We found the following complaints for SATURN SL (1996)
Read complaints for SATURN SL (1996)
I was in a broad side collision (t-bone) type accident where i hit another driver after she turned in front of me causing this collision and no air bags deployed my seatbelt locked causing me to have severe nerve damage in my neck on the left side, my left leg now has injury from this accident needless to say i will have this lifelong problem stemming from this accident.
Driver's side air bag falsly deployed causing damage to vehicle.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the air bag warning light illuminated and the horn became inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring and the module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was unknown.
After hitting the curb, both air bag deployed at 2-3 mph.
During collision air bags deployed however did not inflate resulting in neck and facial injuries.
Upon off center to left, frontal impact between 35-40 mph, neither dual air bags deployed. Please describe details.
Upon off center to left, frontal impact between 35-40 mph, neither dual air bags deployed. Please describe details.
Air bag light comes on continuously even after air bag replaced by area dealership. Dealership is havingproblems identifying the source of failure.please describe details.
When the driver's side air bag deployed, the airbag never touched the driver. Also the pressure from the airbag cause dmore harm than the air bag itself. The pressure made the sunroof assembly bend.
Vehicle was involved in an accident on 27-jul-97. Was hit from behind. As a result, air bags didn't deploy, anddriver's and passenger's seatback collapsed, causing the seats tofully recline.
Hit a curb at about 5mph, causing the airbag to deploy.driver and passenger sustained minor injuries. The dealer and manufacturer have been notified.
Vehicle was stroke from the passenger side head-on and the air bag did not deploy. The vehicle stroke an guard pole when another vehicle swerved in front of his vehicle.
No deployment of drivers air bag in front end collision.
Driving at approximately 20-25 mph consumer rear ended vehicle in front, dual airbags did not deploy which could have resulted in injuries. Seat belts were worn at at the time. Owner's manual states that airbag should deploy at 15 mph .manufacturer will send some one to inspect vehicle.
The vehicle was involved in a head-on collision at 20 mph andthe airbag did not deploy. Please describe.
Was hit on the left side and both air bags didn't deploy .
In an accident at 10:45 position at 30mph car hit fire hydrant and passenger's airbag deployed but not the drivers side.
All vehicle doors came open upon impact, owner lost control, fishtailed on gravel road, skidded, hit ditch/embankment, vehicle flipped over.also, dual airbags did not deploy, vehicle totaled. Seatbelts saved driver's/passenger's lives, owner will include vin.
While pulling into a gas station the left front tire struck the curb and the drivers side air bag deployed but the passenger side did not. The mechanic cut the air bag out of steering wheel and showed consumer that the air bag had obviously not deployed correctly, half of the air bag had stayed inside the steering wheel. The half that was stuck in the steering wheel looked like it had been burned and melted together.consumer feels this was a defective air bag or its deployment system was faulty, and she thinks it is the responsibility of saturn to replace it at no cost.*yd
I am finding it difficult to find a child safety restraint seat to safely fit in the back seat of my saturn.the back seat is at too much of an angle.the saturn dealership said for legal reasons that they could not comment. I've spoken with other saturn owners and they recommended stuffing books or towels between the car's back seat and the child's seat base to level out the base.this doesn't sound safe, but i have no other options.any inputfrom you would be appreciated.
Consumer took vehicle in for electrical problems & found thatrotors were corroded on the inside.dealer checkedvehicle for inspection in june & said nothing to the consumer about rotor corrosion.consumer will have to pay out of pocket. The mechanic stated that the rotors should not have been machined because it does not meet the required minimum thickness.
First problem is door chimes with key out of ignition. Second problem is dome light stays on in front or rear position with all doors shut. Third problem is no power at all to the cab when i tried to start car, and then my passenger opened and shut the passenger front door and the power came back on and i was able to start the car. I had to reset the clock and radio.
Vehicle constantly having trouble starting.
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, the brakes failed and weren't stopping the vehicle properly. Also, there is virbration within the steering and a short within the electrical system.
One time at a stop sign, press the braking all the way to the floor but no braking effect. After adjusting the rear drum or disk, problem did not repeat. The car's alternator was dead after only 36000 but dealerwould not pay for the repair. The car start to shaking from the start to end of braking process. Do not know what the problem is.
While driving at 30 mph the alternator failsedwithout warning. As a result the vehicle did not accelerate. The part has been replaced three times within two years.please provide additional information.
Alternator failed.*et
The alternator failed.
Due to defective alternator,vehicle would stall unexpectedly and without warningwhich may have caused a crash.dealer could not determine the cause. Also, there are problems with electrical wiring harness.
When pulling out from a stop light the vehicle just dies. When the vehicle was towed to the dealership, dealer stated that problem was due to a bad alternator which destroyed the battery. The alternator was replaced under warranty. Battery replaced at owner's expense.
The alternator failed.
Horn failed as in nhtsarecall campaign id #98v307000. Dealer denies vin part of recall. Nhtsa web site lists "z" for saturn model, which does not exist. Dealer required me to pay for replacement of horn.
The horn does not work.when i looked up a recall this is what i found.:recall date:12-07-1998units potentially affected:64,199nhtsa campaign number:98v307000defective part or component:communications:horn assemblydescription:vehicle description: passenger vehicles. These vehicles were produced or serviced with a horn assembly which could fail. The horn could either become inoperable or activate without the driver pressing the horn button. Under certain conditions, heat can build up within the assembly and an underhood fire could result. Dealers will replace the horn assembly.when i called the dealer cole gilmore in portage, michigan.i was told there is no recall for this vehicle for this problem.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl1.while driving the vehicle at various speeds, the horn activates without the driver pressing the horn button.as a consequence, in certain conditions, heat can build up within the assembly and an underhood fire could occur.the contact called the dealer and is waiting for an inspection.he is in the process of notifying the manufacturer.the vin was unknown.the failure and current mileages were 85,000.
1996 saturn sl2.horn turns on by itself and won't turn off, had to unplug it.have spoken to many people on the internet with the same problem, some of the people had the horn short out and cause a fire.i've almost been run off the road a few times because i couldn't honk the horn when someone was changing lanes and didn't see me.very, very dangerous.many people had to replace their horn more than 3 times.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl2 sedan.on march 16, 2008, the horn started to blow without warning.the circuit breaker was disconnected to stop the horn from blowing.the national service center stated that the recall did not apply to the vin; however, they later stated that they had no record of the recall.an independent mechanic replaced the horn.the mechanic stated that the motor in the horn was defective.the vin, recall number, and engine size were unavailable.the current and failure mileages were 120,000.
Difficulty accessing horn buttons in emergency situations, buttons are too small.
The vehicles horn was inoperative.*nlm
Recall 98-v307. Saturn refuses to reimburse me for a repair that was outlined in this recall campaign due to the fact that my vehicle falls outside the vin range. If you look at the recall documents, it shows vehicles all around my vin but not my vin. I had the two parts in question replaced 5/20/03 due to the fact that the exact same symptms described in the recall occured to my vehicle. The horn would sound with no one around. I finally had to disconnect the horn manually. I do not know exactly when it failed but i had it fixed on that date.
The vehicle experienced the same defect as stated in recall number 98 v 307 000, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall.
Horn assembly failed in same manner as recall, saturn claims this vehicle not part of the recall.
Hi,i have a 1996 saturn with vin number [xxx] and there is a recall nhtsa recall no. 98v307/ gm recall no. 98c01 that applies to saturns of my model built from july 1995 to february 1997. According to saturn the recall only applies to vin number ranging from [xxx]to [xxx], which my vehicles does not fall. According to saturn, however, my vehicle was built 12/1995, which would be during this period. Since there is only one plant for which the car could have been built it is unclear how my vin number does not apply. It seems to me that i may not be the only vehicle that fell through this crack. My horn is exhibiting the exact failure (horn sticking on) that the recall is for. Saturn has refused to pay for the repair of the problem. Do i have any recourse through the nhtsa? thanks. Updated 07/16/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)
Horn is inoperable which is very dangereous in emergency situations, cause unknown.please give any further details.
I replaced my brakes and rotors today. The mechanic wanted to show me the mess that they were. I looked at them and he pointed out how unusually destroyed the inside pads are. He said he rarely sees anything that bad.the horn works when it wants to.the key gets stuck in the ignition and some days i really have to work hard to get it out or get the steering wheel to release so i can turn the key.also the exhaust system is just hanging on before the rust overruns it.*la
The horn had to be replaced 4 times.
Horn assembly was replaced 3 times because the horn failed to function when engaged. There was recall 98v307000 on this issue but this model and year was not included.
Ses light on, dealer replaced spark plug and the solenoid.
