2000 Saturn LS Driver assistance Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR AN UNRELATED PROBLEM AND THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10473954

Incident

Sep 4, 2012

Mileage

60,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 SATURN LS1. WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPACE AT 5 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE EXTREMELY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. AS A RESULT, HER FOOT SLIGHTLY TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, WHICH CAUSED HER TO CRASH INTO A BUILDING. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED MODERATE DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED, BUT A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 77,000.

NHTSA ID

10228036

Incident

Jan 3, 2008

Mileage

77,000 mi

I HAVE A SATURN SL YEAR 2000. IT CURRENTLY HAS 63,000 MILES ON IT. ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND IT SUDDENLY STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, I WENT THROUGH A RED LIGHT BECAUSE I COULDN'T SLOW IT FAST ENOUGH. THE BRAKES WOULD SLOW IT DOWN IF I FLOORED THEM BUT NOT SLOW IT TO A STOP. THE ENGINE RPMS WERE UP TO 5 AND WOULD NOT DECREASE. I HAD TO THROUGH THE CAR IN TO NEUTRAL THEN PARK (RPMS STILL AT 5) THEN TAKE THE KEYS OUT. I HAD THE NEAREST AUTO REPAIR CHECK IT AND THEY SAID THAT AN ICE BLOCK HAD FROZE IN THE AIR INTAKE CAUSING ACCELERATOR TO FREEZE. 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME EVENT OCCURRED. I PROCEEDED WITH THE SAME ACTIONS TO STOP, AND WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. (THIS TIME I SMELLED AN AWFUL BURNING SMELL WHICH I ASSUME WAS EITHER FROM RIDING MY BRAKES OR FROM THE ENGINE REVVING SO HIGH) LUCKY NO RED LIGHTS THIS TIME AND NOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD AS THE FIRST TIME. I DECIDED TO USE THE SATURN DEALER SHIP TO HAVE THE CAR CHECKED. THEY STATED THAT "MICE" HAD CHEWED THROUGH THE WIRES GOING TO THE ACCELERATOR SENSOR/CONTROL. THEY REPLACED THE WIRES AND SAID IT WAS FIXED. NOW 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED. I CALLED THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THEY MAY HAVE TO KEEP THE VEHICLE UNTIL THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM TO DIAGNOSE IT. I EXPLAINED IT HAS OCCURRED ONLY ABOUT EVERY 2 WEEKS AND THAT I HAVE ONLY ONE VEHICLE. I THEN DECIDED TO RESEARCH THE INTERNET ABOUT THE PROBLEM. ON ONE SITE WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM I FOUND A FEW DISTURBING REPORTS/COMPLAINTS FROM PEOPLE (INCLUDING ONE 10 MILES FROM WHERE I LIVE). THEY DESCRIBED THE SAME PROBLEMS ( ALTHOUGH 1 WAS A SATURN 2002) AND THAT AFTER MANY INCIDENTS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS THEY HAVE NOT HAD THEIR PROBLEM RESOLVED AND THEY ARE TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLE. ONE DESCRIBED THEIR VEHICLE AS A POSSESSED DEATH TRAP WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW I AM FEELING. . I AM VERY FRIGHTENED TO EVEN DRIVE NOW. PEOPLE COULD BE KILLED BY THIS PROBLEM. *JB

NHTSA ID

10184543

Incident

Mar 8, 2007

THE CAR ACCELERATES SUDDENLY WHILE CRUISE CONTROL IS "ON". BOTH TIMES THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES SUDDENLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED, AND APPROACHING AN EXIT RAMP FROM A FREEWAY. FIRST TIME THIS OCCURRED SPEEDS REACHED 95 MPH, BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT IN SLOWING DOWN VEHICLE. SECOND TIME THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL AND IGNITIN TURNED OFF. *AK

NHTSA ID

10114063

Incident

Mar 13, 2005

Mileage

60,000 mi

AT CROSSING SPEED (MORE THAN 15 MPH) THE CAR WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT ANY GAS PEDAL EFFORD. THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO 4,000. RPMS ON NEUTRAL. WHEN THE CAR WAR ON DRIVE THE ENGINE WHENT TO 6,000 RPMS. THIS PROBLEM CAN EASILY CREATE AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT. THE CAR CAN GO TO FULL SPEED WITHOUT NOTICE OR TELL TELL LIGHT. THIS PROBLEM WAS FOUND TO BE THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED CONTROL MOTOR STAYING FULLY OPEN. GENERAL MOTORS KNOWS ABOUT THIS POTENCIAL PROBLEM AND HAS ISSUE A NEW PART NUMBER FOR THIS ENGINE IDLE CONTROL MOTOR. NEW P/N 1711363 OLD P/N 25177797. BUT THERE IS NOTHING ISSUE FOR THIS PROBLEM, NOT A RECALL, OR SERVICE BULLETIN.*AK

NHTSA ID

10102336

Incident

Dec 5, 2004

Mileage

104,500 mi

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE SHE AND HER HUSBAND WERE DRIVING ABOUT 70 MPH THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 80 MPH. WHEN THE DRIVER HIT THE BRAKE THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN, HOWEVER WHEN THE DRIVER'S FOOT WAS REMOVED FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN. CONSUMER STATES THIS WENT ON FOR MINUTES. THE CONSUMER STATED SHE CALLED 911 AND WAS TOLD TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE'S MOTOR CONTINUED TO RACE AND THE PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR. ONCE THE KEY WAS REMOVED AND EVERYTHING HAD STOPPED, THE TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SATURN DEALER. THE DEALER FOUND NOTHING SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE AND WHY THE PEDAL WAS STUCK IN PLACE. *NM *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10059378

Incident

Feb 19, 2004

CAR ACCELERATES BY ITSELF CAUSING A DANGEROUS SITUATION. BRAKING DOES NOT STOP THE ACCELERATION. I TOOK IT INTO SATURN AND AFTER SUPPOSEDLY REPAIRED HAS BEGUN TO DO THIS AGAIN. *JB

NHTSA ID

10056359

Incident

Jan 5, 2004

Mileage

116,000 mi

WHEN CONSUMER PUSHES ON THE BRAKES THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT DEACTIVATE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10002423

Incident

Jan 3, 2003

AFTER PULLING INTO MY PARKING SPOT I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE AND ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD JUMPING THE PARKING ABUTMENT AND CRASHING INTO MY BUILDING AND FENCE. *AK

NHTSA ID

754834

Incident

Nov 21, 2001

WHILE DRIVING ON MODERATELY HILLY HIGHWAY, THE CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED THE ENGINE TO GO TO FULL THROTTLE ACCOMPANIED BY A TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFT RESULTING IN RAPID AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ACCELERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED THREE TIMES.. *AK

NHTSA ID

735000