2002 Saturn Sl

I HAVE A 2002 SL1 (AUTO TRANSMISSION)WITH OVER 150,000 MILES ON IT. THE TRANSMISSION HAD STARTED CLUNKING WHEN ENGAGED IN REVERSE AND ALSO WHEN SHIFTING BETWEEN OTHER GEARS. I DECIDED TO HAVE MY TRANSMISSION REBUILT. I HAVE HAD MY CAR AT A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR OVER A MONTH NOW. THE MECHANICS REPLACED MY VALVE BOX AND STILL AM HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. MY MECHANICS IS AT A LOSS RIGHT NOW. I HAVE READ ALOT OF BLOGS ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE SATURN TRANSMISSIONS AND BELIEVE I AM NOT GOING TO GET MY CAR FIXED BY MY CURRENT MECHANIC NOR ANYONE ELSE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL1. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTS TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE, THE IGNITION WILL NOT TURN TO THE START POSITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT TAKES 5-10 MINUTES OF ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE IGNITION WOULD TURN. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 103,787 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES. DURING THE MOST RECENT FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN SL2. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 20 AND 40 MPH MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME SLUGGISH WHILE THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE. HE HAD TO SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AND GRADUALLY ACCELERATE IN ORDER TO SWITCH GEARS. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE DEALER AND THEY ACCUSED HIM OF NOT FOLLOWING THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 33,323 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,175. UPDATED 04/04/08. *LJ

WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANT, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WITH A COMPLAINT THAT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WELL AND DESCRIBED IT AS "SLUGGISH". AFTER CHECKING IT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT IT WAS NOT THE ENGINE. WHEN I KEPT NOTICING THAT THE OIL IN THE CAR WAS EXTREMELY LOW BETWEEN OIL CHANGES, BUT IT WAS NOT LEAKING OUT OF THE CAR NOR WAS THE CAR BURNING OIL FROM THE EXHAUST, I CONTACTED THE DEALER VIA TELEPHONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD JUST FIXED A CAR WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REBUILT TO THE TUNE OF $1400. AT THIS POINT, THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. I WAS ADVISED THAT THE OIL WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE ITSELF. *TR

AT AROUND 60K THE SATURN SL1 2002 SHOWED A TROUBLE CODE WITH THE INTAKE GASKET LEAKING FUEL MILEAGE SUFFERED. THIS CAR CAN NOT PASS SMOG AND NOW THE CAR IS CONSUMING 1 QT OF OIL IN 300 MILES, AS WELL AS GETTING TERRIBLE GAS MILEAGE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AS I WOULD THINK THAT SINCE THE NET IS LITTERED WITH THIS PROBLEM ON THE SL1 1.9 IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY SATURN. IF THERE IS NOT A COMMON FAILURE WITH THE INTAKE GASKET WHY HAS SATURN MADE A UPGRADED GASKET?? RECALL THIS POS! *TR

I HAVE A 2002 SATURN SL2 AND I'VE HAD TO REPLACE MY TRANSMISSION TWICE NOW. I BELIEVE THAT THE DEALERSHIP IN MANCHESTER, NH KNOWINGLY SOLD IT TO ME LIKE THIS SINCE I HAD BROUGHT UP A VERY SLIGHT SPEED UP EFFECT THE CAR HAD TO THE CAR SALES WOMAN, AND SHE HAD TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THE CAR HAD A SLIGHTLY MORE POWERFUL ENGINE THAN THE 4.0 I WAS USED TO (IT HAD A 4.6) AND THE JUMP WAS JUST THE "EXTRA POWER". I HAVEN'T EVEN OWNED THE CAR FOR 18 MONTHS YET. IT'S A PIECE OF CRAP AND I HAVE A PRETTY BITTER TASTE IN MY MOUTH FROM DEALING WITH THE CAR DEALERSHIPS IN NH AND IN MD. THE DEALERSHIP IN SALISBURY, MD WANTED TO CHARGE ME $3100 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I NOTICED (AFTER THE FACT) THAT THERE WAS SOME TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE BEGINNING IN ALL '02 S-SERIES, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT IF THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING ISSUES THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF RECALL ON THE PRODUCT. IT HAS ALREADY COST ME ABOUT $5000 ON TOP OF THE 9,000 THAT I HAVE ALREADY SPENT TO PURCHASE IT (COST OF CAR PLUS BANK INTEREST FOR LOAN). THE CAR IS HARDLY WORTH $14,000 BUT I'M STILL UPSIDE-DOWN ON MY LOAN SO I CAN'T GET RID OF THE THING. I'VE LOOKED INTO THE RESEARCH ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE IN HOPES THAT IT WILL GIVE SOME INSIGHT ON HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM PERMANENTLY (MORE MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN) BUT SATURN SHOULD REALLY BE REPRIMANDED OR MADE TO REIMBURSE THE CUSTOMERS SOMEHOW. CARS ARE REALLY TOO BIG OF A PURCHASE FOR THINGS TO GO THIS WRONG. *TR

MY SON HAD AN ACCIDENT INVOLVING 3 OTHER VEHICLES. THE MOTOR OF THE 2002 SATURN SL1 IN WHICH HE WAS DRIVING STALLED AS HE EXITED THE HIGHWAY ONTO A SERVICE ROAD. ONCE THE ENGINE STALLED,HE DID NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO STEER OR STOP THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, HE STRUCK 2 VEHICLES THAT WERE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT CAUSING A CHAIN REACTION. THE SECOND VEHICLE THAT HE STRUCK HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED IN THE VEHICLE MY SON DROVE. THE RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE 1 SUSTAINED DAMAGE. THE REAR AND FRONT BUMPERS WERE DAMAGED ON VEHICLE 2. THE REAR OF VEHICLE 3 IS DAMAGED. THE SATURN IN WHICH MY SON WAS DRIVING HAD FRONT BUMPER DAMAGE, HOOD CRUMPLED, AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT, LEFT REAR VIEW MIRROR SEPARATED FROM THE CAR, LEFT HEAD LIGHT AND BRACKETS DESTROYED, AND DAMAGE ALONG THE LEFT FRONT QUARTER PANEL. *JB MY SON RECEIVED A SUPERFICIAL CUT IN WHICH THE EMERGENCY PARAMEDICS BANDAGED WHILE ON SITE. THE SATURN WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF ARLINGTON FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT THE COMPUTER CONTAINS VEHICLE SYSTEMS INFORMATION THAT OCCURED IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE COLLISION, HOWEVER HE DID NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO EXTRACT THE INFORMATION.

AT MY LAST SERVICE VISIT, THE REPAIR TECH RECOMMENDED THE REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF: 1 IGNITION HOUSING BOLT -- HE STATED THAT WITHOUT THIS REPAIR, THE CAR COULD SUDDENLY "STOP WHERE IT IS AND BE UNSTEERABLE AND/OR UNDRIVEABLE". (LORD HELP WHOEVER'S BEHIND ME ON THE FREEWAY THAT DAY!) I'VE OWNED 5 VEHICLES -- MANUFACTURED BY FORD, CHRYSLER, SUBARU AND GENERAL MOTORS -- NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED BEFORE. IT'S ALSO KIND OF SCARY TO KNOW THAT THE ONLY REASON I'M AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM IS BECAUSE I JUST HAPPENED TO TAKE MY CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE! QUESTIONS: IF 2 LITTLE BOLTS ARE THAT IMPORTANT, SHOULDN'T THOSE AREAS, INSTEAD AND/OR IN ADDITION TO, BE SOLDERED? IS THIS TYPE OF BREAKAGE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN? AM I DRIVING "AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN"? *NM