Spark plugs and wires replaced due to improper gapping from factory.*et
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl.the contact stated that the ignition key was very difficult to turn when the contact attempted to start the vehicle.the contact also stated that the engine would not shut off when the key was in the ignition. The failure was recurring over a two year period.the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system), however, the vehicle was not included.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
I replaced my brakes and rotors today. The mechanic wanted to show me the mess that they were. I looked at them and he pointed out how unusually destroyed the inside pads are. He said he rarely sees anything that bad.the horn works when it wants to.the key gets stuck in the ignition and some days i really have to work hard to get it out or get the steering wheel to release so i can turn the key.also the exhaust system is just hanging on before the rust overruns it.*la
Spark plugs failed.
Key will not release from ignition switch.
While driving the vehicle lost power and than backfired,finally the vehicle shut off. The vehicle will not start up when it shuts down, the vehicle shuts down without any notice and anywhere.
1,2,3. Brakes have been a constant problem on this vehicle. First known problem was about 08/99 when dealer found pitted & blistered rear brake rotors. Replaced them "as a favor" since car was still under warranty (less than 36,000 miles). I had complained about lower gas mileage and feeling like car was "dragging" and had been told earlier that there were no problems - use a lower gear. In june, 2000, i noticed that my right rear brake disk was glowing red after a 36 mile freeway drive. Later, when i was able to get under the car, i found that the parking brake actuator on the driver's side rear caliper was frozen in the "on" position.wd40 and muscle freed it, but it had to be left off at all times.the dealer found the disks to be warped, caliper ruined and front disks also warped.pads were not terribly worn on the front.i have routinely gone 50,000 on pads in previous calls; the rear pads on this car had less than 15,000!!again, dealer implied it was my fault and not a defect by saturn.#4. Speed control - device began erratic function - sped up and slowed down without warning; at times wouldn't turn on. Dealer fixed under warranty, but no notice of this problem. #5. Ignition switch - started having difficulty in turning on or fully off (locked position). First told by dealer it must be jammed with key shavings-if key shows brass color, must be replaced. Dealer found that there was a groove in the switch housing-due to use of a "heavy key chain by previous owner". I paid 50% - looks like cheap, soft metal housing-design flaw. #6. Horn failed without warning at around 26,000 miles - 3 1/2 year old car. Replaced under warranty. I wonder what will fail next - all of these could have led to an accident.
Spark plugs and wires failed .*et
Spark plug failure.
Ignition key sticking.
While driving engine quit, which wascaused by computer failure .
Rear lights kept going out - saturn dealer said the electrical system had been butt-spliced. Since only saturn worked on the vehicle, this was unexplainable. It seems, however, my car is not the only one with this problem. Apparently, the butt-splicing is being done by saturn and being blamed on the consumer -- and charged to the consumer. I discovered this problem after being stopped by the police, twice.
Due to defective alternator,vehicle would stall unexpectedly and without warningwhich may have caused a crash.dealer could not determine the cause. Also, there are problems with electrical wiring harness.
Right brake light burned out prematurely.right brake light was replaced on 3 different occasions.dealer had advised consumer that problem had occurred on other vehicles, but had no remedy.consumer has seen 3 other vehicles withsame problem of the right brake light burning out.
Interior junction box failed.*et
Vehicle had been sitting all day in a cool damp spot.horn started to blow on and off on its own.consumer had to take out fuse to stop horn from blowing.consumer took vehicle to dealer, and dealer stated there was a short inhorn that could possibly start a fire.please provide any further information.
Computer generates a strong signal on the international calling frequency on the 2 meter amteur band, making any emergency call on that frequency unworkable in/near the vehicle.
I noticed that the temperature gauge would go 3/4 towards the red.if i am stopping at a light, the temperature gauge keep going 3/4 towards the red, then goes back very slowly to the middle.i have been informed that i would need to replace my gasket.this would cost approximately $1,200.
The engine oil and the antifreeze is mixing together in the vehicle. This causes the engine to overheat while driving. Had taken vehicleto dealership and was informed by the mechanic the engine cyclinder bead was cracked and needed to be repaired or replaced.
Drive belt and serpentine belt failed, valve body cover and gasket were replaced.
Purchased the saturn sl1 in sept 24 of 2004 with 94,32 0miles. I had the oil changed that very same day.i 've kept up on all fluids and service religiousily. At 96910 miles the car would not go into 1st, 3rd or reverse without force.on 9/10/03 i had the clutch replaced and the slave cable.then is when it started having problems overheating, mechanic did two diffrent diagnostic test both came back with no conclusions.the car still heats up everyday ,but i have no other car to drive.there is no power in the car now and the oil is sludge filled.i've purchased temperature sending units, both o2 sensors, thermostat, coolant,clutch,relays,etc...to try to solve the problem of the over heating.pretty much it's a matter of time before i'm like the other 1996 saturn drivers who will have to pay the $ 1000.00-2000.00 to fix my head gasketthat was a known factory defect.what can we do.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl2.the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated intermittently and was taken to the dealer.the dealer discovered that the spark plugs were set at different specifications, which was the cause of failure.the speed was unknown.the current mileage was 175,000 and failure mileage was 148,000.
Consumer states that while car was running the engine caught on fire, fire started under the hood.
Drive belt and serpentine belt failed, valve body cover and gasket were replaced.
The vehicle's head gasket cracked causing the oil from the engine to pours into the radiator coolant. This causes the engine to over heat. *mr
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl.the vehicle was leaking oil on the ground and all over the cooling system.the temperature gauge kept fluctuating into the red zone.the check engine soon light illuminated intermittently and the vehicle began to drive differently.the dealer stated that the cause of the failure was a cracked cylinder head.the cost to repair the vehicle was $2,257.the contact received a special policy letter from saturn in june of 1999 concerning a cracked cylinder head.the letter stated that there was no recall campaign and it was unnecessary to take the vehicle to a dealer. The current mileage was 73,000 and failure mileage was 63,000.updated 05/06/08. *ljupdated 05/06/08.
Cracked head cylinder - manufacuturer has "secret warranty" on this part for 1994-1996 saturns.saturn wouldn't cover whole replacement because the "secret warranty expired in june 2002" on my car.reason i believe they should pay for all of it:(1)known design defect with engine (2)my car was in the dealership garage for engine work during the secret warranty term and during my warranty coverage, for an oil consumption problem.engine was rebuilt but head cylinder was never checked for known problem and i wasn't notified of the known problem.now both warranties are expired so they wanted me to pay the whole bill.i refused but they only offered to cover half.i have put a complaint into the attorney general's office and the better business bureau.
Due to ice in a commercial parking lot, while parking my car, car slid into a iron guard rail and the radiator, a/c condenser, support of front bumper cover and front bumper cover were all damaged beyond repair and had to be replaced
I have a 1996 saturn, sl1 with 65,000 miles on it.when i took it in for a regular oil change, i was told that there was a problem with the water cooling system.the cylinder head cracked and oil leaks into the radiator system.i called saturn and was told that i need to talk to a local dealer. I was not even able to explain the problem, and was dismissed humiliatingly. I contacted the dealer and they told me they would contact saturn, after which i was told that i was on my own as the purchase date was before the 6 year window they had designated (6 year/100,000 miles warranty).it has come to my attention that saturn knew about the design fault so they went with this secret warranty.it is costing me over $1000 for a problem i did not cause! i do not believe saturn should get away with such a practice, and i would like to be reimbursed for the repairs and my time (i cannot stress enough the hardship and inconvenience i have experienced because of this deceptive action by saturn.) i hope you will be my (and the other citizens in my situation) advocate and help us in this matter.sincerely,fassil ghebremichael.
Problem diagnosed by saturn of thousand oaks as a cracked cylinder head; as a result, coolant and coolant system was contaminated with oil; all had to be replaced.despite comment by saturn of thousand oaks service representative that there was a problem with "the process" with 1996 saturns, saturn corp. Denies cause is manufacturer's defect.i know of at least one other 1996 sl1 purchased at the same dealership which experienced the same problem in june/98.both cars were purchased new and were less than 3 years old at the time of the problem.
About three weeks ago the engine overheated.the engine oil and coolant mixed together because the head gasket was cracked.
