1999 SATURN SL Engine And Engine Cooling Problems

ONCE MY SATURN SL AS AT LEAST 2 OTHERS THAT I KNOW OF THAT OWN THIS SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE, HIT 100K MILES OR JUST SLIGHTLY OVER, THE HEAD GASKET BLOWS. I LOVED THE CAR UNTIL THIS POINT AND WOULD HAVE PURCHASED ANOTHER IF THIS WASN'T A COMMON ISSUE WITH SATURNS. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE USED UP A LARGE AMOUNT OF RADIATOR FLUID. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE LEAKS ON THE DRIVEWAY, HOWEVER THE RESERVOIR HAD TO BE REFILLED EVERY 3 DAYS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP, WHERE, UPON INSPECTION, THERE WAS MOISTURE AROUND THE TOP OF THE RADIATOR TANK, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RADIATOR TANK HAD LEAKED FROM THE TOP.

1999 SATURN SL1 44300 MILES ON IT. 3-4 WEEKS AGO COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED COOLANT LEVEL WAS FINE BUT MILKY SUBS FLOATING ON TOP. CHECKED WITH RADIATOR SHOP, SUGGESTED FLUSH SYSTEM AND REPLACE COOLANT. 2 WEEKS LATER OIL LIGHT CAME ON. CHECKED OIL, NONE ON DIP STICK (3 WEEKS AFTER OIL CHANGE). ADDED OIL AND VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 15-20 MILES AND BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SATURN OF MONROVIA WHERE THEY FOUND A CRACKED BLOCK. DEALERSHIP AND SATURN CORP. ARE NOT WILLING TO COVER FIXING THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THERE ARE STILL PROBLEMS WITH THESE ENGINES. EARLIER MODELS HAD WARRANTIES EXTENDED TO 6 YEAR/100,000 MILES. SATURN CORP. STATED THAT VEHICLE WAS PAST THAT WARRANTY AND I AM OUT OF LUCK. I THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM AT THEIR EXPENSE AS THEY KNOW OF THE DEFECTS BUT CONTINUE TO DO NOTHING ABOUT IT....

I PURCHASED MY SATURN SL2 4-DOOR BRAND NEW IN 1999 WITH ONLY 10 MILES ON IT. IT WAS A PERFECT CAR UNTIL IT OVERHEATED ONE DAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY TOLD ME TO USE ONLY DEX-COOL IN MY ENGINE. SO I WALKED AND PURCHASED SOME AND WENT ON MY WAY. SINCE THAT TIME MY ENGINE CONTINUOUSLY GETS OVERHEATED, I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THE RADIATOR CAP AND NOW THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT I HAVE A CRACKED RADIATOR HEAD WITH WARPED GASKETS WHICH WILL COST TOO MUCH FOR ME DUE TO MY BEING ON DISABILITY. MY CAR ONLY HAS 94,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE IT SERVICED REGULARLY. I FEEL THAT DEX-COOL OR THE DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IN FIXING MY VEHICLE TO NO FAULT OF MY OWN. *JB

IN 2003 MY DAUGHTER BOUGHT A 1999 SATURN WITH 47000 MILES THAT HAD JUST BEEN TURNED IN FROM A LEASE FROM A DEALER AND IT STARTED SMOKING AND USING A QUART OF OIL PER 1,000AT WHICH TIME WE CONTACTED THIS AGENCY AND GM BECAUSE THE CAR WAS ALAWAYS DEALER SERVICED AND HAD NOT YET REACHED IT'S HALF LIFE. SATURN TOLD US THAT THIS WAS NORMAL HOWVER, THE CONDITION HAS ONLY WORSED OVER TIME AND IT'S NOW USING 1.5 QT'S PER 1000 MILES AND SMOKING WORSE. I BET THE EPA WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT. ADDITIONALLY THE ROTOR HAVE FAILED TWICE BECOMING WARPED AND THE MOTOR MOUNT HAS FAILED ALONG WITH A COOLENT TEMP SENSOR. MANY PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THESE SAME PROBLEMS AND GM KNOWS IT. ONCE AGAIN WE ASKED THEM FOR SOME GOODWILL AND THEY TURNED US DOWN SAYING THAT THE CAR (NOW) HAS TOO MANY MILES EVEN THO THEY...

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

AIR CONDITIONING FAILED AT 4 YEARS, 4 MONTHS. NEW COMPRESSOR NEEDED, ACCORDING TO BOTH SATURN DEALERSHIP AND INDEPENDENT GARAGE. NOT YET REPLACED. WAITING TO SEE IF THERE IS A HIDDEN SERVICE BULLETIN BY WHICH SATURN WILL REPLACE AT REDUCED COST.

DEFECTIVE BRAKES DUE TO BRAKE CYLINDER LEAKAGE, AND ENGINE STALLED. PH

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED VEHICLE MAKE SOME VIBRATION, CONSUMER ALSO COMPLAINED HAS BEEN HISTORY OF PROBLEMS IN THE LAST PAST THREE YEARS WITH THIS VEHICLE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND CAN'T CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS