1996 Saturn Sl Interior & seats Problems

BEGINNING IN 2002 THE REAR DOORS ON 1996 SATURN SL2 BEGAN OPENING SPONTANEOUSLY WHILE DRIVING, FIRST THE PASSENGER SIDE, THEN THE DRIVER SIDE. THEY WOULD NOT RELATCH. WE USED BUNJI CORDS AND THEN FINALLY ROPE THROUGH PARTIALLY OPEN WINDOWS TO KEEP THEM FROM FLYING OPEN AT SPEED. REPEATED OPEN AND SHUTTING AND PLAYING WITH MECHANISM FINALLY GOT THEM TO LATCH AND KEEPING THEM LOCKED SEEMED TO HELP. RECENTLY THE DOOR ON PASSENGER SIDE WAS ACCIDENTALLY OPENED AND WOULD NOT LATCH AGAIN. SAME THING ON DRIVERS SIDE. ALTHOUGH WE GOT THEM LATCHED AND LOCKED AGAIN, NO PASSENGER OR CARGO IS SAFE IN THE BACK SEAT IF THOSE DOORS ARE UNLOCKED OR SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN LOCKED.*AK

NHTSA ID

10093683

Incident

Aug 1, 2004

UNSATISFACTORY RESPONSES FROM SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE; REPAIRS THAT SHOULD BE COVERED PER CALIFORNIAS LEMON LAW FOR OUR 1996 SATURN SL1 WITH ONLY 46K MILES. ROTE TO GM & SATURN CEO'S. THEY LIE AND DO NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR CRAPPY PRODUCT. WE WILL NEVER BUY AMERICAN AGAIN!PER MY RECENT CONVERSATIONS WITH SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE, THERE HAS BEEN ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT OF GOODWILL TO REIMBURSE AND FIX THE BELOW AFOREMENTIONED MECHANICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE INFERIOR MATERIALS USED IN BUILDING OUR SATURN VEHICLE. THE FAILURES WE NEED REIMBURSEMENT FOR ARE: 1.STARTER REPLACEMENT: $211.08 + 45.17 = $256.25; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A PEP BOYS SHOP, 2.NEW INTERSTATE BATTERY: $108.15; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A CHEVRON SHOP, 3.TRANSMISSION GASKET PARTS AND LABOR: $ ~150. (TBD); ALREADY PAID AND IN SATURN DATABASE; TRANS. SEIZED UP NOW AND NEEDS $3000 WORK; SATURN WON'T PAY FOR REPAIRS, 4.ALTERNATOR PARTS AND LABOR: $176.61; WE WERE BROKEN DOWN AND HAD TO GET FIXED IMMEDIATELY AT A PEP BOYS SHOP, THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE AT SATURN NOW IS: 5.RADIATOR PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 123412): $417.16 6.OIL GASKET PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 126859): $ TBD 7.REPEAT TRANSMISSION SERVICE AND GASKET PARTS AND LABOR (SATURN WORK ORDER ESTIMATE SO# 126859): $ TBD, THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE 18 MONTHS AGO AND IS LEAKING AGAIN! ALSO COMPLETE REBUILD/ $3000.8.FRONT PASSENGER SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM NEEDS REPAIR. *AK

NHTSA ID

10025482

Incident

Jul 1, 2003

Mileage

46,500 mi

ON 7/20/00, 9/21/00, 8/14/01, AND 7/26/02, THE DOORS ON THIS VEHICLE DID NOT CLOSE AND SECURE. WHILE DRIVING, THE DOORS MUST BE TIED SHUT WITH ROPE TO SECURE THEM. VERY DANGEROUS AS ONE INCIDENT, THE LEFT REAR DOOR OPENED WHILE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. PASSENGERS COULD FALL OUT OF THE VEHICLE CAUSING DEATH OR SERIOUS INJURY!! SATURN STATES THEY HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PROBLEM. CURRENT INCIDENT OF 7/26/02 WILL BE BROUGHT TO DEALER'S ATTENTION. SATURN OF DANBURY, CT ALSO PERFORMED WORK ON VEHICLE FOR SAME PROBLEM ( 8/14/2001). AT THIS TIME, BOTH REAR DOORS HAD ASSEMBLY AND DOOR HANDLES REPLACED. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT ON 7/26/2002, THE PASSENGER RIGHT-FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT SECURE. PASSENGER MUST RIDE IN REAR SEAT. VEHICLE IS GARAGED YEAR ROUND AND MAINTAINED BY SATURN DEALERSHIPS IN STAMFORD AND DANBURY, CT. *AK

NHTSA ID

764830

Incident

Jul 20, 2000

CONSUMER STATED THE BENCH SEATS COLLAPSED DURING A FRONT END COLLISION, THE COLLAPSED SEAT PUSHED CONSUMERS CHILD INTO BACK OF THE FRONT SEAT, DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. NLM *YH

NHTSA ID

8004007

Incident

Feb 7, 2001

WE WERE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED US. OUR 22-MONTH OLD SON WAS IN HIS CAR SEAT IN THE REAR, BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT. AFTER OUR VEHICLE WAS HIT, THE SEAT LATCH ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT RELEASED. THE SEAT FULLY RECLINED, STRIKING OUR SON IN THE FACE. HE SUFFERED BROKEN BONES IN HIS FACE AS A RESULT. IF THE SEAT LATCH HAD NOT RELEASED, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN INJURED DURING THE CRASH.*AK