The engine head has an internal crack in it which allows the engine oil to leak into the coolant.i realized this because there was oil in the coolant reservoir.i went to saturn of ft. Lauderdale, where i bought the car and was told that it is no longer under warranty(i have53,000miles).i was also told if i wanted them to fix it they would charge me $300 to diagnose the problem, and if it was a cracked head, it would cost me at least $1200.if i didn't like their diagnoses i would have 24 hours to have the car towed off their property , disassembled.this was told to me by denny mcgee (954)760-6340, service manager for saturn.i was also told that if i had not followed every service requirement that saturn describes in their hand book i would not be eligible for any compensation.at the most they might pay for parts and i would have to pay for labor.i am very angry!i am a teacher, and i could not afford to gamble that saturn "might pick up part of the price"mr. Mcgee said they may only pick up 10%.i took the car to my private mechanic who has told me that this is clearly a defect in the part.the car hasnever overheated and mymechanic said that the crack is between two chambers where the oil and coolantcirculate through the engine.he obtained used replacement part and believe it or not this part also had a similar crack in the same place.is there a recall for this engine part?i am very disillusioned with the saturn company.they were very unhelpfuland rude in addressing the problem with my carand i want them to help pay for a defective part on the car that they sold me!please get in touch with me if there is anything you can do.thank you, sincerely, heather ryan.
Engine oil leaking into coolant resulting in a cracked head gasket.
Vehicle experienced overheating, dealer replaced cylinder head.
Cracked head cylinder caused by oil mixing with coolent. Saturn refused to honor supplimental warranty provided in tsb 99p01.
Engine had a cracked head which was causing loss of oil. Dealer contacted. The head gasket was replaced and was leaking. Consumer is requesting a refund for the cost of repair.
There is a cracked cylinder head andoil is leaking fromvehicle. Contacted dealer, and the dealer is not willing to do anything.
Cracked cylinder head.
Head gasket cracked.
Oil pan failed causing leaking.
1. High revving on idle manual trans2. Front end noise manual trans p/s similar to other recall worn out ?
There was a clicking sound in the engine; when i tried to press the gas it just revved the engine but had a hard time getting up to speed; i was driving home with my two daughters; going about 30 mph and i heard a loud noise and then stuff falling under my car....the car died. I pushed the car about a block and half to my house. My children and i then went to pick up the pieces of the engine...one of the pistons had blown out of the block. There was a huge whole on the lower right of the engine. I had several mechanics come look at it and they said it was a "freak" accident. There was still oil in the engine so i had not ran it out of oil. The noise just started and immediately the engine was bad. I bought it with 113000 miles on it and had it only a 6-8 weeks when this happened. I had 117000 mile on it when it broke down.
While driving at low speed saw water and oil coming out of the engine.a technician stated that this was due to a blown engine head gasket.dealer found the problem to be a cracked cylinder head.owner told that this was a manufacture defect and saturn would pay repairs cost. *ml
While driving at speed of 55mph, the engine light came on and the vehicle decreased its speed down to 10mph, then increased its speed back to 55mph.cause unknown.
For the 4th time, the head gasket is blown and the head is warped. This is the result of a factory design defect in the engine and was repaired the first time without charge by saturn.however, the repairs do not last and the head blows approximately every 30,000 miles. There is no enginebuilt that should only last 30,000 miles! saturn refuses to help with these repairs even though the car has been dutifully maintained andserviced at the saturn dealer.the estimate for repairs is $2,140 with a recommendation of new rods and bearings at this time also. We had new rings, rods and bearings in early 2002. If saturn admitted to the design defect the first time, and it continues to occur, shouldn't saturn be held responsible for the repairs?
Consumer backed out driveway. On right side of driveway where the front of vehicle was sitting, there was brown oil/water mixture. When she opened the hood andlooked into the reservoir there was a colored liquid. Mechanic discovered a cracked engine cylinder. Checked computer and found a bulletin--id. #96-t-65a--issued feb. 1997,that deals with this problem.
I need to know if there is or will there be a recall on the motor mount for the saturn sl coupe 1996.
The cylinder head cracked while i was commuting home from work. It cost me 2000.00 plus to repair. Saturn told me they would cover the repair up to 100,000 miles. Of course i was about 7,000 over that. I never received any info on any problems to look out for from the dealer. Prior to this i did notice my coolant was discolored so i had the fluid replaced. I did not suspect any interenal engine problems. I want to know who i can get in contact whith to get a refund of my money. I.
This vehicle was previously repaired approx. 1 1/2 years ago. The engine was rebuilt because of a cracked cylinder which allowed the oil and coolant to mix. This november 2001 the same problem occurred once more. A cracked cyclinder head, oil and coolant mixed.saturn corp. Paid for 1/2 ($720) the cost of the repair but the dealership refused to pay the other half.has this problem been reported with other same or similar models?
Engine stalls due to valves sticking.
1996 saturn - engine oil leaks into coolant. Dealer said there was a manufacturing design flaw. 1997's under 100,000 miles saturn would pay to have it fixed, but not 1996's.*nlm
Vehicle lunges when put in reverse and gears aren't shifting correctly, dealer replaced valve body.
My wife and i own a 1996 saturn sl1 with 69001 miles on it.i notice that oil was in the coolant reservoir. Contacted saturn of corpus christi and asked if they had an idea of the problem.maybe a bad head gasket and gave me an estimate of $840 plus $2.30/mile to tow it in.living outside of beeville 65 miles away a total of 13o miles.contacted my mechanic told him the problem and he gave me an estimate of $900 saving on towing fee, i went to him.he looked at it and told me that my cylinder head was also cracked.he then showed me a technical service bulletin #96-t-65b that saturn sent out in may 1999 documenting this problem with the cylinder heads cracking.he then showed me that my cylinder head was cracked just like the diagrams on page 2 of the bulletin showed.i contacted saturn in tennessee talked to chad of customer service, his supervisor ms. Ramirez, her supervisor brenda salsberry, her supervisor joey fitzgerald and all gave me the same answer that our car was over 6 years old.they said that they'll sent out to all saturn owners special policy#99-p-01 in june 1999 extending our warranty for this specific problem for 6 years or 100,000 miles we never received any extension policy from saturn for us to be aware of this problem.after them knowing and documenting problems with cylinder heads does this not make it a defective or flawed part, and there is no warranty time on defective parts.i'm asking you to investigate this for us individuals who are getting no where with saturn.i don't think that it is just a coincidence that my cylinder head crack just as they drew up on page 2 of bulletin 96-t-65b. Help!*la
I purchased my saturn sl2 new in 1996.after 70,000 miles it started using an inordinate amount of oil.oil consumption started to eclipse 1 qt. For every 500 miles.my oil change service said saturn engines were notorious for bad rings.i took to saturn dealership.they wanted several thousand dollars for a new engine.i replaced engine with a saturn engine with 23,000 miles.after another 40,000 miles the replacement engine exhibited the exact same behavior.i now need to purchase a third engine.
Loss of coolant due to a blown head gasket. Dealer and manufacturer were notified, and informed consumer that it wasnot covered under a recall. Feel free to provide any further information concerning this matter.
I am losing a lot of oil. I spoke with my mechanic he stated that a lot of times it is the valve cover gasket, so he changed it. The car is still losing a lot of oil. About a quart every 400 miles. I started researching on my own and have found that several saturn owners are complaining about the same issue.
Valves replaced.
1996 saturn sl-1 cylinder head cracked. A known defect to the saturn corporation.$2400 to fix! my "check engine soon" light comes on often. Saturn finds nothing!http://www.carsurvey.org/viewmorecomments_review_5215_1.htmlsimply "google" saturn + cylinder + headhttp://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/saturn_engine.html
Engine oil leaked into coolant system cause overheating after engine ran out of oil. Cracked cylinder head was the cause after talked to dealer. Also found there were quite a few complaints about exactly the same problem.
Cracked engine cylinder head.
In summer of 2002, i paid over $1500 to have a head gasket repaired on my saturn.last thursday, the car was having the same issues and it was determined that it has a cracked engine cylinder.this is an item on a tsb issued from saturn, i realized today.now i am facing over $2000 to have the cylinder replaced, putting my total cost for repairs over $3700 on an issue that saturn has been aware of for some time, yet never notified its customers.
Air conditioner started - smelled tar-like smell - turned a/c off, no smell & car ran beautifully, no indicator lights on.took on road trip, ran fine but noticed engine was hot when stopped - added oil, other fluids fine - immediately aborted trip & drove to dealer- no problems (smells, indicator lights, etc.) on ride, - noticed that serpentine drive belt that had been replaced 1.5 mos. Ago was frayed & loose.oil spewed from front to back of car (although car drove fine & no indicator lights, noises or indication of trouble) - dealer says engine may be shot & car may need to be junked.
When driving along service engine light will come on,put foot on gas and vehiclestalls and starts vibrating. Has taken in for repairs seven times. They have replaced jiist about every part and still they don't know what the problem is.
