Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1995 Saturn Sl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 56 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.
The 25 most recent of 56, in the owner's own words
1 INCIDENT AND 1 CRASH. LEFT EMERGENCY BRAKE ON BY ACCIDENT WHEN DRIVING AND WENT TO APPLY BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN, BUT HAD NO BRAKES. COULD NOT STOP..NO ACCIDENT FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. BUT 2ND TIME CAUSED MULTIPLE CAR ACCIDENT W/AN INJURY. AFTER I STOPPED DRIVING, THE BRAKES BEGAN WORKING AGAIN. I HAD MY BRAKES CHECKED BUT THEY DID NOT NEED REPLACED. *TR
EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON BROKE; BUTTON EJECTED WHEN USING PARKING BRAKE, PREVENTING E-BRAKE FROM BEING USED. BUTTON AND SPRING ASSEMBLY CAME OUT, WITH BUTTON HAVING TWO SMALL PLASTIC CHIPS THAT WERE BROKEN, PREVENTING REASSEMBLY. THIS EFFECTIVELY PREVENTED THE VEHICLE'S STANDARD EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT (PARKING BRAKE) FROM BEING USED. NO REPLACEMENT BUTTON WAS AVAILABLE.*AK
DT: 1995 SATURN SL1 4 DOOR. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 29, 2005 . UPON IMPACT, THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER TOOK PICTURES . HOWEVER, HAD NOT CONTACTED DEALERSHIP OR MANUFACTURER BECAUSE HE THOUGHT VEHICLE WAS TOO OLD, AND DEALERSHIP INFORMATION WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 30-35 MPH, HIT THE BRAKES, AND THEY DID NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS TWO FRONT AIRBAGS . CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS HIT ON FRONT AND DRIVER SIDE OF VEHICLE AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONSUMER WAS THE ONLY PERSON IN THE VEHICLE AND WAS WEARING SEAT BELTS. THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS NOT ON PRIOR TO THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE POLICE REPORT DID NOT STATE ANYTHING ABOUT THE AIRBAGS. THE CONSUMER GAVE THE REPAIR INVOICE TO INSURANCE COMPANY, BUT COULD GET A COPY. THE ROAD THAT CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ON WAS CLEAR. AFTER THE IMPACT LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE CONSUMER SUSTAINED CUTS AND BRUISES BUT WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CHEST HIT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAUSE THE SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK WHEN HITTING THE BRAKES. WAS ABOUT 24 INCHES AWAY FROM STEERING WHEEL. THERE WAS NO OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. THE BACK BUMPER ON THE OTHER VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE HAS ALL THE ORIGINAL PARTS.*AK
BRAKES PULSATE WHEN STOPPING AND ALSO CAUSING STEERING WHEEL TO SHAKE. BRAKES CAUSED CAR NOT TO STOP ON TIME WHEN TRAVELING ABOUT 35MPH. I HAD JUST RECENTLY TAKEN THE CAR TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP AND THE BRAKES WERE INSPECTED AND I WAS NOT ADVISED ANYTHING ABOUT THE BRAKES. THEN JUST RECENTLY, WHEN I NOTICED MY CAR WAS EXPERIENCING EXTENDED STOPPING I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALER BESIDES SATURN; I WAS TOLD THAT WHEEL CYLINDERS WERE LEAKING AND ROTORS WERE WARPED AND CALIPERS HAD TO BE REPLACED. BASICALLY, THE ENTIRE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS GONE. THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE WITH THIS CAR. IN LOOKING AT PAST RECEIPTS FROM PREVIOUS OWNER, THIS SAME PROBLEM WAS COMPLAINED ABOUT AND SUPPOSEDLY FIXED AT THE SAME SATURN DEALERSHIP. THE BRAKES HAVE ALSO BEEN REPAIRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AT OTHER AUTO MECHANIC DEALERS. *LA