NHTSA ID

755113

Incident

Nov 16, 2001

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AT 15 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED, CONSUMER REALIZED IT WAS BROKEN WHEN IT WOULD NOT ADJUST PROPERLY, SATURN SAID THE SEAT WAS UP TO STANDARD. *MJS

NHTSA ID

785396

Incident

Feb 12, 2001

VEHICLE WAS AT STOP WHEN IT WAS REARENDED BY VEHICLE WITH 35 MPH IMPACT. AT POINT OF IMPACT DRIVER'S SEAT CLAMP BROKE, CAUSING DRIVER TO FALL INTO A RECLINING POSITION WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. *AK

NHTSA ID

881240

Incident

Feb 7, 2001

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED, AND UPON IMPACT DRIVER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

NHTSA ID

874322

Incident

Oct 26, 2000

THE VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED AND BOTH FRONT SEATS COLLAPSED BACKWARD COMPLETLY, ANYONE SITTING IN THE BACK SEATS WOULD HAVE SUSTAINED SEVERE INJURIES. IF A CHILD WAS IN THE BACK SEAT CHANCES ARE HE WOULD NOT SURVIVE. THEIR HAVE BEEN OTHER INCIDENTS OF THE BACKSEATS COLLAPSING UPON REAR IMPACT AND SATURN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. VERY DANGEROUS FOR ANY REAR SEAT PASSANGERS, ESPICIALLY CHILDREN, WHICH THE LAW STATES THAT A CHILD UNDER 100 LB. MUST BE IN A CHILD RESTRAINED SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER OR PASSANGER SIDE.THIS CAN PROVE FATAL UPON REAR COLLISION.*AK

NHTSA ID

725373

Incident

Jul 7, 2000

PLASTIC FRAME ON SEATBACK STICKS THROUGH THE PADDING, AND IRRITATES THE CHILD'S BACK. MAY CAUSE INJURY TO CHILD'S BACK. COSCO CARSEAT, NOT ATTACHED TO CAR, BOUGHT SEPARATELY. *AK *ML

NHTSA ID

863516

VEHICLE WAS AT A STANDSTILL AND WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MPH WHICH PUSHED CONSUMER'S VEHICLE INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT, CAUSING DRIVER'S SEATBACK TO BREAK, RESULTING IN SERIOUS INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

861154

Incident

Oct 26, 1999

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 45MPH. WHILE GRADUALY COMING TOA STOP, THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED OUTWARD, AND PARTICLES FELL BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. VOICE MAIL WAS LEFT TO MAKE DEALER AWARE OF THE INCIDENT. *AK

NHTSA ID

857514

Incident

Feb 24, 2000

VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON 27-JUL-97. WAS HIT FROM BEHIND. AS A RESULT, AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY, AND DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEATBACK COLLAPSED, CAUSING THE SEATS TO FULLY RECLINE. *AK

NHTSA ID

844043

Incident

Jul 27, 1997

DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER SEAT BACK FELL BACK WHEN REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS GOING ABOUT 35 MPH, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED INJURIES. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID

836818

Incident

Apr 17, 1999

DURING VEHICLE COLLISION SEAT LATCH FAILED CAUSING SEAT BACK TO COLLAPSE RESULTING IN INJURY TO THE DRIVER LOOSING SIGHT OF THE ROAD THEREFOR LOOSING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

541990

Incident

Sep 14, 1998

VENTILLATION SYSTEM BLOW AIR THAT SMELLS AND CONTAINS MOLD.

NHTSA ID

538969

WHILE DRVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR DOORS WOULD SWING OPEN FOR NO REASON. WOULD HAVE LOCKS (CHILD PROOF ALSO) ON. THE LOCK, SOMETIMES, FAILS TO KEEP THE DOOR LOCKED. HAD NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER FOR PARTS. WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR LOCKS. *AK

NHTSA ID

826332

Incident

Aug 24, 1996

HEAD GASKET CRACKED.

NHTSA ID

534035

TRUNK LID IS MISALIGNED AND LATCH IS FAULTY IN WHICH OWNER HAS DIFFICULTY IN TRUNK STAYING CLOSED.LOCK ALSO MALFUNTIONS.OWNER FEARS TRUNK MAY COME UP WHILE DRIVING.POSSIBLE DESIGN FLAW. *AK

NHTSA ID

818982

CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION IN WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR AT A 35 MPH IMPACT, CAUSING THE DRIVER'S SEAT TO COLLAPSE FROM THE UPRIGHT POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

809768

Incident

Feb 14, 1997

COMPUTER GENERATES A STRONG SIGNAL ON THE INTERNATIONAL CALLING FREQUENCY ON THE 2 METER AMTEUR BAND, MAKING ANY EMERGENCY CALL ON THAT FREQUENCY UNWORKABLE IN/NEAR THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

513911

DRIVERS SEATBACK COLLAPSED DURING REAR END COLLISION. *AK

NHTSA ID

984732

Incident

May 9, 1996