1993 Saturn Sl

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR. CONSUMER PUMPED THE BRAKES, AND THE THEY MALFUNCTIONED. HOWEVER, CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT HOME. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION THE NEXT DAY. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BRAKE LINES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE BATTERY LEAKED ACID ON THE BRAKE LINE. THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THE BRAKE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE FAULTY DESIGN WHICH LOCATED THE BATTERY OVER THE BRAKE LINES. *NM

AFTER TURNING THE VEHICLE ON AND PLACING THE GEAR IN PARK OR NEUTRAL VEHICLE WILL JUMPED FORWARD, DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND FOUND THAT THE VALVE BODY ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER OWNS FOUR OTHER SATURN VEHICLES. THREE OF THEM HAVE ALSO HAD THEIR VALVE BODY ASSEMBLIES REPLACED. ALL OF THE VEHICLES HAD UNDER 50000 MILES ON THEIR ODOMETER'S. *NM

THE ALTERNATOR BELT BROKE FOUR TIMES SINCE OWNERSHIP. ON ONE OCCASION, THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 50 MPH AND THE BELT BROKE, WHICH CAUSED THE POWER STEERING TO BECOME INOPERATIVE, AND ALMOST RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM.*AK THE SERPENTINE BELT FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING, DEALER REPLACED. *TS *JB

OUR VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO VACATION ON HIGHWAY 95. NO WARNING WAS GIVEN. WE WERE APPROACHED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. AT THIS POINT WE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR, AND IMMEDIATELY, THE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD OF THE CAR. VISIBILITY IN THE CAR WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBILE. WE TRIED TO STOP THE CAR, BUT WE HAD NO BRAKES, NOR ANY EMERGENCY BRAKES. WE TRIED PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK, BUT THE GEAR SHIFT HAD BEEN MELTED DOWN AS WELL. WE HAD TO CUT THE CAR COMPLETELY OFF AND LET IT COAST TOWARDS A DITCH TO STOP IT.WE JUMPED OUT AND RAN OVER A DITCH. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS THERE WITHIN TWO MINUETS FROM ANOTHER BURNING CAR. EVERTHING UNDER THE HOOD WAS MELTED. WE WERE TOLD BY THE FIREMEN THAT UNDER THE CAR WAS ALSO MELTED DOWN. *AK

VALVE TRAIN SEEMS TO FAIL AT ABOUT 95-160 THOUSAND MILES WITH UNKNOWN CAUSE. CALLED BOTH DEALER AND REPAIR SHOPS. BOTH SEEM TO SAY THE SAME. EITHER VALVE SEATS OR PISTON RINGS FAIL AT THESE POINTS OF MILAGE. BETWEEN 95,000 TO 160,000 MILES WITH UNKNOWN CAUSE. SOME SAID MIGHT BE THE ALUMINUM HEAD DEFECT, OTHERS SAID THAT THERE ARE STRESS CRACKS FROM THE MOLDING OF THE HEAD. THEY ALL SAY CAN NOT REALLY TELL UNTIL TAKEN APART AND VISUALLY CHECKED. HIGH COST TO DO THIS. BUT NO KNOWN RECALLS ON THE HEAD DEFECT OR VALVE SEAT OR VALVE TRAIN SYSTEM. ALSO ON THE DOOR HINGE, THE DOOR SEALS LET WATER DOWN TO THE HINGE AND IT ROTS OUT THE HINGE ON THE DOOR, CAUSING THE DOOR TO FALL OR ROT OFF.