1998 Saturn Sl

MY BROTHER WAS KILLED JUNE 24, 2005, IN A SINGLE CAR ACCIDENT. HE WAS DRIVING A 1998 SATURN SL ON AN INTERSTATE IN MISSISSIPPI, THE SATURN WENT OUT OF CONTROL, HIS SEATBELT (WHICH HE ALWAYS WORE) AND HE WAS EJECTED FROM THE CAR. SINCE HIS DEATH, I'VE FOUND ON NHTSA'S SITE ALMOST 30 DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS FROM 1998 SATURN SLY OWNERS DESCRIBING SERIOUS FAILURES OF THAT CARS STABILITY, BRAKES, STEERING, AND AIR BAGS---ALL OF WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAR GOING OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, THE DRIVERS IN THE 30 COMPLAINTS I'VE FOUND ALL STATED THAT THE INJURIES WERE NOT FATAL. MY BROTHER AND OUR FAMILY ARE NOT SO FORTUNATE. THE 1998 SATURN SL'S FAILURES KILLED MY BROTHER. ALL OF THESE FAILURES WERE REPORTED TO NHTSA YEARS AGO, SO HIS DEATH COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. NHTSA AND THE SATURN COMPANY OWE ME AND MY FAMILY SOME ANSWERS. AND NHTSA AND SATURN MUST ACT NOW BEFORE MORE PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY THIS FATAL CAR.*JB

I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT THAT TOTALED MY CAR. I WAS ONLY TRAVELING 15-20 MPH WHEN I HIT A CAR WITH NO LIGHTS ON. I HAD TWO PASSENGERS IN MY CAR. ALL OF US SUSTAINED INJURY BECAUSE THE SEATBELTS DID NOT LOCK UP AND HOLD US. MY BACK SET PASSENGER WAS ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE AND SHE WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH FACIAL INJURIES THAT LEFT A GASH UNDER HER LEFT EYE AND RUN BURN ALL OVER HER FACE. MY FRONT PASSENGER WENT FLYING INTO THE FROM WIDSHIELD AND HIS HEAD HIT AT THE TOP RIGHT CORNER. THE BELT RESTRAINED HIM INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE AS IT STAYED CONNECTED TO THE CAR BUT MY FRONT PASSENGER ONLY STOPED AS SOON AS THE SEATBELT EXTENDED AS FAR AS IT COULD. I WAS DRIVING AND WAS PUSED DOWN INTO THE AIRBAG BY MY PASSENGER SITTING BEHIND ME. I SUSTANINED A SMALL FRACURE THAT LOOSENED MY TWO FRONT TEETH. MY BACK PASSENGER IS THE ONLY ONE TO SUSTAIN DAMAGE FROM THE ACTUAL SEATBELT AND IT WAS AROUUND HER STOMACH, WHICH SEE WAS 7 MONTHES PREGNAT AT THE TIME. THE BABY IS OK AND SHE WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL THE NEXT MORNING. *JB

I PURCHASED A 1998 SATURN SL2 IN APRIL OF 2002 AND DISCOVERED AFTER PURCHASE THAT IT HAD A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS MODEL I WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE REPAIR. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALSO UNABLE TO FIND THE EXACT PART NUMBER AND WANTED TO MAKE THE REPAIR FROM A SIMILAR BUT NOT IDENTICAL 1996 MODEL. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT SATURN DOES NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR DEFECTIVE SAFETY ITEMS SUCH AS THE RETRACTOR BECAUSE SO MANY OF THEIR VEHICLES HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND IT HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY RECALLED.

WHEN SEAT BELT COMES THROUGH SLIDER TO CONNECT ACROSS CHEST BELT IT IS CUT. .*AK THE BELT MUST BE CUTTING WHEN IT IS PULLED DOWN TO BE FASTENED, THE CUTS ARE NOT NOTICEABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE OBSCURED BY THE SLIDER WHEN THE BELT IS RETRACTED AND OUT OF SIGHT WHEN THE BELT IS FASTENED, THE CONSUMER RETAINED THE DAMAGED PART. NLM