POWER STEERING WOULD FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT BUT THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO RECALL 10V073000 (STEERING: ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 44,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000.

MY FIRESTONE COMPACT SPARE TIRE FOR A 1998 SATURN SL2, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN USED, SHOWS TREAD SEPARATION. THE RUBBER IS SPLITTING APART IN THE TREAD AREA AND THE BELTS ARE SHOWING THROUGH. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO A PREVIOUS FIRESTONE COMPACT SPARE I OWNED FOR A SATURN. THE TIRE IS SIZE T115/70R14 AND THE SERIAL NUMBER IS HYM7H5A377. THE TIRE IS ADMITTEDLY OLD, BUT THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE IS ALARMING CONSIDERING THE TIRE HAS NOT BEEN USED. IT HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A NEW REPLACEMENT- TIRE DEALERS SAY TO GET A REPLACEMENT FROM A JUNK YARD, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. A FULL SIZE SPARE WILL NOT FIT IN THE TRUNK'S TIRE WELL. *TR

I HAD A 2003 SATURN VUE WITH A VTI TRANSMISSION. IN APRIL 2007 THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, AND I PAID $4773 TO REPAIR IT. ON APRIL 3, 2010, THE VUE SUDDENLY MADE A LOUD NOISE AND STOPPED WORKING ON THE RAILROAD TRACKS. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO GET HELP PUSHING THE VEHICLE OFF THE TRACKS. THE SATURN ASSISTANCE CENTER INDICATED THAT ASSISTANCE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT HAD FAILED ONCE BEFORE. I FOLLOWED THEIR DIRECTION TOWING THE VEHICLE TO SATURN OF ROSEVILLE TO HAVE THEM DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. SATURN OF ROSEVILLE DIAGNOSED AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. AFTER TALKING TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT SATURN OF ROSEVILLE, THE ASSISTANCE CENTER SAID THEY COULD OFFER ME NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID IT WAS A DIFFERENT PART OF THE TRANSMISSION THAT FAILED THAN THE FAILURE IN 2007. I WAS VERBALLY INFORMED THAT THE BILL TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE WELL OVER $5000. BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FAILED TWICE, I DID NOT WANT TO SPEND A TOTAL OF OVER $10,000 IN TOTAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR COSTS BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION IS KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE. SINCE GM DID NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM THE FIRST TIME AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE FOR A REPEAT REPAIR, I DONATED THE CAR TO A CHARITY. *TR