NHTSA Complaint #10078453 — 2003 SATURN ION

WHEN MAKING TURNS, PARTICULARLY RIGHT TURNS, MY WIFE'S NEW SATURN ION QUAD COUPE, LOSES POWER AND HESITATES AFTER IT GETS THE TURN PARTIALLY COMPLETED. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY ABOUT ONCE A WEEK SO IT IS TOUGH TO DUPLICATE BUT IT HAS CAUSED HER TO BE NEARLY HIT SEVERAL TIMES BY ON COMING TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THIS IS THE WAY THE VTI TRANSMISSION IS DESIGNED TO WORK SO THERE IS NOTHING TO FIX. SATURN IN SPRING HILL DID NOT DENY THIS WAS HOW THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESIGNED TO WORK. I ASKED IF THERE WERE ANY SERVICE BULLETINS THAT WOULD FIX THIS AND THEY SAID NONE WOULD ACTUALLY FIX THIS PROBLEM AND THEY HAD NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT. THEY ALSO REFUSED TO PROVIDE A WRITTEN RESPONSE TO MY CERTIFIED RETURN RECEIPT LETTER EVEN THOUGH I SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED A WRITTEN RESPONSE. PEOPLE ARE TAKING THEIR CARS TO INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOPS TO BE FIXED. SATURN IS REIMBURSING SOME OF THESE CHARGES BUT THEY CALL IT STRICTLY A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION ISSUE". COMPLAINTS 10049664 AND 10049638 SOUND VERY SIMILAR. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU REQUEST THAT SATURN PROVIDE ALL COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THEM ABOUT THE VTI TRANSMISSION, ESPECIALLY WHERE INDEPENDENT SHOPS DID REPAIRS. THOSE OWNERS/INDEPENDENT SHOPS COULD PROBABLY PROVIDE A WEALTH OF INFO ABOUT VTI TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM AND A RECALL IS WARRANTY. *AK