Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Saturn Sl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 11 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
WINDSHIELD WIPERS ON MY 1997 SATURN SL STOPPED AS I WAS DRIVING IN THE RAIN. AD TO TO AN EMERGENCY PULL OVER WHILE NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING OUT MY WINDOW. LUCKY TO FIND A SPOT WHILE NOT BEING HIT BY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. *AK
AIR CONDITIONER: FOUL SMELL LIKE CAT PEE/AMMONIA AFTER USING A/C. REPORTED SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER; THEY REMOVED A/C PARTS AND CLEANED EVAPORATOR, ETC BUT SMELL PERSISTS. UNSAFE FOR OWNER'S HEALTH TO USE A/C; ODOR CAUSES HEADACHE AND BREATHING TROUBLE.*AK
WE GOT CAR FROM SATURN OF WARWICK LEASED THEN BOUGHT OUTRIGHT . THE SERVICE ISSUE WE ARE ABOUT TO TELL WAS DONE AT THE SATURN OF SEEKONK LOC. IT IS ACTUALLY CLOSER TO OUR HOUSE. ON JAN, 16, 2002 WE HAD TO BRING THE SATURN IN FOR SERVICE BECAUSE WE STARTED THAT DAY LOOSING ANTI FREEZE QUICKLY THEN THE CAR BEGAN TO RUN HOT BUT DID NOT OVER HEAT, MEANWHILE THE REGULAR HEAT CONTROL DIDNT WORK 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT AND WE HAD IT SHEDULED FOR SERVICE THAT COMING SAT. WE DROP IT OFF, CAR RUNNING HOT BUT NEVER OVERHEATED THE TECH ONLY PUT THAT IN HIS REPORT . KEEP IN MIND WE HAD NO SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED BY DEALER LETTING US KNOW THAT WE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS LIKE RUN SLUGGISH, NOT STARTING AT ALL ETC. WE HAD JUST DRIVEN 900 MILES UP AND BACK OVER THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS. THE TECH CONTACTS DAVID MY HUSBAND THE NEXT DAY TO TELL HIM THE PROBLEM . THE TECH STATES WE HAVE A CRACKED HEAD AND EVEN THOUGH ITS OUT OF MANF. WARRANTY SATURN WOULD FIX IT UNDER WARRANTY SUDDENLY I GET A CALL AT MY WORK THE SERVICE TECH SAYS FOUND MORE DAMAGE UNDERNEATH ENGINE THAT IT HAD BEEN BURN OIL AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TOGETHER WHICH NO EVIDENCE OF THIS EXISTED, DIDNT SEEM RIGHT STATING WE REALLY NEED A NEW ENGINE WHICH RUNSABOUT $3200.00 AND THEY SAY THEY WONT REPLACE IT INSTEAD REBUILD IT IF WE MAKE A DONATION OF $600. TO SATURN. WE KNOW THIS WASN'T RIGHT FROM THE START THEY COULD'NT TELL US WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN INSTEAD BLAMED IT ON POOR MAINT. AND CLAIMED TO BE DOING US A FAVOR BY ONLY CHARGING 600.00 TO REBUILD ENGINE WHICH WE KNOW WAS THE COST OF THE NEW HEAD DEALER COVERING UP. THIS IS WHY THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE THEY WERE DOING A FAVOR THE CAR WAS MAINT. AND ENGINE HEADS JUST DONT CRACK AT 70,000 MILES. PLANT PERSON IN TENN. JUST AGREED WITH DEAIER. PLS CHECK EDMUNDS.COM SATURN REPAIR COMPL. PLSCK WE ARENT ONLY SNOW JOB REC. PLS. CAN YOU HELP US? WE WANT OUT OF THE CAR STILL OWE $4000. WHO WOULD BUY WITH THIS ISSUE CAN YOU HELP SOLVE.*AK
WHILE DRIVING IN RAINY WEATHER CONDITIONS WINDSHIELD WIPERS BECOME INOPERABLE. CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50MPH AND WAS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC WHEN TRANSMISSION LOCKED IN GEAR AND FAILED TO CHANGE.*AK CONSUMER STATED PRIOR TO PURCHASING VEHICLE SHE COMPLAINED OF A CLUNK NOISE WHEN CHANGED GEARS INTO REVERSE, ALSO THE DRIVER SIDE BRAKE LIGHT IS INOPERABLE, ALSO THE RIGHT SIDE MIRROR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ENGINE MOUNTS WERE REPLACED,BRAKES WERE REPLACED, SERPENTINE BELT WAS CRACKED, ENGINE OVERHEATS.*SLC
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH ON INTERSTATE, DRIVER'S WINDOW SHATTERED INTO SMALL PIECES, CAUSE UNKNOWN. CONTACTED SATURN COMPANY, AND IT WILL GET BACK TO CONSUMER. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK
BRAKES CONTINUALLY EXPERIENCE NOISE AND REQUIRE EXCESSIVE FORCE TO ENGAGE.
VENTILATION SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO CIRCULATE AIR WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING. A FOUL ODOR EMITS FROM THE SYSTEM DUE TO FUNGUS IN THE A/C UNIT (EVAPORATOR CORE), CAUSING HEADACHES, NAUSEA, SCRATCHY THROAT. AW
DRIVING VEHICLE DURING THE RAINY WEATHER REAR WINDOW WOULD BE DISTORTED OR WAVY, VISIBILITY WOULD BE VERY POOR; TOOK TO DEALERSHIP WHO CALLED IT "THE CHRISTMAS TREE EFFECT." SATURN HAS PIN-STRIPPED THE ORANGE DEFROSTER LINES BLOCK. THIS ELIMINATED "THE CHRISTMAS TREE EFFECT," BUT DARKENED THE INTERIOR OF VEHICLE. *AK
OWNER STATES THAT WHEN LOOKING INTO REARVIEW MIRROR AT NIGHT SHE SEES 24 LIGHTS FROM VEHICLE BEHIND HER AND ALSO FROM THE REFLECTION OF THE LIGHTS ON DEFROSTER PANEL IN HER OWN VEHICLE. *AK
WINDSHEILD WIPERS WILL NOT CLEAN THE WINDOWS IN WET WEATHER, CAUSING VISUAL PROBLEMS. *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
Data on this page last refreshed .