Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1993 Saturn Sl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 21 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND PLACING THE GEAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL VEHICLE WILL JUMPED FORWARD, DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER OWNS FOUR OTHER SATURN VEHICLES. THREE OF THEM HAVE ALSO HAD THEIR VALVE BODY ASSEMBLIES REPLACED. ALL OF THE VEHICLES HAD UNDER 50000 MILES ON THEIR ODOMETER'S. *NM
TRANSMISSION EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING CAUSED BY A PIN COMING LOOSE FROM WITHIN, AND FORCING IT THROUGH TRANSMISSION CASE. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS ON THIS MATTER.*AK
WHILE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH TRANSMISSION BLEW UP, AND SOME PIECES FLEW INTO CAR*AK CONSUMER STATES TRANSMISSION IS A 5 SPEED MANUAL, THE DIFFERENTIAL WITHIN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING THE INTERNAL PARTS TO VIOLENTLY PUNCTURE THE TRANSMISSION CASE MAKING THE VEHICLE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WAS JAMMED AND UNABLE TO SHIFT GEARS.*JB
THIRD GEAR ACTUATOR IS BURNED OUT DUE TO A SHORT CIRCUIT IN COMPUTER CONTROL.*AK
TIMING CHAIN AND GUIDES FAILED. *SLC
VALVE BODY FAILED - TROUBLE WITH GEARS ENGAGING THEN DURING TOTAL FAILURE, TANSMISSION WENT INTO 2ND GEAR WITHOUT ANY CHANGE IN INCLINE, OR POWER APPLICATION AND SURGED IN AND OUT OF SECOND GEAR (AT HIGHWAY SPEED). VALVE BODY REPLACED - DEALER READILY ADMITS A COMMON PROBELM WITH SATURNS BUILT IN EARLY 90'S. IF GEARS FAIL TO ENGAGE I SEE A SAFETY CONCERN - ESPECIALLY SINCE REPLACEMENT PARTS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ORIGINAL STOCK - THE A SOLUTION TO THIS HAS BEEN ENGINEERED BUT WHY NO RECALL?
TRANSMISSION HESITATES BEFORE GOING INTO REVERSE AND LURCHES BACKWARD WHEN IT DOES.
I HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE, I BELEIVE BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION...THE REVERSE GEAR TAKES A WHILE TO "KICK-IN". THERE IS A LOUD NOISE (COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION). THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHEN I WAS UNDER MY 60DAY WARRANTY ABOUT THE REVERSE PROBLEM (THERE WAS NO NOISE YET) AND HE TOOK IT FOR A RIDE AND SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG (IT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERYTIME). NOW, I CALLED HIM AND SAID THAT THIS HAD HAPPENED TO THE TRANSMISSION AND HE SAYS HE DOESN'T REMEMBER ..AND THE WARRANTY IS UP.
ENGINE BLOCK HAS SPLIT NEAR THE LOCATION OF ALTERNATOR ,CAUSING IT TO BE LOSE AND CUT INTO THE BELT. THE BLOCK BUSTED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. TRANSMISSION HAS A PROBLEM WHEN SHIFTING, AND SATURN HAS TOLD ME THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING ODD ABOUT IT. NOR IS THERE ANYTHING ODD ABOUT THE ENGINE OVERHEATING DURING BARELY WARM DAYS IN THE SUMMER. POSSIBLY CONNECTED. *AK
TRANSMISSION DELAYS THEN SLAMES INTO REVERSE WHEN HOT. THE VALVE BODY WAS REPLACED FOUR TIMES BY THE SAME DEALER. NOW THE DEALER WANTS TO TAKE THE TRANS. APART WITH A FIVE HOUR LABOR CHARGE. THE COST WOULD ABOUT $500. JUST TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG ALL THE LONG. WITH NO REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE FIRST FOUR VALVE BODIES.
TRANSMISSION BANGS INTO GEAR AND HAS TROUBLE GOING INTO REVERSE GEAR DUE TO FAILURE OF THE VALVE BODY.
BRAKES HAVE NEVER WORKED PROPERLY. HAVE TO BRAKE AHEAD OF TIME TO AVOID ACCIDENT. DEALER REPLACED AND RESURFACED ROTORS 2 TIMES. TRANSMISSION LEAKING. REPLACED VALVE BODY COVER GASKET. ANOTHER MECHANIC CLAIMS CRACK IN TRANMISSION. FIRST HALF WAS DONE UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND TIME ROTORS/PADS WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. DEFECT IS STILL REOCCURRING. *AK
SECOND GEAR ACTUATOR FAILED. MJS
BRAKES RUSTED.
WHILE MAKING RIGHT/LEFT HAND TURNS TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF 3RD GEAR WITHOUT WARNING.*AK
ON TWO OCCASIONS THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR . PLEASE DESCRIBE.*AK
MANUAL TRANS AXLE W/5 SPD SYSTEM BLEW UP, THROWING SHRAPNAL. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS.*AK
VEHICLES TRANSMISSION HAS DELAYED EFFECT WHEN SHIFTING INTO ANY GEAR. TT
INTERMITTENT MANUAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE, WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE IT WON'T ENGAGE. *AK
THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 50K, AND HAD TO BE REBUILT, AND CONSUMER KNOWS OF OTHER CASES. TT
CONTINUOUS STALLING/ENGINE IDLING HIGH AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO REPAIR. *SKD
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .