1999 Saturn SC1 Owner Complaints

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING THE 1999 SATURN SC2 SHIFTER ASSEMBLY DESIGN DEFECT. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING LOT WHEN HE LOST THE ABILITY TO SHIFT GEARS. UPON INSPECTION, THE FAILURE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A BUSHING THAT CONNECTS THE LOWER OF THE STICK SHIFT TO THE CABLES ATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE PART WAS MADE OF PLASTIC OR VINYL AND IT SPLIT APART AROUND THE ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE, THUS ALLOWING THE CABLES TO COME OFF THE SHIFTER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10168000

Incident

Jan 1, 1901

REAR SWAY BAR LINK ON 99' SC2 COUPE GONE DRY AT 85,000 MILES. MAKING LOUD ANNOYING CREAKING NOISE. THESE UNITS ARE SEALED AND NOT MENT FOR PERIODIC LUBRICATION. WHEN CALL WAS PLACED TO SATURN PARTS DEPARTMENT TO PRICE REPLACEMENT PART, PARTS CLERK KNEW RIGHT AWAY OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD THAT IT WAS $80.00 PER LINK. THINK THEY SELL MANY OF THESE FOR CLERK TO KNOW PRICE WITHOUT LOOKUP. THINK THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM THAT SATURN IS NOT WILLING TO ADMIT.

NHTSA ID

10058511

Incident

Feb 18, 2004

Mileage

85,500 mi

I WAS REAR-ENDED AT 65MPH ON 12-19. MY SEAT BACK COMPLETELY RECLINED AND PINNED MY 9 YEAR OLD SON. HE WAS UNCONCIOUS FOR SEVERAL SECONDS AND SUFFERED A CONCUSSION AND NECK PAIN. I SUFFERED NECK AND BACK INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA ID

10054534

Incident

Dec 19, 2003

Mileage

49,000 mi

THE PLASTIC BUTTON THAT ATTACHES TO THE SPRING TO LOCK THE EMERGENCY BREAK INTO PLACE BROKE. THIS PIECE IS APPROXIMATELY ONE OUNCE AT MOST AND IT BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNOCCUPIED AND NOT ON AN INCLINE. HAD THE VEHICLE BEEN ON A HILL, IT WOULD HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE CHANCES OF INJURIES AND/OR FATALITIES. WHEN I CONTACTED SATURN, I WAS ADVISED THAT THE REPAIR WOULD COST $250 AND THAT IT WAS COMMON ENOUGH TO WHICH IT HAD BEEN SEEN MULTIPLE TIMES BY THE MECHANICAL REPRESENTATIVE TO WHICH I WAS SPEAKING. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT SINCE AN EMERGENCY BREAK IS NOT A SAFETY MECHANISM, IT WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO A RECALL OR A RECALL RELATED INVESTIGATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

10019833

Incident

Oct 11, 2003

Mileage

61,000 mi

DRIVER'S SEAT COMPLETELY RECLINED DURING REAR END COLLISION, RESULTING IN NECK AND BACK INJURIES.*AK

NHTSA ID

10025967

Incident

Jul 3, 2003

THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT RETRACT. IT TAKES OVER 10 MINUTES FOR THEM TO RETRACT ONCE YOU UNFASTEN THEM. MY SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT CORRECTED. I WAS TOLD "THAT IS HOW THEY WORK". I AM NOW HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THEM LOCKING WHILE DRIVING. THE LOCKING IS NOT TRIGGERED BY ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE FOUND IT JUST WON'T MOVE WHEN YOU TRY TO. YOU CAN'T MOVE UNLESS YOU UNDO THE SEAT BELT WAIT FOR IT TO RETRACT AND THEN REFASTEN IT. WHEN YOU UNFASTEN IT THERE IS A CLICKING NOISE AS IT RETRACTS. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH THEM WANTING TO HANG UP WHEN YOU PULL ON IT TO PUT IT ON. THIS PROBLEM HAS EXISTED SINCE JUST A FEW MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. IT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. AFTER NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THEY REPLACED ALL THE SEAT BELTS IN THE CAR. THE SITUATION IMPROVED SLIGHTLY BUT THEN STARTED GETTING WORSE AGAIN. FROM THAT POINT ON THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10010590

Incident

Jun 1, 1999

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HER AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING. ALSO STATED THAT SHE WAS INVOLVED ON A FRONTAL COLLISION. MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED.

NHTSA ID

10003966

Incident

Jan 7, 2003

THE SUN ROOF FAILED, AND TO HAVE IT FIXED COST 1200 DOLLARS. I CONTACTED SATURN OF CARY AND SATURN CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AT 18005536000 AND TALKED TO PEGGY. SHE SAID SINCE IT WAS NOT FIXED AT A SATURN DEALER THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER IT. I TOLD HER OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH MY PREVIOUS SATURN BURNING UP ALL BY ITSELF, AFTER THEY REPLACED A VALVE COVER GASKET, AND THE CAR BEING TOTALED. THEY DID NOTHING ABOUT THAT, EITHER. I HAD THE SUN ROOF FIXED BY TECHNIQUEST OF CARY, WHO SUGGESTED I GET SATURN TO HELP ME WITH THE COST OF THIS, AS 1200 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS, AND SATURN SURPRIZINGLY KEEPING PLENTY OF THIS ITEMS IN STOCK, POINT OT A PROBLEM SATURN DOES NOT WANT TO ADMIT TO. MR

