NHTSA Complaint #770203 — 2002 SATURN LS

HORN FAILED TO OPERATE. I CHECKED THE FUSE AND HORN RELAY. I INSPECTED THE HORN ASSEMBLY ITSELF. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT IT WAS MOUNTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT SPOILER. IN THIS LOCATION IT IS SUBJECT TO ROAD DIRT AND WATER. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A SATURN DEALER IN LYNBROOK NY, THEY AGREED THAT IT WAS A POOR LOCATION FOR THE HORN. THEY SAID OTHER L SERIES CAR OWNERS HAD THE HORN FAIL PREMATURELY. THE L SERIES HAS MUCH ROOM IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND FRONT BODY TO LOCATE THE HORN. THE SATURN DEALER REPLACED THE HORN AND WIRING CONNECTOR. BUT THEY DID NOT RELOCATE THE HORN. ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAVE WITH THE HORN SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR IS THAT I HAVE TO PRESS THE HORN PAD VERY HARD UNLESS I PRESS IT ON THE ONE OF THE TWO HORN SHAPED INDENTS. THESE INDENTS ARE THE SAME COLOR AS THE AIRBAG COVER, VERY SMALL AND HARD TO FEEL AND LOCATE IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION. MANY TIMES I HAVE WENT TO BLOW THE HORN AND IT DID NOT WORK BECAUSE I HAVE NOT PRESSED IT HARD ENOUGH. ALL THE SATURN PEOPLE I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SAY THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF THE AIR BAG. HOWEVER I HAVE DRIVEN VEHICLES THAT HAVE AIRBAGS AND THE HORN IS MUCH MORE RESPONSIVE. SOME CARS HAVE HORN BUTTONS AND SOME HAVE A MUCH THINNER OR FLEXIBLE COVER FOR A HORN PAD. SOME HAVE AN AIRBAG ASSEMBLY THAT MOVES INWARD WHEN YOU PRESS IT TO ACTIVATE THE HORN. I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME MODIFICATION MADE TO MAKE THE HORN MORE RESPONSIVE. THANK YOU. DT