Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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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 1996 Saturn Sl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 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 26, in the owner's own words
DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SHIFTER BROKE. SHE HAD IT REPAIRED BY A MECHANIC. THEN, THE SHIFTER BROKE AGAIN. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE AFOREMENTIONED MECHANIC WAS COMING TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE FOR REPAIRS.*AK
DT: THE CONTACT STATED GEAR SHIFTER BROKE. SHE HAD IT REPAIRED BY A MECHANIC. CURRENTLY, THE SHIFTER BROKE AGAIN. THIS RESULTED THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH. SHE SPOKE TO A MECHANIC. HE WAS COMING TO GET THE VEHICLE AND REPAIR IT. SHE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO SATURN OR GENERAL MOTORS.*AK
5 SPEED TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CONNECTION INSIDE CONSOLE BROKE OFF CAUSING CAR TO COME TO A FULL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. COULD NOT MOVE CAR AT ALL BECAUSE SHIFTER WAS NO LONGER CONNECTED TO THE SHIFTER CABLE. TRANSMISSION REMAINED IN NEUTRAL. PART TURNED OUT TO BE MADE OF PLASTIC AND COST ONLY $10 PLUS TAX.
PURCHASED THE SATURN SL1 IN SEPT 24 OF 2004 WITH 94,32 0MILES. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED THAT VERY SAME DAY. I 'VE KEPT UP ON ALL FLUIDS AND SERVICE RELIGIOUSILY. AT 96910 MILES THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO 1ST, 3RD OR REVERSE WITHOUT FORCE. ON 9/10/03 I HAD THE CLUTCH REPLACED AND THE SLAVE CABLE. THEN IS WHEN IT STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS OVERHEATING, MECHANIC DID TWO DIFFRENT DIAGNOSTIC TEST BOTH CAME BACK WITH NO CONCLUSIONS. THE CAR STILL HEATS UP EVERYDAY ,BUT I HAVE NO OTHER CAR TO DRIVE. THERE IS NO POWER IN THE CAR NOW AND THE OIL IS SLUDGE FILLED. I'VE PURCHASED TEMPERATURE SENDING UNITS, BOTH O2 SENSORS, THERMOSTAT, COOLANT,CLUTCH,RELAYS,ETC...TO TRY TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE OVER HEATING. PRETTY MUCH IT'S A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE I'M LIKE THE OTHER 1996 SATURN DRIVERS WHO WILL HAVE TO PAY THE $ 1000.00-2000.00 TO FIX MY HEAD GASKET THAT WAS A KNOWN FACTORY DEFECT. WHAT CAN WE DO. *JB
I WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT WHEN MY SHIFT WENT LOOSE. MY CAR WAS STUCK IN REVERSE. AFTER REMOVING THE CENTER CONSOLE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MY SHIFTER BUSHING HOLDING THE CABLE TO MY SHIFTER BROKE OFF. I CONTACTED SATURN, BUT THEY INFORMED ME THIS PART IS ONLY PART OF A CABLE KIT WHICH SELLS FOR $169. SATURN WILL NOT SELL THE BUSHING ALONE. THE CABLE IS CURRENTLY BEING HELD ON WITH DUCT TAPE.*AK
PLASTIC BUSHING THAT CONNECTS THE SHIFT LEVER TO THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION BREAKS WHITHOUT ANY WARNING, AND LEAVES YOU WITHOUT THE ABILITY TOSHIFT.THIS HAPPENED WHILE PULLING ONTO THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
DIFFERENTIAL PIN IN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 1996 SATURN SL2 (MP7 TRANSMISSION) THIS PIN WORKS IT'S WAY LOOSE AND PUTS A HOLE IN THE FRONT PUMP COVER WHICH INTURN LEADS TO FLUID LEAKING AND AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME.
AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND WHEN PLACING THE GEAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL,VEHICLE JUMPED FORWARD. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY HASDBEEN REPLACED. *AK
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
1996 SATURN SL1'S HAVE A PROBLEM REFERRED TO AS "DELAYED ENGAGEMENT IN REVERSE. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE IT WILL NOT MOVE, CAUSING POTENTIAL PROBLEMS. THIS IS DUE TO THE VALVE BODY ON THE TRANSMISSION WEARING EXCESSIVELY, ALLOWING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FLUID TO FLOW AROUND A POPPET BEFORE ENGAGING. SATURN IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND SO ARE THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR PLACES. SATURN REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM THOUGH THEY HAVE ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE PROBLEM AND AT ABOUT $1000 PER REPAIR PER VEHICLE SATURN HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THE PROBLEM. *NLM
MANUAL TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR, AT TIMES IT MUST BE SHOVED TO GO IN TO AND OUT OF REVERSE, FIRST, AND THIRD GEARS. THIS PROBLEM IS BECOMING WORSE AND IS AT LEAST REMOTELY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT CAN TAKE AS MUCH AS 30 SECONDS OR SO TO SHIFT GEARS. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT SEEM TO BE AFFECTED BY ANY EXTERNAL SOURCE. *JB
MANUAL TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR AND GRINDS. SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T GET IT INTO GEAR. ALL COMPONETS OF THE CLUTCH ARE FINE. *JB
IN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT CAR--FORTUNATELY WHILE PARKED--THE GEAR SHIFT SUDDENLY WENT LOOSE IN MY HAND. DISASSEMBLY REVEALS THAT THE COUPLING AT THE BASE OF THE GEAR STICK HAS A PLASTIC CLIP WHICH HAS BROKEN. A CALL TO SATURN OF HONOLULU PRODUCED THE RESPONSE THAT THEY WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROBLEM AS THEY HAVE BEEN "GETTING QUITE A FEW OF THOSE LATELY". THE FIX REQUIRES NEW "CABLES" AS THE PLASTIC CLIP WHICH BROKE IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE "CABLE"--WHICH LOOKS MORE LIKE A BAR TRANSLATING THE FORCE OF GEAR STICK FORWARD TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I AM CONCERNED THAT IF THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY VEHICLES AS HE STATED IT COULD REPEAT EVEN AFTER THE CABLES ARE REPLACED. IF THIS FAILURE WERE TO OCCUR IN TRAFFIC OR ON A HILL IT COULD LEAVE THE DRIVER IN THE WRONG GEAR OR WORSE NOT IN ANY GEAR AND PRESENT A SAFETY ISSUE. I HAVE DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE BROKEN PIECE WHICH I WILL BE HAPPY TO E-MAIL.*AK
AFTER DRIVING FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME THE VEHICLE SLAMS INTO REVERSE WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM. NLM
AT 32,000 MILE VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS MATTER. *AK
AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES, WHEN I STOP AND PUT CAR IN REVERSE, IT HESITATES THEN ABRUPTLY SHIFTS INTO REVERSE. I HAVE CHECKED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS AND FOUND TSB#96-T-38A IN REGARDS TO HARSH ENGAGEMENT INTO REVERSE ON THE SATURNS. THIS SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE MY PROBLEM. *AK
SQUEALING NOISE FROM ENGINE AREA IN RAINY WEATHER, DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE DRIVE BELT DUE TO IT BEING DRY AND CRACKED. *SLC
CAR WITH WARRANTY OF 36,000 MILES. DEALER WOULD NOT HONOR WARRANTY. WHAT IS NORMAL LIFE OF A CLUTCH IN THIS TYPE OF CAR?
HEAD GASKET CRACKED.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
TRANSMISSION FILTER FAILED.
TRANSMISSION FAILED.
TRANSMISSION HEAT GASKET FAILED.
THE CLUTCH PEDAL DETACHED DUE TO A MISSING RETAINER CLIP. COULD HAVE CAUSED LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL.*AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHILE ENGAGED IN DRIVE ROLLS BACK ON AN INCLINE, DEALER SAID THAT IS NORMAL. TT
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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