Page 3 of 3 · complaints 101–111 of 111

2001 Saturn SL complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Mar 19, 2002RI

AFTER A RAIN OR SNOW DAY, BRAKES WILL TIGHTEN UP AND MAKE A GRINDING NOISE LIKE METAL TO METAL. DEALER WAS CONTACTED. *AK

Electrical System › Wiring › Fuses and Circuit Breakers
Filed Feb 23, 2002VA

I HAVE CONTACTED SATURN CORPORATION AND TWO DEALERSHIPS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED OR TAKEN SERIOUSLY. NO SAFETY DEFECT LISTED. *AK

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Jan 25, 2002MO

NUMEROUS BRAKE FAILURE. BRAKE PEDAL FADES TO THE FLOOR AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT, NOTICE NOT FLUID AT RT FRONT BRAKE LINE, REPLACE MASTER CYLINDER. POWER BLEED AND RT 26 MILES AFTER RAPAIR, NORMAL BRAKING PERFORMANCE. POOR BRAKE PERFORMANCE, SOMETIMES A LOUD SNAP OR CLICK BEFORE FAILURE, SOMETIME NO WARNING, SOMETIME JUST A SOFT OR SPONGY BRAKE PEDAL. BATTERY LEAKING ACID INTO BATTERY BOX, VERIFIED AND FOUND BATTERY LEAKING AT POSSITIVE CABLE REPLACE BATTERY, COVER, POSSITIVE CABLE, TRANS FILTER AND CLEANED ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HOSE FROM COOLANT TANK TO THROTTLE BODY RUBBED, REPLACE HOSE. ADJUSTMENT PARKING BRAKES HARD TO PULL, ADJUST PER SERVICE MANUEL.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Aug 30, 2001OH

WHILE TRAVELING AT 35MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

Suspension
Filed Jun 27, 2001ND

HOOD WAS DENTED UPWARDS, AND UPON EXAMINATION FOUND THAT FRONT LEFT STRUT TOWER DISCONNECTED AT AN UNKNOWN TIME. UPON EXAMINATION, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT LEFT STRUT TOWER ONLY HAD 3 SPOT WELDS AS OPPOSED TO 11 SPOT WELDS ON THE RIGHT FRONT STRUT TOWER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

Tires
Filed Jun 27, 2001AZ

I WAS DRIVING ON I-10 WHEN I HEARD A LOUS NOISE AND THAN THUMPING. I STOPPED THE VEHICLE QUICKLY AND LOOKED AT THE TIRE. IT HAD SEPARATED ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE INSIDE OF THE TIRE. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO SATURN DEALERSHIP, THEY CLAIMED A ROAD HAZARD HAD DESTROYED THE TIRE. YES THERE WAS A SCREW ABOUT 2 INCHES FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE TIRE BURIED IN THE TREAD AND STILL THERE. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TIRE SEPARATED COMPLETELY ALL THE WAY AROUND THE TIRE, LEAVING 2 SEPARATE PIECES. THEY REFUSED TO HELP, AND I BOUGHT ANOTHER TIRE, NOT A FIRESTONE. I FEEL I HAD A DEFECTIVE TIRE. *AK (TIRESIZE: P18565R15)