CRACKS IN BOTH FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS "ON THE INNER PAD CONTACT SURFACE" WERE DISCOVERED BY THE MECHANIC WHILE HAVING MY CAR SERVICED AT HIS STATION. MY BRAKES WERE NOT IN DISREPAIR AND AS FAR AS I CAN SEE THESE CRACKS DEVELOPED OVER "NORMAL" USE. I DO HAVE TO POINT OUT THAT MY EXAMINATION OF THESE ROTORS SHOW THAT THE INNER BRAKE PAD DISC ROTOR AREA HAS A MUCH SMALLER SURFACE AREA THAN THE OUTER BRAKE PAD ROTOR SURFACE AREA (WHICH HAD NO CRACKS) AND ALSO THE INNER ROTOR PAD SURFACE AREA IS ALSO LESS ABLE TO EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY HANDLE THE HEAT AND STRESS GENERATED BY BRAKING ACTION. IN MY OPINION, THE INNER PAD ROTOR AREA ON MY SATURN FRONT DISC BRAKES IS POORLY DESIGNED AND VERY PRONE TO CRACKING AND INDEED A SAFETY HAZARD. SINCE THESE CRACKS WERE IN "BOTH" MY FRONT BRAKE ROTORS, I WOULD NOT BE A BIT SURPRISED IF THERE WERE MANY MORE OUT THERE WITH THESE SAME CRACKS.*AK
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED AT 35 MPH PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE, AND RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFROMATION.*AK
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES FOR APPROACHING STOP LIGHT PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO REAR END VEHICLE IN FRONT. CONSUMER'S VEHICLE AT DEALER SHOP, AND DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE CAUSE. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER.*AK
BRAKE ROTORS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING CAUSED BY A DEFECT IN BRAKE PADS.*AK
THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE BRAKE WEAR . THE DELAER HAS CHANGED THE ROTORS AND BRAKES FIVE TIMES. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
BRAKE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, RESULTING IN NO BRAKING ABILITY. OCCUPANT HAD TO APPLIED THE EMERGENCY PARKING BRAKE, AND PUT IT IN "PARK" POSITION IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE.*AK.ET.
BRAKE LINES EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT APPROX 40 MPH, CAUSING COMPLETE BRAKE FAILURE CONSUMER HAD TO PULL EMERGENCY BRAKE. *AK
BRAKE ROTORS, DRUMS, PADS FAILED
BRAKES, PADS, ROTORS FAILED.
PARKING BRAKE DID NOT FULLY DISENGAGE WHEN HANDLE WAS RELEASED, CAUSING OVERHEATING OF BRAKING SYSTEM LEADING TO BRAKE FAILURE.
EGR VALVE WAS STICKING CAUSING THE SES LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE AND THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE/STALL.
POWER WINDOW MOTOR BURNED OUT.
WHENEVER BRAKES ARE APPLIED THE PEDAL PULSATES & STEERING WHEEL MOVES FROM SIDE TO SIDE. DEALER REPLACED RUSTED FRONT ROTORS & BINDING PADS. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK
ENGINE/IGNITION/COMPUTER/SPEEDOMER/CRUISE CONTROL/REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER: ELECRICAL WIRING/WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR/DRIVER'S SEAT LATCH AND PARKING BRAKE FAILED.
BRAKES FAILED CAUSING A COLLISION.
WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP WHICH CAUSED THE SL1 TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER NOTICED THAT IN WET WEATHER THE VEHICLE SLIDES AND THE BRAKES WILL NOT CATCH. THE OWNER STATES THAT SINCE SHE HAD PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE SHE HAS BEEN HAVING BRAKE PROBLEMS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM IN THE BRAKES. THE OWNER SAID THAT THE BRAKES WORK WHEN THE ROAD IS NOT WET, BUT ONCE THE ROAD IS WET THE BRAKES DO NOT WANT TO WORK, VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. *AK
BRAKE PROBLEMS; INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 30-35 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, DURING NORMAL BRAKING AND APPLYING THE BRAKES, THE PEDAL TRAVELS TO THE FLOOR AND THERE IS NO BRAKES. THE DEALERSHIP IS NOT ABLE TO FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVNG, THE VEHICLE JUST STOPPED COMPLETELY IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP, WHERE THE ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY WERE REPLACED. OWNER STILL EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED AGAIN. THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED (3) TIMES WITHIN A (2) YEAR PERIOD. *AK
BRAKES FAILED.
ABS BRAKE FAILURE, UPON APPLYING PRESSURE, FRONT BRAKES PULSATE. *AK
RIGHT FRONT ROTORS WARPED/REPLACED, ALSO STEERING FAILURE. *AK
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
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