Engine rpm will increase to 3500 whether at idle or driving at 55 mph. This happens on a daily basis. If the engine is turned off , the car willn't start unless the accelerator pedal is pressed to the flour. Automatic transmission cars experiencing this problem may find it difficult to slow the car upon braking unless they were to shift the car into nuetral. It is highly possible that some saturn owners aren't aware of the problem if they own an automatic. In the office of defects investigation (complaints database) there were 8 or 9 cases of brake failure . Were these failures as a result of uncontrolled rpm motor speed? odi id 816070 indicated a problem which may be attributed to this condition. This problem in automatic transmission cars will lead to premature brake rotor and pad wear not to mention the failure of the car to stop within the assurred normal distance.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
I bought my car in 1996 brand new from stamford saturn car dealer. During the first year, i experienced that my car is using one quart of oil per month. I reported to my car dealer that my car is using 1 quart of oil every month, they recommended that i bring the car to them for oil consumption study for six month.i did not bring my car to the dealer at that time. After six years, my car was using 3 quarts of oil within ten days. I called saturn representative and the local saturn car dealer for help. They recommended that i authorize the dealer to do tear down of the engine. I authorized the dealer to the tear down of the engine; after the tear down dealer recommended that, i either have the car repaired for $3000.00 or replace the engine for $4300.00. I decided to have the engine replaced with new engine. The saturn representative would not admit that my car has manufacturer defect, i explained to them this is not normal for a new car to use up 3 quarts of oil in ten days. In the beginning, the saturn representative agreed if the car had oil consumption or manufacturer defect they would help with the repair cost.however, after the repair they are not helping me with the repair cost. Please try to understand i have family wife and two year old son, my wife cannot work full time because she has to take care of our son. To pay $4300.00 is too much for me to handle, please help. I paid the dealer with my american express card.
The vehicle was in tow when it caught fire in the engine compartment, the entire vehicle became engulfed, there were no injuries (ohio traffic crash report).nlm
Consumer stated thatshe had her automobile insspected ,and was told that head gaskets were leaking.she did some research and found that other saturn owner were having the same kind of problem. What could she do about it?
While driving engine stalled without warning. There was no leak or evidence of burning oil.the consumer found out that the vehicle stall because there was no oil in the engine.it was just 3000 miles since last oil change.
Engine cut off, engine surged,tachometer bouces,replaced valve guides at 60000 miles, compresion still not correct, ck engine light always comes on, burns oil, 2 qts more than specs say. Seat belt light stays on even when in use.
Engine seized without warning shortly after maintenance.
I really feel that a car that is well taken care ofand have only 47000 miles shouldn't have need a new engine in it.
When driving at 60mphvehicle's speed will instantly and without warning drop down to about 10mph. Dealer says it's a manufacturer's defect. Problem still exists.
Engine smells when put in garage.
While driving on regular road, lights came on dashboard, engine cut off, vehicle swerved to right, crashed into cement sewage drain,tire rims popped, vehicle came to stop. With dealership for inspection.
/22/99 - after no response from don hudler, posted this email to the saturn website
Engine malfunction not corrected despite being serviced 7 times and replacing: spark plugs and wires, fuel injectors, and valves. Front driver's window exploded because of malfunctioning electronic switch--caused injury to driver. Owners wish to have money back or replacement.
Engine has a design flaw. Aniti-freeze gets into the oil. Dealer contacted and was aware of the problem. Problem still exists.
Air conditioner started - smelled tar-like smell - turned a/c off, no smell & car ran beautifully, no indicator lights on.took on road trip, ran fine but noticed engine was hot when stopped - added oil, other fluids fine - immediately aborted trip & drove to dealer- no problems (smells, indicator lights, etc.) on ride, - noticed that serpentine drive belt that had been replaced 1.5 mos. Ago was frayed & loose.oil spewed from front to back of car (although car drove fine & no indicator lights, noises or indication of trouble) - dealer says engine may be shot & car may need to be junked.
Squealing noise from engine area in rainy weather, dealer replaced the engine drive belt due to it being dry and cracked.
Muffler and pipes rusted and several other parts have failed.*et
I replaced my brakes and rotors today. The mechanic wanted to show me the mess that they were. I looked at them and he pointed out how unusually destroyed the inside pads are. He said he rarely sees anything that bad.the horn works when it wants to.the key gets stuck in the ignition and some days i really have to work hard to get it out or get the steering wheel to release so i can turn the key.also the exhaust system is just hanging on before the rust overruns it.*la
While driving at speed of 55mph, the engine light came on and the vehicle decreased its speed down to 10mph, then increased its speed back to 55mph.cause unknown.
Erg valve and several other parts have failed after failure of the junction box.*et
Egr valve failed.*et
Nar 02/28/2003mrmalfunctioning engine.
Air conditioner system releases fumes (mold) irritating consumer.
Air conditioner not working properly.
Rear speaker rattles.
Radio inoperative.
Radio failed.
When using hand brake the daytime running lights go off, flashing of the lights causes unintentional signal to the opposing traffic.
Daytime running lights defective.
When dimming headlights at night with on off switchand dimmer switchon same switch easy to shut light offat high speeds and oposing traffic unable to see you andwith all interior light nowshut offat 55 mphyou are trying to figure out what happened and watchtraffic and get lights back on
Directional blinkers do not turn off.
Turn signal bulb failed.
While driving on the highway, travelling about 50mph at night, all of sudden the vehicle cut off. Contacted dealer, andwas told that a spider got into the fuel line and blocked the line where the pump didn't have enough ventilation, and fuel tank collasped.
Hole in plastic gas line underneath vehicle when struck by object in roadway, causing gas leak.
Vacuum line hose was replaced.
Vacuum line hose was replaced.
While driving at speed of 55mph, the engine light came on and the vehicle decreased its speed down to 10mph, then increased its speed back to 55mph.cause unknown.
While driving on the highway, travelling about 50mph at night, all of sudden the vehicle cut off. Contacted dealer, andwas told that a spider got into the fuel line and blocked the line where the pump didn't have enough ventilation, and fuel tank collasped.
Replacing fuel tank @27862mifuel tank should last the life of the car. This is a design flaw. I am notifying you, because of a potential loss of power.i think that i also should be reimbursed my $50 deductible.
Gas gauge failed.
Gas gauge failed.
Consumer was traveling at 45mph. While gradualy coming toa stop, the sun roof exploded outward, and particles fell back into the vehicle.voice mail was left to make dealer awareof the incident.
On 7/20/00, 9/21/00, 8/14/01, and 7/26/02, the doors on this vehicle did not close and secure.while driving, the doors must be tied shut with rope to secure them.very dangerous as one incident, the left rear door opened while vehicle was moving.passengers could fall out of the vehicle causing death or serious injury!!saturn states they have never seen this problem.current incident of 7/26/02 will be brought to dealer's attention.saturn of danbury, ct also performed work on vehicle for same problem ( 8/14/2001). At this time, both rear doors had assembly and door handles replaced.the most recent incident on 7/26/2002, the passenger right-front door would not secure. Passenger must ride in rear seat. Vehicle is garaged year round and maintained by saturn dealerships in stamford and danbury, ct.
While drving at various speeds, the rear doors would swing open for no reason. Would have locks (child proof also) on. The lock, sometimes, fails to keep the door locked.had notified the manufacturer for parts. Was informed there was no problem with the door locks.
Beginning in 2002 the rear doors on 1996 saturn sl2 began opening spontaneously while driving, first the passenger side, then the driver side. They would not relatch. We used bunji cords and then finally rope through partially open windows to keep them from flying open at speed. Repeated open and shutting and playing with mechanism finally got them to latch and keeping them locked seemed to help. Recently the door on passenger side was accidentally opened and would not latch again. Same thing on drivers side. Although we got them latched and locked again, no passenger or cargo is safe in the back seat if those doors are unlocked or sometimes even when locked.
Trunk lid is misaligned andlatch is faulty in which owner has difficulty in trunk staying closed.lock also malfuntions.owner fears trunk may come up while driving.possible design flaw.
I have a 1996 saturn sl1.one day i went to pull up the parking brake and found that the little button had popped off and landed on the dash, the spring ended up on the floor.the button is plastic and one side that latched in to keep it in place apparently broke.to use the parking brake i wouldhave to put the spring and button back on and engage the brake, then let it pop off again or just take it off.i haven't been able to replace it yet as i understand they don't sell just the part for the 1996 saturn.
Speedometer cable and plug failed.
Odometer failed.
Engine cut off, engine surged,tachometer bouces,replaced valve guides at 60000 miles, compresion still not correct, ck engine light always comes on, burns oil, 2 qts more than specs say. Seat belt light stays on even when in use.
Odometer failed.
Speedometer failed.
