1997 Saturn Sl

RANDOMLY, USUALLY ABOUT EVERY FEW MONTHS, I WILL START MY CAR. IT WILL START, BUT IT STARTS "FUNNY." IT DOESN'T HIT THE USUAL HIGH RPMS AND WILL IDLE LOW. IF I ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE CAR, IT WILL USUALLY RUN WITH LOW RPMS. WHEN THE CAR COMES TO A STOP, IT WILL IDLE LOW AND SOMETIMES STALL. THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS AND TEMPERATURES. IT ALSO OCCURS WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT OR COLD. SOMETIMES IT TAKES 5-10 TRIES TO START THE CAR AT ALL. OF COURSE, MECHANICS ARE UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM AND SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED BY SATURN OF GAITHERSBURG, SATURN OF SILVER SPRING, AND GRAEVES AUTO IN OLNEY.

WE BROUGHT OUR SATURN INTO THE OAKLAND, CA DEALER FOR A TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS DEVELOPED SOME LEAKS AND CLUTCH / GEAR ASSEMBLY PROBLEMS. INITIAL QUOTE FROM THE DEALER SERVICE MANAGER FOR REPAIR IS $2600.00+. EXTENDED WARRANTY EXPIRED 12/31/02, AND THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE 94,904 MILE MARK. AT THE 91,328 MILEAGE MARK, THE DEALER PERFORMED AN "87,000 MILE" SERVICE, NOT A "90,000 MILE" SERVICE. WHY DIDN'T THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORM MY DAUGHTER THAT THE "90,000 MILE" SERVICE WAS DUE, WHICH INCLUDED A TRANSMISSION SERVICE? FROM MY PERSPECTIVE THIS APPEARS TO BE A CASE OF THIS DEALERSHIP NOT TRAINING THEIR SERVICE ADVISORS PROPERLY TO ADVISE A CUSTOMER REGARDING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE 94,904 MILE MARK, AND IT SEEMS REASONABLE THAT IF THE DEALER HAD PERFORMED THE "90,000 MILE" SERVICE WHEN THE CAR WAS AT THE 91,328 MILEAGE MARK AND INSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION THESE PROBLEMS WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND REPAIRED WHILE THE CAR STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SATURN HAS ISSUED AT LEAST ONE DOZEN SERVICE BULLETINS REGARDING MAINTENANCE OF THIS TRANSMISSION SEVERAL TARGETED TO THE SPECIFIC ISSUE OF TRANSMISSION LEAKS AND REPAIRS. DOES THIS SATURN DEALER HAVE A PATTERN OF NOT INFORMING FEMALE CUSTOMERS ABOUT RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE? IS THIS AN ISSUE AT OTHER SATURN DEALERS? IS THIS A CASE OF GENDER BIAS SINCE THE MALE SERVICE ADVISOR DID NOT COMMUNICATE THE FACTORY RECOMMENDATIONS TO A FEMALE CUSTOMER? MAINTENANCE WORK BY THE SATURN OAKLAND (CA)DEALER:FUEL PUMP REPLACED, WATER PUMP REPLACED, WINDOW MECHANISMS REPLACED, DRIVE BELT REPLACED, IDLER PULLEY REPLACED, MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED, ALTERNATOR REPLACED, THE POWER STEERING PUMP REPLACED. WE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY COULD HAVE INSPECTED/DIAGNOSED/REPAIRED ALL THESE ITEMS AND NOT HAVE INCLUDED THE TRANSMISSION MAINTENANCE AT KEY MILEAGE MILESTONES. *NLM

I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT A SAFETY ISSUE RELATED TO MY VEHICLE. EARLIER THIS WEEK I PURCHASED A USED SATURN FROM A DEALERSHIP IN FULL WORKING CONDITION. WHEN I CAME HOME TO SHOW THE REST OF MY FAMILY THE VEHICLE, WE ALL WENT FOR A RIDE. MY BROTHER IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, AND MY MOTHER IN THE BACK SEAT. AFTER ARRIVING BACK TO MY HOUSE MY BROTHER AND I EXITED THE VEHICLE, WHILE MY MOTHER STRUGGLED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. EVERY TIME SHE PULLED THE DOOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE DOOR, THE LOCK BUTTON DIRECTLY ABOVE THE HANDLE WOULD CATCH AND REMAINED LOCKED. MY BROTHER AND I WERE NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE VEHICLE DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE EITHER UNTIL ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER AFTER NUMEROUS UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS. THIS FRIGHTENED OUR FAMILY QUITE A BIT AND POSES A POTENTIALLY LETHAL SITUATION IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. WE ARE CONCERNED FOR PASSENGERS THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE DURING AN EMERGENCY. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SATURN FOR INSPECTION, AND THEY WILL NOT EVEN LOOK INTO THE ISSUE UNLESS I AGREE TO PAY $85/DOOR TO HAVE THEM TAKE APART THE DOOR TO APPROACH THE PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS IS UNFAIR AND AN IRRESPONSIBLE ATTEMPT ON THEIR PART TO RESOLVE THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONCERN AND LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. *JB