Saturn SL Complaints (1999)

178 consumer complaints on file.

#713214October 12, 1999
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
NO SUMMARY
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#548579September 21, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH CYLINDER FAILED CAUSING DIFFICULTIES WHEN TURNING KEY WHICH WAS REPLACED SEPT.3,99. PROBLEM STILL EXIST. *YC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#848249September 21, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE STALLS OUT AND DIES. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#711588September 19, 1999
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
SECOND OCCURRANCE: 7-26-99 REPORTED TRANS. BUCKS WHEN ACCELERATING. TRANSAXLE-RESET ADAPTIVES, SAID NOTHING WRONG. 08- 25-99 LOST REVERSE GEAR AGAIN..DEALER REFUSED TO SUPPLY PAPERWORK FOR WORK PERFORMED. SAID NOT IN COMPUTER YET. AFTER 3 CALLS, MAILED HAND-WRITTEN WORK-ORDER POST-MARKED 9-10-99. TO DATE HAVE NOT RECEIVED COMPUTER PRINTOUT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#843661July 28, 1999
SEATS
HIT FROM BEHIND DRIVER'S SEAT COLLAPSED. THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS JAMMED TO THE BACK SEAT. CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEAT. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#708872July 21, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#842280July 14, 1999
SEAT BELTS
THE DRIVER'S/PASSENGER'S SEAT BELTS WOULD FLIP OVER WHEN RETRACTING. WOULD JAM IN TOP GUIDE. THIS CAUSES THE BELTS TO GET CAUGHT IN THE DOOR FRAME. THE BELTS WOULD ALSO BE TWISTED WHEN RETRACTING OUT TO BE USED. POOR DESIGN. A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER WHO HAS NO CORRECTIVE SOLUTION TO PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#546458July 6, 1999
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE, SUSPENSION:FRONT
THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS (SHOULDER BOLT) FELL OFF, POSSIBLE ERROR IN ASSEMBLY, WAS NOT TIGHTENED PROPERLY WHEN MANUFACTURED. *YC
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707881June 24, 1999
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE, POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
I WISH THE STATE HAD MORE STRINGENT LEMON LAWS. I WILL HAVE HAD TO BRING MY CAR IN FOR REPAIRS 5 TIMES NOW, AND I FEEL THAT IS RIDICULOUS FOR A CAR IVE ONLY HAD FOR 6 MONTHS. THERE ARE PROBLEMS THAT EXIST NOW AND HAVE REOCCURRED OR PROBABLY WILL. SATURN SHOULD DEFINITELY PRODUCE BUT BETTER CARS IF THEY WANT PEOPLE TO BUY THEM... I CERTAINLY WON'T BUY ANOTHER ONE OR ANY GM PRODUCT. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED SATURN DIRECTLY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT AS I HAD DEALINGS WITH ANOTHER SATURN. FURTHERMORE, BRINGING THE CAR TO THE DEALER SEEMS TO BE A HASSLE. I HAVE TO GO OUT OF MY WAY TO GET MY "LEMON CAR" FIXED REPEATEDLY FOR MINOR PROBLEMS WHICH ARE REALLY ANNOYANCES. NO DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#707767June 22, 1999
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR, SEAT BELTS:FRONT
SEAT BELTS CONSTANTLY TRY TO FLIP OVER WHEN RETRACTING. WHEN THIS OCCURS, THEY CATCH IN THE DOORS AND CAN BE EASILY DAMAGED. WHEN THEY FLIP OVER, THEY THEN FIL OVER THE OCCUPANT TWISTED UNTIL THE SIDE PILLAR IS OPENED TO STRAIGHTEN THE FABRIC AT THE RETRACTOR. EVEN WHEN NOT FLIPPED, THE FRONT BELTS TEND TO COME TWISTED OVER YOUR BODY. I'VE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE WHERE YOU MUST PAY SO MUCH ATTENTION TO HOW YOU PUT ON AND TAKE OFF THE BELTS TO AVOID TWISTING THEM. IT'S A POOR DESIGN, AND MY 1996 & 1997 SATURNS DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER OFFER NO SOLUTION SINCE THE REDESIGN OF THE FRONT BELTS ALLOWING VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT CREATED THE PROBLEM. MANY CUSTOMERS WILL WEAKEN THE BELTS BY CATCHING THEM IN THE DOORS OVER AND OVER. I DON'T THINK TOO MANY WILL PAY TO REPLACE THEM. IF THE TOP BELT CLIP WERE REDESIGNED, THE TENDENCY TO TWIST MIGHT BE REDUCED. I HOPE YOU CAN CONVINCE THE MANUFACTURER TO PROVIDE A FIX FOR THIS ISSUE. IT'S NOT ONLY ME. ALL USERS OF MY VEHICLE HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT ABOUT THE BELTS IN FRONT. THANK YOU. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#706973May 29, 1999
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
DRIVING AT 40 MPH WHEN RPM GAUGE STARTED TO GO DOWN, DECELERATION OCCURRED AND CAR STALLED. ATTEMPTS TO RESTART CAR RESULTED IN IT REPEATEDLY STALLING. WHILE TRYING TO RESTART RPM'S WERE GOING TO HIGH BEFORE THE CAR ACTUALLY STALLED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE FUEL PUMP AND IDLER AIR CONTROL MODULE WERE REPLACED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#705445April 9, 1999
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH, EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
I OWN AND OPERATE TWO 1999 SATURN MODELS LS1 VEHICLES AT AAA DRIVING SCHOOL. THEY ARE USED FOR TEACHING BEHIND-THE- HEEL DRIVING INSTRUCTION. BOTH INSTRUCTORS, SEVERAL STUDENTS AND MYSELF HAVE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY WITH THE TURN SIGNAL/HEADLIGHT SWITCH COMBINATION, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OPERATING. THE HEADLIGHT ON/OFF SWITCH IS LOCATED ON THE END OF THE TURN SIGNAL ARM. TO TURN IT ON THE OPERATOR MUST TURN IT COUNTER CLOCKWISE THROUGH TWO POSITIONS. THIS HEADLIGHT SWITCH HAS VERY LITTLE TENSION, REQUIRING NOTHING MORE THAN A LIGHT "FLICK" COUNTERCLOCKWISE TO TURN ON. THE TURN SIGNAL HOWEVER, IS ANOTHER STORY. IT REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY 2-4 LBS. OF PRESSURE TO ENGAGE. THE ARM OF THE TURN SIGNAL IS ALSO VERY SHORT IN COMPARISON TO OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME SIZE STEERING WHEEL. APPROXIMATELY 1 1/2 INCHES SHORTER THAN OTHER TURN SIGNAL ARMS IN COMPARABLE VEHICLES. THIS "SHORTNESS" REQUIRES THE OPERATOR TO REMOVE THE LEFT HAND FROM THE WHEEL, GRASP AND PULL DOWN OR PUSH UP. (UNLESS THEY HAVE LONGER THAN NORMAL FINGERS) AT NIGHT, WHEN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS IN THE "ON" POSITION AND THE OPERATOR/DRIVER REMOVES HAND FROM WHEEL TO ENGAGE THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL, THEY INADVERTANTLY TURN OFF THE HEADLIGHTS. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. ALSO REQUIRING AN OPERATOR/DRIVER TO REMOVE ONE HAND FROM THE STEERING WHEEL TO ENGAGE/DISENGAGE THE TURN SIGNAL WHICH IS DONE WHEN CHANGING LANES IS ALSO VERY DANGEROUS. THE POUNDS OF PRESSURE REQUIRED IS EXCESSIVE IN BOTH ENGAGE/DISENGAGE FUNCTIONS OF THE TURN SIGNAL RELATIVE TO THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE REQUIRED TO TURN THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON OR OFF. COMPLAINTS TO THE SATURN DEALER AND FACTORY HAVE BEEN UNANSWERED. IN LAS VEGAS, WITH ITS BRIGHTLY LIT STREETS IT IS QUITE COMMON TO SEE A SATURN BEING DRIVEN WITHOUT HEADLIGHTS OR TAIL LIGHTS ON. SO, I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#543937February 18, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
SUSPECTED ELECTRICAL FAILURE THAT CAUSES VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY (ELECTRICAL AND FUEL SYSTEMS).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#543806February 9, 1999
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#834212January 28, 1999
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APROXIMATELY 35MPH WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FALILED, AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. SECOND TIME, WHILE DRIVING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AGAIN, AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN. DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM, THE THIRD TIME THIS SCENARIO HAPPENED THE DEALERSHIP TOWED VEHICLE ,AND THE DIAGNOSTICS SHOWED VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN. BUT DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DAVID- MECHANIC AT SATURN OF ERVING TEXAS--972-790-7400. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#702526January 24, 1999
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR, SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
VEHICLE REAR ENDED WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP. DRIVERS' SIDE SEAT BACK LET GO, AND SEAT BELT RELEASED, CAUSING DRIVER TO BE THROWN FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. THIS WAS A LOW IMPACT COLLISION,AND NO INJURY WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IF SEAT AND BELT HAD HELD UP DURING COLLISION. *AK
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#833057January 5, 1999
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
WHEN SNOW BUILDS UP ON THE WINDSHIELD THE THE WIPERS BECOME INOPERATIVE BECAUSE THE BOLTS HOLDING THEM COME LOOSE. DLR SAYS THAT IT IS NORMAL. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#829729October 29, 1998
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT
WHEN FLOOR GEAR SHIFT IS TOUCHED OR BUMPED,THE SHIFT WILL POP OUT OF GEAR SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. *AK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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