On his way to work on sept. 16, 2008, my boyfriend heard a strange sound and then lost use of 2,4,r gears. In morning rush hour traffic on us 1, he continued to work with the use of 1,3 gears. We troubleshoot online and through friends with mechanical experience and temporarily used a zip tie confirming that the defective part was the shift cable bushing. Local stores do not carry the part as it is carried by dealer only. Saturn does not sell the part without the entire assembly (manual transmission shift cable bushing with clip part # 14043) and has priced without installation at $198.00. The parts manager did not even ask me for the model, said he has plenty in stock and that there is a minimum 3 hour installation with labor priced at $95/hr. He also stated that as this is a common defect he has known of people to use zip ties and their own nut/bolt system to remedy. Upon further internet research i have found thousands of complaints for the same exact problem, some owners with unfortunate outcomes. It is a blessing that i was not driving that day with my 2 young children, as i probably would have lost control of the vehicle! it is amazing to me that saturn has been allowed to sell such dangerous vehicles with no recall! more horrifying is that i found the part at napa auto parts for $19.95 and saturn insists on selling the entire assembly taking advantage of people who just don't know better. This reeks of scam to the criminal level!!!!!!!
Speedometer cable never failed to work, however noise was reported, and the dealer decided to replace the unit.
Suspected odometer roll back
Odometer failed.*et
Speedometer cable failed.
Transmission failed.
Differential pin in automatic transmission 1996 saturn sl2 (mp7 transmission) this pin works it's way loose and puts a hole in the front pump cover which inturn leads to fluid leaking and an expensive repair. This is the second time that this has happened to me.
Transmission failed.
Automatic transmission while engaged in drive rolls back on an incline, dealer said that is normal.tt
After turning the vehicle on and when placing the gear in park or neutral,vehiclejumped forward. Dealer examined the vehicle, and found that the valve body assembly hasdbeen replaced.
Transmission heat gasket failed.
Transmission filter failed.
After driving approximately 5 miles, when i stop and put car in reverse, it hesitates then abruptly shifts into reverse. I have checked technical service bulletins and found tsb#96-t-38a in regards to harsh engagement into reverse on the saturns. This sounds exactly like my problem.
Unsatisfactory responses from saturn customer service; repairs that should be covered per californias lemon law for our 1996 saturn sl1 with only 46k miles. Rote to gm & saturn ceo's. They lie and do not stand behind their crappy product. We will never buy american again!per my recent conversations with saturn customer service, there has been absolutely no effort of goodwill to reimburse and fix the below aforementioned mechanical problems from the inferior materials used in building our saturn vehicle. The failures we need reimbursement for are:1.starter replacement: $211.08 + 45.17 = $256.25; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a pep boys shop,2.new interstate battery: $108.15; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a chevron shop,3.transmission gasket parts and labor: $ ~150. (tbd); already paid and in saturn database; trans. Seized up now and needs $3000 work; saturn won't pay for repairs,4.alternator parts and labor: $176.61; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a pep boys shop,the work that needs to be done at saturn now is:5.radiator parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 123412): $417.166.oil gasket parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 126859): $ tbd7.repeat transmission service and gasket parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 126859): $ tbd, this has already been done 18 months ago and is leaking again! also complete rebuild/ $3000.8.front passenger seat reclining mechanism needs repair.
1996 saturn sl1's have a problem referred to as "delayed engagement in reverse.when you put the car in reverse it will not move, causing potential problems.this is due to the valve body on the transmission wearing excessively, allowing automatic transmission fluid to flow around a poppet before engaging. Saturn is aware of this problem and so are the transmission repair places.saturn refuses to acknowledge this problem though they have issued a service bulletin for the problem and at about $1000 per repair per vehicle saturn has a vested interest in not acknowledging the problem.*nlm
At 32,000 mile vehicle will not shift into reverse.dealer notified. Feel free to provide any further information on this matter.
Hot light is on, fan runs and will not shut off, dealer replaced pcm engine coolant temperature sensor.
In attempting to shift car--fortunately while parked--the gear shift suddenly went loose in my hand.disassembly reveals that the coupling at the base of the gear stick has a plastic clip which has broken.a call to saturn of honolulu produced the response that they were familiar with the problem as they have been "getting quite a few of those lately".the fix requires new "cables" as the plastic clip which broke is an integral part of the "cable"--which looks more like a bar translating the force of gear stick forward to the engine compartment.i am concerned that if this is happening to many vehicles as he stated it could repeat even after the cables are replaced.if this failure were to occur in traffic or on a hill it could leave the driver in the wrong gear or worse not in any gear and present a safety issue.i have digital pictures of the broken piece which i will be happy to e-mail.
Dt: the contact stated the gear shifter broke. She had it repaired by a mechanic. Then, the shifterbroke again. The contact's vehicle wasinvolved in an accident as a result of the failure. The aforementionedmechanic was coming to pick up the vehiclefor repairs.
Dt: the contact statedgear shifter broke. She had it repaired by a mechanic.currently, the shifterbroke again. This resulted the contact's vehiclebeing involved in a crash.shespoke to a mechanic. He was coming to get the vehicleand repair it.she has not spoken to saturn or general motors.
Transaxle assembly failed. Qcaw
Car with warranty of 36,000 miles.dealer would not honor warranty.what is normal life of a clutch in this type of car?
The clutch pedal detached due to a missing retainer clip. Could have caused loss of vehicle control.
Manual transmission will not shift into gear, at times it must be shoved to go in to and out of reverse, first, and third gears.this problem is becoming worse and is at least remotely dangerous because it can take as much as 30 seconds or so to shift gears.this problem does not seem to be affected by any external source.
Manual transmission pops out of gear and grinds.sometimes you can't get it into gear.all componets of the clutch are fine.
Purchased the saturn sl1 in sept 24 of 2004 with 94,32 0miles. I had the oil changed that very same day.i 've kept up on all fluids and service religiousily. At 96910 miles the car would not go into 1st, 3rd or reverse without force.on 9/10/03 i had the clutch replaced and the slave cable.then is when it started having problems overheating, mechanic did two diffrent diagnostic test both came back with no conclusions.the car still heats up everyday ,but i have no other car to drive.there is no power in the car now and the oil is sludge filled.i've purchased temperature sending units, both o2 sensors, thermostat, coolant,clutch,relays,etc...to try to solve the problem of the over heating.pretty much it's a matter of time before i'm like the other 1996 saturn drivers who will have to pay the $ 1000.00-2000.00 to fix my head gasketthat was a known factory defect.what can we do.
Transmission has popped out of gear.
After driving for a long period of time the vehicle slams into reverse when shifted into reverse, the dealer was unable to duplicate or repair the problem.nlm
Car will not hold in fifth gear when putting it in fifth gear it slips out .tt
I was backing out of a parking spot when my shift went loose.my car was stuck in reverse.after removing the center console it was determined that my shifter bushing holding the cable to my shifter broke off.i contacted saturn, but they informed me this part is only part of a cable kit which sells for $169.saturn will not sell the bushing alone.the cable is currently being held on with duct tape.
5 speed transmission shifter connection inside console broke off causing car to come to a full stop in the middle of the road. Could not move car at all because shifter was no longer connected to the shifter cable. Transmission remained in neutral. Part turned out to be made of plastic and cost only $10 plus tax.
Plastic bushing that connects the shift lever to the manual transmission breaks whithout any warning, and leaves you without the ability toshift.this happened while pulling onto the interstate highway and almost caused an accident.
Seat belt failed.
Driver's seat belt will tighten/lock up when going over slight bumps.
When driving the driver side seat belt lock up .tt
Consumer was in an accident and three people were in car, seat belt didn't restraint and seat broke , please describe .
Shoulder seatbelt on driver side will not retract , causing a loss of protection. Consumer has contacted dealer..
Vehicle was at stop when it was rearended by vehicle with 35 mph impact. At point of impactdriver's seat clamp broke, causing driver to fall into a reclining position which could have caused injuries.
Consumer was involved in a collision in which the vehiclewas hit from the rear at a 35 mph impact,causingthe driver's seat to collapse from the upright position.
Drivers seat moves around.
We were stopped at a red light, when another vehicle rear ended us.our 22-month old son was in his car seat in the rear, behind the passenger seat.after our vehicle was hit, the seat latch on the front passenger seat released.the seat fully reclined, striking our son in the face.he suffered broken bones in his face as a result.if the seat latch had not released, he would not have been injured during the crash.
Vehicle was rear ended,and upon impact driver's seatback collapsed. Manufacturer has been notified.