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jun 11, 2001AK

THIS IS A DESIGN ISSUE. WE ARE PRIOR YEAR (1993, 1997 (2), AND 1998) SATURN OWNERS. FOR THE PRIOR YEARS, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS LOCATED ON THE INSIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE HORN BUTTONS WERE LOCATED ON THE LOWER PORTION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS RESULTED IN COMPLAINTS FROM MANY OWNERS BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT THE STANDARD LOCATION FOR HORNS ON GM OR OTHER MODELS. IN 1999 OR 2000, SATURN MOVED THE HORN TO THE TYPICAL LOCATION (CENTER OF STEERING WHEEL OVER THE AIRBAG). THEY REPLACED THE HORN BUTTONS WITH THE CURISE CONTROLS. 4-6 WEEKS AFTER WE PURCHASED, THE 2001 SATURN, I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT WITH A YOUNG LADY HAVING A 'ROAD RAGE DAY'. DURING ONE FRANTIC MOMENT, I TRIED TO LOCATE THE HORN. OF COURSE IT WASN'T IN THE 'CUSTOMARY LOCATION'. I FOUND IT BUT NOT UNTIL AFTER I HAD ACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL. CONCENTRATING ON THE OTHER DRIVER'S ACTIONS, I WAS UNAWARE THAT 'CRUISE WAS ENGAGED'. IN THE NEXT MOMENT, THIS DRIVER SLAMMED ON HER BRAKES (FOR WHICH SHE WAS TICKETED AND FINED). I TRIED TO STOP. HOWEVER, WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS THE CAR SPED UP. I HIT HER CAR WHEN I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP. I AM EXTREMELY CONCERENED THAT ANOTHER DRIVER (PARTICULARILY OWNERS OF OLDER MODEL SATURNS WHO PURCHASE NEW SATURNS) WILL EXPERIENCE THE SAME SITUATION BUT WITH MORE DEADLY CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICES AND WRITTEN THEM A NOTE (WITHOUT RESPONSE). THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON SAID THEY WOULD DO EACTLY WHAT I DID. SHE OWNS AND DRIVE THE P

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 2, 2001NC

FREEWAY TRAFFIC SUDDENLY CAME TO A STOP. I STOPPED BUT WAS REAR ENDED BY A VEHICLE TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND PUSHED INTO CAR IN FRONT OF ME. DRIVERS SEAT BACK COLLAPSED. I SUSTAINED MINOR BACK, HIP, BRUISED STOMACH MUSCLES AND KNEE INJURIES THAT I FEEL WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED OR MUCH LESS SEVERE HAD THE SEAT BACK HELD. I'M HAVING A PROBLEM COMPREHENDING GMS CONTENTION THAT THE SEAT BACK YIELDING IS A DESIRABLE RESPONSE TO THIS OR ANY SITUATION (AND THE FACT THAT THEIR PRODUCT ADHERES TO ALL RELEVANT STANDARDS, ETC).*AK

Seats
Filed Mar 23, 2001CA

PANTS ON DRIVER'S LEGS GOT CAUGHT UNDER LEFT LEVER OF FRONT SEAT, AND DRIVER COULD NOT ACCELERATE. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline › Delivery
Filed Feb 28, 2001AZ

FUEL LINE RUPTURED DUE TO FLYING DEBRIS FROM ROAD, FUEL LINE IS A RUBBER OR PLASTIC HOSE AND IS CLOSE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND MUFFLER, CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT THE RUPTURE COULD HAVE LEAKED GASOLINE ONTO THESE OTHER COMPONENTS AND CAUSED A FIRE, CONSUMER FEELS THE LINE SHOULD BE STEEL OR BE COVERED BY A METAL PLATE TO SHIELD IT, CONSUMER NOTICED RUPTURE WHEN HE TURNED IGNITION SWITCH ON AND ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP FORCED 3 AND 1/2 GALLONS OF FUEL ONTO GROUND. *SLC

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Feb 2, 2001FL

WHILE IN 5TH GEAR AT 65 MPH VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THERE WAS A TRUCK RIGHT BEHIND CONSUMER WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *AK THERE WAS A SECOND OCCASION WHEN AT AN INTERSECTION IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, VEHICLE WAS IN THIRD GEAR AND AS CONSUMER ACCELERATED, TRANSMISSION SLAMMED INTO NEUTRAL, CAUSING RAPID DECELERATION, AFTER FIRST INCIDENT, DEALER ADJUSTED A BUSHING AND STATED PROBLEM SHOULD NOT REOCCUR, HOWEVER IT DID AND DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE AND IT WAS DUE TO THE WAY THE TRANSMISSION WAS ENGINEERED. *SLC

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 2001 Saturn SL → · Every SL year → · How the figures are calculated →