NHTSA Complaint #10105756 — 2003 SATURN ION

WHILE ON LOCAL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, THE SATURN ION 3 QUAD COUPE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP. THE RPMS REACHED ABOUT 6,000 WHILE TRYING TO MAINTAIN THE SPEED AND PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT. AFTER A BRIEF FULL STOP (WHILE IN DRIVE), THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED PROPERLY AND DID NOT SLIP. UPON TAKING THE NEXT EXIT, THE CAR WAS PLACED INTO PARK AND WAS IDLING. EXITING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A STRONG BURNING SMELL WHICH WAS QUITE SIMILAR TO A CLUTCH SLIPPING IN A MANUAL TRANSMISSION. NO FLUIDS WERE SEEN DRIPPING AND THERE WAS NO COSMETIC DAMAGE. THE CAR WOULD NOT RETURN TO DRIVE. DESPITE PRESSING THE BRAKE AS REQUIRED, THE CAR WAS 'LOCKED' INTO PARK. A STRANGE CLICK WAS HEARD FROM THE AREA NEAR THE TRUNK RELEASE BUTTON. THIS WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE NORMAL CLICK THAT IS HEARD WHEN THE BRAKE IS DEPRESSED IN PARK. HE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND THEN RESTARTED. THE CAR WOULD PROPERLY ENTER DRIVE AND THE ABNORMAL CLICK WAS NOT PRESENT.THE LOCAL SATURN DEALER REPLACED THE "INPUT" AND "OUTPUT" FILTERS IN THE TRANSMISSION PER DIRECTION OF SATURN CORPORATION. TRANSMISSION HAS NOT SLIPPED AGAIN SINCE THIS REPAIR. *AK