Unsatisfactory responses from saturn customer service; repairs that should be covered per californias lemon law for our 1996 saturn sl1 with only 46k miles. Rote to gm & saturn ceo's. They lie and do not stand behind their crappy product. We will never buy american again!per my recent conversations with saturn customer service, there has been absolutely no effort of goodwill to reimburse and fix the below aforementioned mechanical problems from the inferior materials used in building our saturn vehicle. The failures we need reimbursement for are:1.starter replacement: $211.08 + 45.17 = $256.25; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a pep boys shop,2.new interstate battery: $108.15; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a chevron shop,3.transmission gasket parts and labor: $ ~150. (tbd); already paid and in saturn database; trans. Seized up now and needs $3000 work; saturn won't pay for repairs,4.alternator parts and labor: $176.61; we were broken down and had to get fixed immediately at a pep boys shop,the work that needs to be done at saturn now is:5.radiator parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 123412): $417.166.oil gasket parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 126859): $ tbd7.repeat transmission service and gasket parts and labor (saturn work order estimate so# 126859): $ tbd, this has already been done 18 months ago and is leaking again! also complete rebuild/ $3000.8.front passenger seat reclining mechanism needs repair.
Vehicle was involved in an accident on 27-jul-97. Was hit from behind. As a result, air bags didn't deploy, anddriver's and passenger's seatback collapsed, causing the seats tofully recline.
The vehicle was rear ended and both front seats collapsed backward completly, anyone sitting in the back seats would have sustained severe injuries. If a child was in the back seat chances are he would not survive. Their have been other incidents of the backseats collapsing upon rear impact and saturn is aware of this problem. They have done nothing about it. Very dangerous for any rear seat passangers, espicially children, which the law states that a child under 100 lb. Must be in a child restrained seat behind the driver or passanger side.this can prove fatal upon rear collision.
Vehicle was at a standstill and was rear ended by another vehicle traveling about 45 mph which pushedconsumer's vehicle into the vehicle in front, causing driver's seatback to break, resulting inserious injuries.please provide further information.
During vehicle collision seat latch failed causing seat back to collapse resulting in injury to the driver loosing sight of the road therefor loosing control of the vehicle.
Drivers seatback collapsed during rear end collision.
Plastic frame onseatback sticks through the padding, and irritates the child's back. May cause injury to child's back.cosco carseat, not attached to car, bought separately.*ml
Consumer stated the bench seats collapsed during a front end collision, the collapsed seat pushed consumers child into back of the front seat, dealer has been contacted.nlm
Driver's and passenger seat back fell back when rear ended by another vehicle which was going about 35 mph, which may have caused injuries.please provide further information.
Vehicle was rear ended at 15 mph, the driver's seat back collapsed, consumer realized it was broken when it would not adjust properly, saturn said the seat was up to standard.*mjs
Rotors wear excessively and need to be replaced every 3-4 months.
Front rotors warped.manufacturer replaced with a redesigned model and they warped also.
Antilock brakes failed, causing accident/injury.
While driving up hill applied brakes to no avail, resulting in hitting another vehicle.
When traveling down an incline about 25mph and upon depressing the brake pedal,pedal went to the floorboard, causing extended stopping distance,also, emergency parking brake was enganged in order to stop vehicle. Consumer has contacted the dealer, dealer unable to determine the cause. Please provide any further details.
When going from a higher rate of speed to a low rate of speed (65 mph to 25 mph or 40 mph to 15 mph) the vehicle accelerates while the brake is depressed.also, when applyng the brakes, the car does not always stop within the normal distance .while driving at about 35 mph and slowing to a rate of about 15 mph entering a highway ramp, lost control of the car on the wet roadway whcih caused me to skid and go up onto the curb.the vehicle was towed and had approx. $2500 worth of damge. Luckily, there were no injuries to the 5 people inside the vehicle. I thought this was due to roadway conditions until it happened again. I was traveling at approx. 20 mph slowing for a stop sign ahead.i pressed on the brake but the car would not stop and i had no control of the vehicle.thankfully, there was not an accident this time.again, it was raining lightly.i have made an appointment with the dealer.
Abs brake failure , when applying abs brakes they make a grinding noise, and there is complete loss of effectiveness.
Abs brakes; poor performace of the brakes, the brakes is heating up and also making a loud noise.
Warped front brake rotors.
Sometimes when applying the brakes there is a grinding noise,on one occasion went to apply the brakes and there were no brakes,has abs anti-lock brakes . Please describe .
While applying the brakesthe pedal went to the floor vehicle was unable to stop on its on. Driver was able to stop by turning off the vehicle for fifteen minutes, then restarted it and drove to the dealer for inspection.mechanic determinedthat abs control unit system needed to be replaced.
While driving at or about 35 mph car was involved in a forntal collision on wet pavement, brakes never really worked on the car, manufacturer not contacted. Dealer replaced pads and rotors three times in 22 months, due to pads and rotors being rusted. Consumer stated pads and rotors.
Consumer states that vehicle vibrated before the brakes failed,causingan accident to occur.
At 65 mph consumer applied brakes, pedal felt hard, and would not depress. Dash indicator did not illuminate.mechanic could not find a cause of problem.
Brake failure when coming to a stop.brake pedal went to the floor car was very slow to stop.after the first failure brake shop was unable to find a problem with the brake system.the second failure was at the same speed 35 m/h with the brake pedal having the same action.saturn was unable to find problem the second time and tested it two times.
On 6/17/99 at 6;30pm i was making a right hand turn from rte 73s to atco jughandle.once i made the turn the steering wheel locked in place and the brakes would not work.the car shuttered and crashed into the curb.my speed was 20mph and the weather conditions were drizzling.
Brake failure, driving at speed of 15 mph, frontal collision, impact 12:00, applied brakes, resulting in extended stopping distance.
Brake failure, when applying the brakes the pedal goes to the floor andcontinues to fade, intermittently failes, in for repairs, found no problem.
Brake parts corroded causing damage to rotors and calipers.*et
At approox. 25mph approaching an intersection, pressed the brakes which traveled to the floor, repaired the problem.
Brakes work intermittently.
Brake failure when coming to a stop.brake pedal went to the floor car was very slow to stop.after the first failure brake shop was unable to find a problem with the brake system.the second failure was at the same speed 35 m/h with the brake pedal having the same action.saturn was unable to find problem the second time and tested it two times.
Upon approaching an intersection and facing a red light, attempted to slow down, but foot slipped and stepped on gas pedal, vehicle lost control, resulting in 2 collisions/injuries. Also brakes failed to stop vehicle.
While driving braking system malfunctioned,causing no braking ability.had to useemergency braking system in order to stopvehicle.saturn said if the emergency brake was applied it would affect the braking system, and that was the reason whyvehiclewouldn't stop.please provide further information.
While attempting to park vehicle in garage, brakes failed/would not stop vehicle, vehicle went through garage door and hit door dividing garage and house.
Brakes grind.
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, the brakes failed and weren't stopping the vehicle properly. Also, there is virbration within the steering and a short within the electrical system.
Front brake pads and rotors have been replaced.
1,2,3. Brakes have been a constant problem on this vehicle. First known problem was about 08/99 when dealer found pitted & blistered rear brake rotors. Replaced them "as a favor" since car was still under warranty (less than 36,000 miles). I had complained about lower gas mileage and feeling like car was "dragging" and had been told earlier that there were no problems - use a lower gear. In june, 2000, i noticed that my right rear brake disk was glowing red after a 36 mile freeway drive. Later, when i was able to get under the car, i found that the parking brake actuator on the driver's side rear caliper was frozen in the "on" position.wd40 and muscle freed it, but it had to be left off at all times.the dealer found the disks to be warped, caliper ruined and front disks also warped.pads were not terribly worn on the front.i have routinely gone 50,000 on pads in previous calls; the rear pads on this car had less than 15,000!!again, dealer implied it was my fault and not a defect by saturn.#4. Speed control - device began erratic function - sped up and slowed down without warning; at times wouldn't turn on. Dealer fixed under warranty, but no notice of this problem. #5. Ignition switch - started having difficulty in turning on or fully off (locked position). First told by dealer it must be jammed with key shavings-if key shows brass color, must be replaced. Dealer found that there was a groove in the switch housing-due to use of a "heavy key chain by previous owner". I paid 50% - looks like cheap, soft metal housing-design flaw. #6. Horn failed without warning at around 26,000 miles - 3 1/2 year old car. Replaced under warranty. I wonder what will fail next - all of these could have led to an accident.
Front brake pads and rotors have been replaced.
