NHTSA Complaint #10131843 — 2000 SATURN SL

REVERSE GEAR HAD BEEN ACTING FUNNY (NOT GOING INTO REVERSE AND ALLOWING THE CAR TO SLIDE FORWARD BEFORE GRABBING). GRINDING SOUND WAS NOTED, TOOK CAR INTO AAA APPROVED FACILITY, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. FINALLY REVERSE GEAR JUST QUIT (AS I WAS TRYING TO PARALLEL PARK) AND "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME ON. THIS WHOLE PROCESS TOOK ABOUT A MONTH FROM START TO FINISH. TOOK IT BACK TO AAA APPROVED FACILITY WHO PUT IN ON THE COMPUTER AND FOUND VARIOUS CODES P0300, P0732, P1599, P0732, P1599. THE MILEAGE ON THIS CAR IS 37,134. I BOUGHT IT NEW IN 2000. CALLED SATURN IN STEVENS CREEK, WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO BRING IT TO A SATURN DEALERSHIP. EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE NEAREST ONE IS APPROX. 2 HOURS FROM WHERE I LIVE AND I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING A CAR WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT DISTANCE.(2ND INTO 3RD GEAR WAS NOW VERY ROUGH SHIFTING). WAS TOLD THAT WAS THE ONLY OPTION. THIS IS MY ONLY CAR SO THIS WAS NOT AN OPTION AT ALL. CHECKED AROUND THIS AREA TO FIND SOMEONE TO FIX IT. AAMCO WILL NO LONGER REPAIR TRANSMISSIONS IN SATURN CARS BECAUSE THEY ARE SO UNRELIABLE. FOUND A REPAIR SHOP THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH WHO SAID THEY WILL FIX IT FOR $1,700.00. THEY DID RESEARCH AND FOUND A BULLETIN (# 00-T-24) WHICH DEALS EXACTLY WITH THIS PROBLEM AND SUGGESTS HOW TO FIX IT. IN THE BULLETIN (OF WHICH I HAVE A COPY) IT STATES "THIS CONDITION MAY BE CAUSED BY AN IMPROPERLY MACHINED SURFACE FINISH ON THE AREA OF THE INPUT SHAFT HUB WHERE THE SEALS RIDE. IMPROPER SURFACE FINISH ON THE INPUT SHAFT HUB ALLOWS CROSS LEAKAGE BETWEEN THE 1ST AND 2ND/ REV CLUTCHES". THIS IS THE FAULT OF SATURN AND THEY SHOULD PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS. IN ADDITION TO THE $1,700.00 FOR REPAIRS, I AM HAVING TO RENT AN ECONOMY CAR FOR A WEEK AT A COST OF $163.58. AGAIN, THIS CAR HAS ONLY 37,134 MILES ON IT. *NM