Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 06/01/1999 | 11979 | 1 | 11/01/1998 |
| The vehicle stalled intermittently while driving. the cam switch was replaced twice, the idle control was adjusted and the throttle was replaced yet the problem recurred. the vehicle lunged forward when the vehicle was shifted in reverse. the transmission was replaced. *nm | |||
| 09/13/2004 | 34000 | 1 | 09/15/1998 |
| Vehicle was not running properly. taken to mechanic who told me that vehicle was 5 quarts low on transmission fluid and vehicle would have stopped running if not taken care of at that time. although vehicle only had 35000 miles on it transmission, which had defect, had to be rebuilt for $2400+.*ak | |||
| 05/01/2002 | |||
| Transmision hesitates and jerks before going into any gear. problem has existed for 3 months.dealer was notified, and found a faulty transmission valve.*ak | |||
| 09/22/2001 | 1 | 02/01/2001 | |
| No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak | |||
| 03/12/2001 | 1 | 01/01/1998 | |
| Caution: saturn automatic transmision may be dangerous if it hesitates and clunks into gear or downshifts inappropriately. saturn's computer diagnostic system may not detect dangerous transmission control condition. saturn corp. policy on paying dealer for diagnostic work for warranty items may discourage dealer from further investigating possibly dangerous conditions.*ak | |||
| 03/12/2001 | 1 | 01/20/1998 | |
| Consumer was traveling 55mph on wet roads vehicle downshifted into low gear at highway speed. consumer lost control and crashed into a concrete bridge which guided him to a stop. twice vehicle was in shop for clunking, and twice with downshifting added. vehicle in a repair shop to see what damage has been done.*ak the consumer says the dealer should have addressed the symptems of potentially dangerous transmission problem during the 4 service periods. the vehicle was a total loss. the consumer was sekking financial reimbersement for the loss and expenses. *yh | |||
| 03/30/2001 | |||
| While driving about 30 mph consumer heard a noise, stopped after increasing speed. shortly after, consumer noticed smoke from under hood. parked vehicle,and next morning there was transmission fluid under vehicle, towed to dealer, who found a differential pin had come loose in transmission, and caused a hole in transmission. *ak | |||
| 09/12/1999 | 1 | 04/01/1998 | |
| No summary | |||
| 06/01/1998 | 1 | 06/01/1998 | |
| Transmission failed. yh | |||
| 02/25/1998 | |||
| Vehicle wanders from side to side when driving at approximately 30-60mph. loud banging noise occurs when going over bumps. high frequency whining from the engine that adds to the noise. also, transmission shifting has too little or too much power. dealer/western region mfr. contacted and cannot remedy the problem. problem still exists. provide further information. *ak | |||
| 01/22/1999 | |||
| While driving 60 mph the transmission went out without any warning. driver was able to coast to the side of the road safely. the vehicle towed to the dealership where the transmission was replaced. *ak *ml | |||
| 1 | 03/03/1998 | ||
| Transmission jerking and experiences unwanted surges almost resulting in collisions. | |||
| 02/01/1998 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| The problem in a nutshell is unexpected/unpredictable apparent loss of braking. | |||
| 06/15/1998 | |||
| When traveling 35 mph, going up an incline and vehicle is placed in fourth gear, the vehicle will drop from fourth gear into second and will accelerate. consumer has contacted the dealer. dealer states normal operations. please provide any further details. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||
| 08/13/1999 | 2 | 07/01/1998 | |
| Vehicle's traction control failed, causing the vehicle to hydroplane and spin out of control and off highway. while spinning, abs brakes failed and caused wheels to lock up. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||
| 08/12/1998 | 01/24/1998 | ||
| Transmission converter housing was pourous and allowed transmission fluid to leak out. the converter housing had to be replaced, with new gaskets, filter and sealant. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - PARK/NEUTRAL START SWITCH | |||
| 04/07/1998 | 4 | 09/01/1997 | |
| Ignition key sticking due to faulty brake lock shift and cable park interlock. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT | |||
| 11/06/2004 | 174000 | 1 | 02/17/2001 |
| My 23 yr old son was traveling from ventura, ca at 75 mph on fwy 99 n bound in the middle lane (of 3) at about 1 a.m. in fresno, ca. just before arriving at his exit to hwy 41 n, the rear end began to skid to the left. driver steered into the skid to correct while stepping on the brakes to reduce speed. suddenly the rear end of the car was hurled into the air causing the entire vehicle to go airborne, clearing the third lane (far right lane) and landing on top of asphalt berm and soft, sandy embankment resulting in the car rolling and going airborne, bouncing off the rear end of the car and going airborne yet a third time landing upside down on the shoulder of the freeway with the nose of the car extending into the third lane. driver received minor injuries but chp officers were astonished it was not a fatality. car was totaled. talks with saturn headquarters has only resulted in denial that the spindle could have caused the accident. they insist a tire blowout was most likely the cause. personal investigation revealed there was no blowout. evidence points toward the spindle breaking allowing the wheel assembly to fold down under the car causing it to skid to the left. the application of brakes brought the front end of the car down enough to allow the wheel assembly to catch the frame assembly and pitch the car into the air while tearing out the entire rear wheel well assembly. parts of the wheel assembly were found 40 feet before the impact of the car on the driver's side (which would be impact #2) as it tumbled across the freeway embankment. no one seems to want to further investigate the wreckage including our insurance and saturn.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/03/2004 | 35000 | 1 | |
| While accelerating to 40 mph consumer shifted from second to third gear and floor shifter failed. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak | |||
| 02/19/2004 | 1 | ||
| Manual transmission linkage broke. the plastic that locks the ball of the linkage to the socket of the shifter cracked, and became seperated while in operation.*ak | |||