NHTSA ID

768475

Incident

Oct 12, 2002

WHILE IN MOTION, CONSUMER PLACED THE VEHICLE IN CRUISE CONTROL, MAINTAINING A SPEED OF 66 MPH. CONSUMER HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. CONSUMER FELT THE BRAKES CATCH, THEN THERE WAS A LETTING GO FEELING. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO THE BRAKING EFFORTS. CONSUMER TRIED TO EXIT THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE HIT THE RISING OF THE MEDIAN AND FLIPPED ONTO ITS ROOF. CONSUMER SUFFERED VARIOUS BODILY INJURIES. CONSUMER REQUESTS THE DEFECTS ENDURED BE INVESTIGATED, CONSUMER LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE VEHICLE AND OBSERVED THAT THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL HAD DE-BEADED AND HAD NO AIR, THIS IS WHAT CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL, TIRE IS A FIRESTONE LEMANS HR TUBLPS 195/60R15, IN THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. *JG

NHTSA ID

567756

Incident

Sep 4, 2002

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE; LOST CONTROL AND FLIP OVER AND NEITHER THE AIR BAG DEPLOY. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *MR THE BRAKE FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. *YH

NHTSA ID

8019984

Incident

Aug 28, 2002

DRIVER ATTEMTPED TO ENTER LEFT LANE ON INTERSTATE WHILE TRAVELING AT 65-67 MPH. WHILE ENTERING LANE, AND AT DIAGONAL, HAD TO HIT BARKES SUDDENLY DUE TO DRIVER IN CAR IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF VEHICLE LEAVING RIGHT LANE WITHOUT NOTICE. HIT BARKES AND REAR RIGHT WHEEL "GAVE' AND CAR REAR END BEGAN TO FISHTAIL UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER HAD TO EXIT HIGHWAY TO CETER V-SHAPED MEDIAN. TRAVELING AT HIGH, THOUGH REDUCED RATE OF SPEED. CAR TRAVELED DOWN NEAR INCLINE INTO V OF MEDIAN CENTER. CAR HIT ASCENDING AREA OF MEDIANWITH FRONT (80%) LEFT (20%) PORTION OF VEHICLE. TORE OFF FOGS LIGHTS, BROKE LOWER AIR DAM AND TORE OFF LICENSE PLATE BRACKETT WHILE CRUMPLING LICENSE PLATE. LEFT FRONT TIRE HIT INCLINED AREA OF MEDIAN. VEHICLE FLIPPED ONTO ROOF. DESPITE IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUFFERED CONCUSSION, BODY LACERATIONS, CERVICAL FRACTURE.BUMPER TRAVEL. *AK

NHTSA ID

766975

Incident

Sep 4, 2002

REAR SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RELEASE, RENDERING PASSENGER UNPROTECTED IN CASE OF A CRASH. DRIVER SEAT BELT WOULD NOT RETRACT, LEAVING SEAT BELT VERY LOOSE, AND RENDERING DRIVER UNPROTECTED IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.*AK

NHTSA ID

766776

Incident

Sep 5, 2002

REAR PASSENGER SIDE OUTBOARD SEAT SEATBELT WILL NOT RETRACT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER STATED THAT SEATBELT ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *AK *JG

NHTSA ID

8012217

Incident

May 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH THERE WAS A CLUNK TYPE NOISE AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE STALLED. DEALER NOTICED VALVE SPRING WAS BROKEN. MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE CONTACTED. *AK DEALER FOUND SPRING VALVE BROKE, CAUSING THE PISTON TO HIT THE VALVE AND BEND THE VALVE. MECHANIC STATES THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A RESULT OF A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. SATURN FINALLY AGREED TO PAY A PORTION OF COST TO INSTALL NEW ENGINE. *TT

NHTSA ID

8012110

Incident

Jun 10, 2002

SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON, MECHANIC STATES THE OXYGEN SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NLM SATURN WILL NOT REPLACE OR FIX THE UNIT, ALSO, CONSUMER HAD TO REPLACE A MUFFLER ON THE VEHICLE. *JG

NHTSA ID

8008049

Incident

Apr 15, 2002

CHILD SEAT DOES NOT FIT SAFELY INTO THE VEHICLE, THIS STATEMENT CAME FROM THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CONSUMER WAS ASKING FOR REFUND OR FOR AN EQUAL EXCHANGE. *YH *TT

NHTSA ID

564261

DRIVER SEAT RECLINED UPON IMPACT DURING A REAR-END COLLISION, CAUSING INJURY TO DRIVER'S BACK AND NECK.*AK

NHTSA ID

745898

Incident

May 1, 2001

ALMOST WRECKED 3 TIMES. TREADS WORE OUT PREMATURELY. SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN INVESTIGATION. NOT SAFE BY ANY STANDARDS!( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 195/50/R16 )

NHTSA ID

729883

WHILE TRAVELING NOTICED ANOTHER VEHICLE ABOUT TO HIT CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER COULD NOT LOCATE HORN BUTTONS BECAUSE THEY WERE TO SMALL ON STERRING WHEEL AS ARESULT, VEHICLE WAS IN AN ACCIDENT . PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

852897

WITH NORMAL USE, THE REAR SEAT BELTS HAVE JAMMED UP 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 10 MONTHS I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE. THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT EXTEND OR RETRACT RENDERING THEM INOPERABLE.

NHTSA ID

714155

CONSUMEER'S VEHICLE HAS AN ANTI-THEFT DEVICE ON KEY CHAIN. DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER OF SAFETY ISSUE. WHEN SHE TOUCHED THE KEY FOR ELECTRONIC BUTTON, THE TRUNK OPENED WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *AK

NHTSA ID

847740

Incident

Sep 6, 1999