-the contact would like to make a complaint concerning the brakes on 1996 saturn sl2.the contact stated that she was driving 35 mph when she was cut off by another car.she then applied the brake pedal which gave no resistance.the contact stated that beforebeing cut off the brakes did work.the contact stated that thecar finally stopped after she pumped the brakes.the contact continued to drive at approximately 5 mph until she reached her destination and had the car towed to a saturn dealership.the contact stated that this brake failure occurredapproximately december 5, 2006.the contact stated that it was a nice day, and that the weather was not a factor.the contact pulled muscles in her body, and was currently on muscle relaxants.the contact asked the saturn dealer for the damaged parts and was told that the parts were thrown away.the contact also stated that she has had problems with the brakes pulsating and going all the way down to the floor since she purchased the car.the contact stated had brake work done in 2001 at 36,000 miles, the brake calipers had failed.the contact was referred to nhtsaby the rhode island state attorney's office.
Brake pads failed.
Brake pads and rotors failed due to rust and corrosion.
I replaced my brakes and rotors today. The mechanic wanted to show me the mess that they were. I looked at them and he pointed out how unusually destroyed the inside pads are. He said he rarely sees anything that bad.the horn works when it wants to.the key gets stuck in the ignition and some days i really have to work hard to get it out or get the steering wheel to release so i can turn the key.also the exhaust system is just hanging on before the rust overruns it.*la
Brake pads replaced four times, brake rotors failed.
The car would shake when coming to a stop,within 13800 miles the brake pads, rotors, struts had to be replaced.please explain more.
Brakes pads replaced four times, rotors failed once.
Consumer took vehicle in for electrical problems & found thatrotors were corroded on the inside.dealer checkedvehicle for inspection in june & said nothing to the consumer about rotor corrosion.consumer will have to pay out of pocket. The mechanic stated that the rotors should not have been machined because it does not meet the required minimum thickness.
Warped front brake rotors.
Brake rotors warped.
Front brake rotors warped/replaced.
The car would shake when coming to a stop,within 13800 miles the brake pads, rotors, struts had to be replaced.please explain more.
Brakes pads replaced four times, rotors failed once.
Brake pads replaced four times, brake rotors failed.
Brake pads and rotors failed due to rust and corrosion.
Brake adjuster bent.
One time at a stop sign, press the braking all the way to the floor but no braking effect. After adjusting the rear drum or disk, problem did not repeat. The car's alternator was dead after only 36000 but dealerwould not pay for the repair. The car start to shaking from the start to end of braking process. Do not know what the problem is.
Brakes failed due to the brake line to the rear wheel being corroded. *mjs
Brakes failed due to the brake line to the rear wheel being corroded. *mjs
Failure of the abs brakes,consumer was driving 60 mph and the cruisie control was on,the consumer applied force to the brake pedal and the vehicle continued to move,causing the consumer to have a collision.
Upon attempting to make a normal stop consumer noted that vehicle becamedifficult to stop, causing someextended stopping distance. Also whenvehicle is at a stand still , it will not accelerate. Consumer has contacteddealer. Dealer noted that 1st. The calipers. Then , master cylinderfailed/not releasing, causingbrakes to grab..et.
Cylinder head cover failure.
Request a defect investigation for possible recall of 1990-96 saturn sl. The writer's son was killed in and accident in which, per witness statements, her sons vehicle veered sharply left and hit a tree head on.the consumer believes some type of defect caused her son's accident.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl.the contact stated that the ignition key was very difficult to turn when the contact attempted to start the vehicle.the contact also stated that the engine would not shut off when the key was in the ignition. The failure was recurring over a two year period.the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign number 14v047000 (air bags, electrical system), however, the vehicle was not included.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the approximate failure mileage was 128,000.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl. While making a right turn at 20 mph, the steering wheel turned right and left independently. As a result, the contact crashed into the rear driver side of another vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained muscular pain that required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was made aware of nhtsa campaign number: 97v138000 (steering); however, the vin was not included. The failure mileage was 166,000.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl1.when making left turns at various speeds, the steering tightens.when making right turns, the steering becomes loose.the dealer performed a diagnostic and informed the contact that she should not have driven the vehicle because it was very unsafe.the gears fell apart internally.the contact attempted to locate cheaper parts when he discovered a recall related to his year, make, and model vehicle; however, the dealer stated that the vin was not included in the recall.the manufacturer stated that the recall did not apply to saturn vehicles.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure and current mileages were approximately 150,000.
Pre lope bearingsfelll apart from the steering area of the car.
Took the car to be repaired the steering column was loose,(abs) the front rotors on the brakes were corroded. Please give more details.8ak
The car shimmies and causes loss of control of the steering wheel. Please describe.tt
On 6/17/99 at 6;30pm i was making a right hand turn from rte 73s to atco jughandle.once i made the turn the steering wheel locked in place and the brakes would not work.the car shuttered and crashed into the curb.my speed was 20mph and the weather conditions were drizzling.
Alarm failed.
Power steering pump shaft seal replaced due to a leak, the inner and outer tie rods on the right front of the vehicle separated due to wear.
While driving at 20 mph andmaking a right turn consumer suddenly lost control of the steering without warning and hit a curb, reason unknown. Dealer has been contacted.
While driving 65 mph steering malfunctioned, causing consumer to lose control.
When driving and using the cruise control,car accelerates, this is the second car . Please describe .
When driving with the cruise control on the car accelerates . Please describe.
Spindle broke off while switching lanes on the freeway. We spun across all lanes and crashed into middle divider wall.
My son was traveling south on the garden state parkway @ 65mpn. Slowed to exit at exit 105. As he entered the exit, he felt something break, lost steering, and the car shot to the right, the air bags deployed, and the right side of the car slid down the guard rail and came to a stop just before impacting a concrete jersey wall. The initial inspection of the vehicle revealed that the right side spindle had snapped. The arm on the spindle that the tie-rod attaches to snapped in half.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl2.while driving 20 mph around a curve, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree.the dealer has not inspected the vehicle.the tie rod end was replaced approximately two years before the crash with an aftermarket part, manufactured by trw automotive (part number es3238).the contact felt that the crash was caused by the disengagement of the tie rod end.the current and failure mileages were 150,000.updated 02-01-08 the consumer stated between the ball and socket steering ability was completely lost. Updated 02/01/08
Power steering pump shaft seal replaced due to a leak, the inner and outer tie rods on the right front of the vehicle separated due to wear.
Rack and pinion steering failed completely while vehicle was in operation.
Rack and pinion gear failure.
Rack and pinion failed.
Weather striping tovehicle is defective.when there is rain vehicle fills upwith water inrear.
Door hinge broken, weather stripping loose on several occasions.
On the edge of door from the outside fingers can become injured, the edges are very sharp.tt
Exterior rear door seal failed twice.
All vehicle doors came open upon impact, owner lost control, fishtailed on gravel road, skidded, hit ditch/embankment, vehicle flipped over.also, dual airbags did not deploy, vehicle totaled. Seatbelts saved driver's/passenger's lives, owner will include vin.
Key remote module for keyless entry failed.
Rear door sticks closed, inoperable from inside and out.
Door check links broke six times.
Door hinge snapped.
Door hinge broken, weather stripping loose on several occasions.
Trunk door falls on consumers head.
Trunk lid does failed to stay in open position after spoiler was installed.
Trunk lid closes too easily, lid collapsed on consumer on two occasions resulting in injuries to the head.
When driving at any speed and applying the brakes, the brakes failed and weren't stopping the vehicle properly. Also, there is virbration within the steering and a short within the electrical system.
The car would shake when coming to a stop,within 13800 miles the brake pads, rotors, struts had to be replaced.please explain more.
The car shimmies and causes loss of control of the steering wheel. Please describe.tt
1. High revving on idle manual trans2. Front end noise manual trans p/s similar to other recall worn out ?
1996 saturn sl2, a vehicle defect caused the driver to lose control and strike the concrete barrier. The left front strut broke which caused the consumer to lose control of the vehicle.the driver suffered minor injuries. (ohio traffic crash report # 10-0304-91) updated 08/05/10
This vehicle has had three front wheel bearing failures since purchased new
Federal-mogul bearing manufacture #512000 was replaced in august of 2000, broke while driving , the wheel came off .i was lucky i was going slow around a sharp curve, and the car behind me was able to avoid the rolling wheel.
Rear end misaligned, causing premature rear tire wear.
My tire blew out while driving from long beach, ca. To phoenix, az. Which is about six hours away. About an hour outside of phoenix my tire blew out. I lost control of the car and it went off the road and rolled 2 - 3 times. I experienced minor injuries to my head and other places on my body. I also experienced whiplash that affected my memory and concentration.
