1999 SATURN SL Engine And Engine Coolingengine Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 TO 20 MPH, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHO DETERMINED THE CRANK POSITION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 06/15/06.

AT ABOUT 81200 MILES, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. UPON REFILLING THE RESERVOIR, I NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT WAS DISCOLORED. I CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS CONTAMINATED (MILKY COLORED). I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THE HEAD WAS CRACKED. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THIS IS A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH SATURN SOHC ENGINES AND THAT I SHOULD TRY TO GET SATURN TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. AFTER DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS TO BE TRUE. I CALLED SATURN, AT SPRING HILL AND WAS TOLD THAT "SINCE I HADN'T TAKEN THE CAR BACK TO SATURN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF POCKET, FOR REPAIRS." I DO ALL MY PM'S AND HAVE RECEIPTS AND MILEAGE RECORDS TO PROVE IT. I WAS TOLD, WHEN I BOUGHT THIS CAR THAT "THAT WOULD BE FINE." ALL SATURN HAS DONE SO FAR, IS...

OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE GOING UNDER THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. HOWEVER, MANUFACTURER WAS ONLY WILLING TO PAY $200.00 TOWARD THE COST OF REPAIRING THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID THAT THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO DEVELOP A BLOWN HEAD GASKET. *AK.....VEHICLE EXPERIENCED VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN DRIVING 50 MPH DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTORS. ALSO, REPLACED ENGINE HEAD GASKET. *AK

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER TRIED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DO SO. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE ENGINE WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THE CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED BY #5 CYLINDER BY CAM JOURNAL ON A 1999 SATURN SL-1 4 DOOR SEDAN WITH 54,950 MILES. DEALER COST WAS $2,100.00, SATURN COVERED $700.00. DEALER CLAIMED THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT YET HAD THE REPLACEMENT HEAD ASSEMBLY IN STOCK. *JB

SATURN WAS LEAKING OIL INTO THE RADIATOR EXPANSION TANK AND WATER IN THE OIL. OVER HEATING REALLY BAD THAT THE CAR WILL SHUT DOWN AND NOT START UNTIL COOL, AND IT BOILS OVER IN THE RADIATOR EXPANSION TANK. OCTOBER '03 HAD HEAD GASKETS REPLACED, AND THE HEADS SENT OFF FOR SERVICE, ONE MONTH LATER, ITS BACK TO LEAKING OIL IN THE COOLANT AND WATER IN THE OIL. OXYGEN SENSOR WENT OUT, AND HAS BEEN REPLACED AND SO DID THE IGNITION MODULAR, WHICH HAS BEEN REPLACED. *JB

A MIXTURE OF OIL AND ANTI-FREEZE WERE NOTED. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY TOLD ME THAT THE HEAD WAS CRACKED DUE TO A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. THEY REPLACED THE HEAD AND COOLING SYSTEM HOSES ONLY. NOW 10,000 MILES LATER I AM HEARING A KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A MECHANIC WHERE HE INFORMED ME THAT THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE ENGINE IS GONE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HE STATED THAT THE DEALER (SATURN OF MORRISTOWN, NJ) SHOULD HAVE REPLACED THE ENTIRE ENGINE INSTEAD OF JUST THE TOP HALF. *LA

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ENGINE WAS VERY LOUD, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, WHO FOUND NO OIL IN THE ENGINE. THREE QUARTS WERE ADDED, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT. TWO DAYS LATER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT BLINKED, AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS INDICATING THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVER HEATING. THE CONSUMER ADDED COOLANT, BUT DRIVING UNDER THREE MILES VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT OIL AND COOLANT WERE MIXING TOGETHER IN THE ENGINE. A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. *AK

ONE OF THE ENGINE MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT 50587 MILES.*AK

FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *PH. LAST FEBRUARY THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS STARTING THE VEHICLE AND FINALLY HAD IT TOWED, WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR. *JB

THE HEAD GASKET LEAKED.*JB

CONSUMERS VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED HEAD GASKET. CONSUMER CALLED SATURN COMPANY TO INQUIRE ABOUT THE VEHICLE BEING FIXED AND THEY REFUSED TO FIX IT. CONSUMER REQUESTS A REFUND OF MONEY PAID FOR REPAIRS. *JG....*AK

VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER ON TWO OCCASIONS, ON FIRST OCCASION, VEHICLE STALLED WHILE CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 30 MPH, VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND IT WAS TOWED WHERE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG, THE SECOND OCCASION THE VEHICLES ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TURNED OFF AND ON AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART, DEALER AGAIN COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS, DEALER TOOK A BEST GUESS AND REPLACED THE CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR AND CONSUMER STATES THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING OKAY SO FAR. *SLC

IT APPEARS THIS VEHICLE HAS A CRACKED HEAD ,WATER IS MIXING IN THE OIL.LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON ,CHECKED LEVEL RESAVOIR DOWN TO 1 INCH.FILLED WITH 2 QUARTS.LIGHT CAME ON NEXT DAY SAME FLUID LEVEL.PULLED DIP STICK AND NOTICED THE WATER OIL MIXTURE.VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED SINCE NEW BY SATURN DEALER UNDER CONTRACT.WAITING FOR ESTIMATE.THIS SEEMS TO BE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WAS EXPERIENCED ON EARLIER MODELS WHER THE WARRANTY WAS EXTENDED TO SIX YEARS/100,000 MILES.

CRACK IN HEAD. CAN'T DRIVE. OE DEFECT. *AK

ENGINE STALLED ALONG WITH BATTERY AND OIL LIGHT COMING ON, DEALER FOUND THE OIL PRESSURE SWITCH TO BE DEFECTIVE. *SLC

TIMING CHAIN BROKE CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO ENGINE.