NHTSA Complaint #10163360 — 2000 SATURN SL

1. I PURCHASED MY 2000 SATURN SL1 FROM A USED CAR DEALER ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO. AFTER I STARTED THE CAR AND SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. FOR A FEW SECONDS NOTHING HAPPENED AND I THOUGHT I WAS EITHER AGAINST A BUMP IN THE PAVEMENT OR IT WAS STILL IN NEUTRAL. I GAVE IT MORE GAS. SUDDENLY, THE CAR SLAMMED INTO REVERSE AND I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND BACKED INTO A CAR. I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL TO SEE IF MORE WAS NEEDED. IT WAS FULL. A COUPLE DAYS LATE, IT DID IT AGAIN. NOW IT DOES IT ABOUT EVERY THIRD REVERSE SHIFT. ALSO THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON. SO, I CHECKED THE COMPUTER CODES AND THEY INDICATED A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I GOT ON THE INTERNET TO SEE WHAT HAD TO BE DONE TO FIX IT. IT TURNS OUT MANY SATURN OWNERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR TRANSMISSIONS. THERE IS EVEN A SERVICE BULLETIN, NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 612478 THIS IS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO THE TRANSMISSION TO FIX A VALVE PROBLEM. MANY SATURN OWNERS CAN'T AFFORD SUCH A REPAIR. SO, THEY DRIVE THE CAR AT THE RISK OF BACKING INTO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE. SATURN OBVIOUSLY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG A LONG TIME AGO AND DIDN'T RECALL THE VEHICLES. *NM