At 10 am on 9/24/2000 going west on the 210 at approx. 65 mph.slight bumpiness for less than three minutes, then blowout occurred.tire exploded and vehicle fishtailed across three lanes of traffic.mercifully, no one was injured.the tread separated( dot number: tire size: p185/65r1 )
Firestone tire size p175/70r14blowout twice, once causing accident.
I was returning to hamilton, mt from having my car in for it's 24,000 service at the saturn dealer in spokane, wa.i exited i-90 at the liberty lake exit and, as i was approaching the end of the ramp, my passenger side front tire blew out.my speed was approximately 30mph.i informed saturn of this by telephone 9/14/00.no vehicle damage was done and a tire dealer was a block away so i purchased a new set of tires (dayton).i was not comfortable with continuing to keep the 3 tires that had not blown out on my vehicle.ak( dot number: tire size: p195/60r15 )
Rear tire failure caused loss of control of vehicle. 45 mph speed at time of incident. No steering control once rear tire deflated. Road conditions were damp road, asphalt surface with some sand on the surface. On-ramp onto freeway with 45 mph speed limit. Vehicle turned right 90 degrees after tire failure and left the roadway. Vehicle was a total loss. ( dot number: tire size: p19565t15 )
The sidewalls on this tire literally disintegrated at 70 miles an hour.no warning.no slow loss of pressure.a catastrophic loss of pressure. The sidewall of the tire looked like it had been attacked by a madman with a knife, almost severed from the tread. I thought i was being attacked by a helicopter.( dot number: tire size: 175/70-r14 )
Right front tire sidewall separated during a 40mph turn on a paved mountain road, temperature outside was 101f. Tires were not under inflated, they were rotated the day before.
Firestone tire sidewall blew out.
The sidewalls on this tire literally disintegrated at 70 miles an hour.no warning.no slow loss of pressure.a catastrophic loss of pressure. The sidewall of the tire looked like it had been attacked by a madman with a knife, almost severed from the tread. I thought i was being attacked by a helicopter.( dot number: tire size: 175/70-r14 )
Tread seperation. (dot number: unkntiresize: p175/70r14)
Tire tread peeled off while traveling on interstate at 60 mph. (tiresize: p75/r15)( dot number: tire size: p75/r15 )
Complete tread separation on right-rear tire.tire is not listed in recall or 9/1 consumer advisory.( dot number: w2epbca086 tire size: p175/70r14 )
Complete tread separation on right-rear tire.tire is not listed in recall or 9/1 consumer advisory.( dot number: w2epbca086 tire size: p175/70r14 )
Firestone tire, p175/70r14, experienced tread separation.
Engine warning light illuminated.
Purchased the car used with approx 24000 miles.seemed fishy at first but dealership insured me that everything was okay.oil light came on after only a week from purchase.did not look like dealership serviced engine.i called the dealership and informed them of the oil light.they never told me that there is a problem and to bring it in, they just brushed it off as a short.when questioning the dealership about the servicing of the car, they replied "you should never assume anything."now here i am with a car that has only (supposedly) 33000 miles on it and the engine is no good.harold motors laughs in our face when i told them about the engine.they will not help us in any way nor will saturn.for a car with only 33000 miles on it, i cannot see it breaking, especially the engine which saturn brags about in every commercial.we are at a standstill trying to contact saturn to alleviate this problem.with the engine breaking with only 33000 miles on it, it is defective.saturn has defective engines on their sl1 models in 1996,so this matter needs to be looked into.the quote for a new engine is 3400.00which we should not have to pay .thank you.
The contact owns a 1996 saturn sl2. While driving less than 10 mph and engaging the brake pedal the vehicle suddenly accelerated without warning. In order to stop the acceleration, the contact had shift into neutral gear and turn the vehicle off. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact had the coolant temperature sensor harness replaced. There were no prior warnings. The failure mileage was 76,824.updated 02/17/10. *ljupdated 02/18/10
Driver was driving and set cruise control at freeway speed, began to exit, touched the break to shut cruise off, cruise control did not shut off. Stood on brake pedal to slow vehicle, removed pressure momentarily and vehicle attempted to accelerate to set cruise speed, turned off cruise at main switch, lost control of vehicle, hit guardrail, and vehicle spun around and had approximately 55mph impact to rear from the guardrail.
While driving the vehicle the vehicle will just take off without any warning this has happen several times. Call the dlr and they said that they can not do any thing. The power makes a loud noise and decreases speed all by itself. The it will loss speed and then die out shutting the whole vehicle off.
Cruise control module failed.
When going from a higher rate of speed to a low rate of speed (65 mph to 25 mph or 40 mph to 15 mph) the vehicle accelerates while the brake is depressed.also, when applyng the brakes, the car does not always stop within the normal distance .while driving at about 35 mph and slowing to a rate of about 15 mph entering a highway ramp, lost control of the car on the wet roadway whcih caused me to skid and go up onto the curb.the vehicle was towed and had approx. $2500 worth of damge. Luckily, there were no injuries to the 5 people inside the vehicle. I thought this was due to roadway conditions until it happened again. I was traveling at approx. 20 mph slowing for a stop sign ahead.i pressed on the brake but the car would not stop and i had no control of the vehicle.thankfully, there was not an accident this time.again, it was raining lightly.i have made an appointment with the dealer.
Driving, speed control set on speed limit, started braking to slow down, car speeded up instead, via off hwy, car lost control, spunned, hit guardrail.
When driving with the cruise control on the car accelerates . Please describe.
When turning on cruise control, the throttle stuck, causing vehicle to increase speed, and would not decrease speed when applying brakes.consumer tried to engage / disengage cruise control, but engine continue to run at high rpms.consumer resulted to using heavy braking to control vehicle speed.vehicle was brought to dealer, where mechanic was able to force throttle and replaced cruise control.
Vehicle hesitates to start at some mornings/continuously revs at 2500 to 3000rpms and accelerates at all speeds without depressing gas pedal.
Cruise control failure. Random acceleration one to fifteen minutes after cruise control engaged. Cc system does not respond to decel button. Cc system will disengage with system set to off. Acceleration on failure is strong, believed to be a fully open throttle on failure. Mr
Upon approaching an intersection and facing a red light, attempted to slow down, but foot slipped and stepped on gas pedal, vehicle lost control, resulting in 2 collisions/injuries. Also brakes failed to stop vehicle.
Accelerator engaged & would not disengage & steering controls failed.vehicle continued to accelerate until approximately 75-80 mph causing vehicle to go out of control and to crash into concrete wall.
When trying to reset the cruise control accelerator pedal went down to the floor, causing the vehicle to accelerate up to 70 mph.after a couple of seconds accelerator pedal popped up, and the vehicle began to slow down.*ph
While driving the gas pedal fell off of the vehicle . The dealer has replaced the gas pedal.
Accelerator pedal sticks.
Engine idles extremely high,with use of automatic transmission, vehicle resulted in crash. Please describe.
When trying to reset the cruise control accelerator pedal went down to the floor, causing the vehicle to accelerate up to 70 mph.after a couple of seconds accelerator pedal popped up, and the vehicle began to slow down.*ph
While driving 65mph vehicle started accelerating by itself, causing consumer to lose control of vehicle.
Window defogger not working properly.
Defroster inadequate, causing poor visibility.
Ventillation system blow air that smells and contains mold.
All of the windows fog up and the defroster does not help, has to continueto wipe off windows whiledriving,service representative saidthat the defroster is performing as designed.please describe details.
Actuator for power windows failed.
Engine malfunction not corrected despite being serviced 7 times and replacing: spark plugs and wires, fuel injectors, and valves. Front driver's window exploded because of malfunctioning electronic switch--caused injury to driver. Owners wish to have money back or replacement.
No summary listed for above vehicle.
Sun roof failed.
Sun roof failed.
Sun roof motor failed.
Consumer has a complaint on the slanted windshields causing a blinding reflection on the components on the dash.*jg
Consumer has a complaint on the slanted windshields causing a blinding reflection on the components on the dash.*jg
High level of interior glare created by dashboard's reflection on sharply slanted windshield, impairs driver's vision, could cause an accident.
Windshield has a cloudy glare on the outside.
Front windshield cracked after starting and warming up; no damage inside or outside; crack 1 1/2 ft long; believed to be manufacturer's defect.tt
Windshield wiper failed.
In cold weather, windshield washer does not spray, wipers smear whatever is on windshield, causing poor visibility. *dsh
Consumer last drove vehicle approximately 6:30 pm on9-28-97 before parking vehicle in driveway. When consumer went out next morning the front passenger's tire had exploded. Consumer had new tires put on in may-97 when she was told that the rim was bent by merchants tire and auto center (919-859-3519)whitch he told her that several saturn owners had came back due to bent rims.
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