1999 Saturn Sl

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 1999 SATURN SL1. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE SHIFT CABLE FRACTURED AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. ON A LATER DATE, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BEFORE EXITING THE VEHICLE. WHEN HE RETURNED, THE EMERGENCY BRAKE HAD INDEPENDENTLY DISENGAGED. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE BUTTON WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO ORDER THE NECESSARY PART FROM THE DEALER TO MAKE REPAIRS HIMSELF. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT HAD HE BEEN PARKED ON A HILL, THE VEHICLE COULD POTENTIALLY HAVE ROLLED AWAY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

THERE ARE PINS HOLDING TOGETHER THE DIFFERENTIAL IN MANUAL AND STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS. THIS PIN GETS WORN OUT AND FALLS OUT OF PLACE CAUSING THE DIFFERENTIAL GEARS TO EXPLODE OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE TRANSMISSION CAUSING CHUNKS OF METAL TO FALL AND HIT THE PAVEMENT LEAVING HAZARDS ON THE ROAD WAY AND IN THE PROCESS CAUSES TOTAL LOSS OF CONTROL BY LOCKING UP BOTH FRONT TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. I WAS A VICTIM OF THIS AND ALMOST STRUCK A VEHICLE HEAD ON AND IN THE PROCESS HIT SEVERAL OBSTACLE BEFORE THE VEHICLE CAM TO REST IN A DITCH. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT AAMCO TRANSMISSION IN TULSA OK. ALL THIS INFORMATION ABOUT THE PINS ARE COMING FROM THEM. THIS HAPPENS IN ALL 1999 SATURN SL AND SL2 VEHICLES WITH THE STANDARD AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS. MY VEHICLE IS THE 1999 SATURN SL2 WITH THE SOHC 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION. IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT COMPLAINTS THERE ARE MANY BEARING THE SAME PROBLEMS. *TR

WITHIN THE PAST FEW MONTHS WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE IT JERKS VIOLENTLY. THIS PROBLEM IS NOT CONSISTENT. I ATTEMPTED TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT BY THE DEALER THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPON SPEAKING TO ONE OF THE ASSOCIATES AT THE DEALER THEY SAID THEY THINK THEY KNOW WHAT IT IS ... ITS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT WAIT UNTIL THE CAR DOES IT REGULARLY AND IT WILL COST APPROX $1200 TO FIX. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND SATURN/GM NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS. *TR

MY MANUAL TRANSMISSION 1999 SATURN SL2 1.8 LTR SOHC WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE SHIFTER WENT LIMP. I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND. I FOUND IT WAS THE CHEAP PLASTIC SHIFTER BUSHING WHICH ATTACHES THE SHIFT CABLE TO THE STICK. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY THE ENTIRE CABLE, SATURN DOES NOT SELL THE BUSHING ONLY, WENT TO A JUNK YARD AND GOT THE PART FOR A DOLLAR. *TR

LIKE MANY OTHER OWNERS OF SATURN AUTOMOBILES WITH FIVE-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS, I HAD THE BUSHING ON THE SHIFT CABLE BREAK. THE REPAIR SET ME BACK $400. FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET (HTTP://WWW.CHAOSMAGNET.COM/BLOG/ARCHIVES/000112.HTML) AND OTHER WEBSITES, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I HAVE A 1999 SATURN SL. ACCORDING TO REPORTS FROM MANY PEOPLE, THIS PROBLEM HAS PERSISTED OVER MANY MODEL YEARS. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THIS: WHY HAS SATURN BEEN ALLOWED TO PROVIDE A KNOWN FAULTY DESIGN TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC? A SHIFT CABLE BREAKING (RATHER THE CHEAP PLASTIC BUSHING WHICH ATTACHES TO THE SHIFT LEVER BREAKING) WHEN THE DRIVER IS IN TRAFFIC OR ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM COULD CAUSE HAVOC AT THE VERY LEAST. A DRIVER UNABLE TO SHIFT THE GEARS OF HIS VEHICLE COULD CAUSE PROBLEMS TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD. I WONDER HOW MANY ACCIDENTS THIS DESIGN FAULT HAS CAUSED. AGAIN I ASK, WHY HAS THIS MANUFACTURER BEEN ALLOWED TO PROVIDE A FAULTY PRODUCT TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC? WITH THE ADVENT OF THE INTERNET, MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE A COMMON PROBLEM CAN DISCOVER JUST HOW LARGE THE MAGNITUDE OF ANY PROBLEM CAN BE. I WONDER IF THE EXECUTIVES OF SATURN EXPECT TO "SWEEP THIS PROBLEM UNDER THE CARPET" LIKE THE EXECUTIVES OF FORD DURING THE "FLAMING PINTO" ERA. LEE IACOCCA WAS EVEN ABLE TO GET A LARGE LOAN FROM THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS TO HELP OUT CHRYSLER. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, LEE (THEN AT FORD) AND OTHER FORD EXECUTIVES DECIDED THAT PAYING INJURY LAWSUIT AWARDS WOULD BE CHEAPER THAN FIXING THE PROBLEM. WELL, THEY WERE WRONG -- THEY HAD TO DO BOTH. AGAIN I WONDER, WHY DOES THE U.S. GOVERNMENT ALLOW ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE MANUFACTURER (SATURN) TO PRODUCE ANOTHER FAULTY PRODUCT? THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.*JB

WHILE PULLING INSIDE OF THE GARAGE WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVER CONTACTED A MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC CAME OVER TO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE ASM-M CABLE LEVER FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM