2000 SATURN SL Electrical System Problems

SOON AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE WE STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. SOMETIMES IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO EVEN START THE CAR AS THE SWITCH WOULD BE FROZEN IN PLACE. AFTER SOME PLAY WITH THE STEERING WHEEL IT WOULD WORK. THEN THERE WERE TIMES YOU COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE OFF WITHOUT SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. WE TRIED TO TAKE THE CAR TO A MECHANIC TO SEE IF IT COULD BE FIXED BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. NOW THE KEY HAS TO BE LEFT IN AT ALL TIMES, YOU CAN'T REMOVE IT AT ALL. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN WITH ALL THE RECALLS REGARDING THE IGNITION IN THESE VEHICLES. NOT TO MENTION A PERSONAL CONCERN THAT THE VEHICLE COULD BE EASILY STOLEN WITH A VISIBLE KEY IN THE SWITCH. *TR

I TURNED MY CAR INTO A PARKING LOT, AND THE ENGINE SUDDENLY JUST QUIT WORKING. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR, IT ALSO HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT, AND AGAIN WHEN I MADE A LEFT TURN INTO ANOTHER PARK LOT,ALL ON THE SAME DAY IN LESS THAN 1 1/2 HOURS TOTAL TIME. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM REPEATEDLY OVER THE LAST ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. I WAS TOLD WHEN I FIRST HAD TROUBLE WITH THE IGNITION HOUSING COMING LOOSE, NOT TO PUT ANY OTHER KEYS ON THE KEY RING, AND I ONLY HAVE THE CAR KEY ON THE CHAIN. I HAVE HAD THE IGNITION CHANGED TWICE, AND THIS MAY BE THE THIRD TIME, ON THE LAST TIME I WAS TOLD THERE WERE PIECES OF METAL IN THE IGNITION THAT PROBABLY CAUSED THE PROBLEM. MY CONCERN IS WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON...

KEY FALLS OUT OF IGNITION WHILE DRIVING! THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED WITH ALL OF THE OTHER GM VEHICLES. THIS IS A DANGER AND SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED! STEP UP GM AND FIX THE COST CUTTING CORNERS YOU CUT AND PUT YOUR CUSTOMERS AT RISK! *TR

IMPORTANT, I DO NOT KNOW THE DATES SO I HAD TO JUST PUT IN A RANDOM ONE. THIS CAR TURNED ITSELF OFF ON 3 OCCASIONS. I BROUGHT IT TO SATURN ON ALL THE INCIDENTS. I WOULD BE DRIVING AND START TO BREAK AND DOWNSHIFT AND THE CAR WOULD LITERALLY JUST TURN OFF, AND I WAS LITERALLY AT THE CARS MERCY TILL IT WOULD TURN BACK ON. AS A FORMER DRIVERS ED INSTRUCTOR, I AM JUST LUCKY I REMAINED CALM. AT SATURN THEY TRIED TO TELL ME THIS COULD NOT HAPPEN. I DEMANDED IT DID, AND THE ONE TIME EVEN LEFT THE CAR WITH THEM FOR A WEEK. I SEEN THE RECALL FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE BUT THAT THEY ARE ONLY RECALLING TILL THE 2003'S. I AM THEREFORE COMPELLED TO MAKE SURE IT IS KNOWN THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED AS FAR BACK AS THE 2000 MODELS. I ALSO AM WILLING TO TESTIFY...

I INSERTED THE KEY TO START THE CAR AND THE CYLINDER WOULD NOT TURN; THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED; HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED. HAPPENED AGAIN 4-3-08 AND HAD ANOTHER NEW KEY CYLINDER INSTALLED, ODOMETER THEN 35449. IT STILL FEELS "STICKY" WHEN I TURN THE KEY AND FEELS LIKE IT COULD EASILY HAPPEN AGAIN. I LOOKED ON-LINE AND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. NOW I DRIVE THE CAR AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. I DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK SOMEWHERE WITH A LOCKED STEERING WHEEL. I'M REPORTING THIS NOW BECAUSE OF THE RECENT IGNITION PROBLEMS WITH THE SATURNS. *TR

MY 2000 SATURN SL2 IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO START. WHEN THE KEY IS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION IT REFUSES TO TURN TO THE "START" POSITION WITHOUT EXTENSIVE JIGGLING OF THE KEY. THIS PROBLEM SURFACED FOUR YEARS AGO AND WAS "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM HAS SINCE RETURNED AND IS WORSE THAN EVER. THIS SEEMS TO POINT TO A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE IGNITION SWITCH THAT COULD RESULT IN A DRIVER AND PASSENGERS BEING STRANDED WITHOUT ASSISTANCE IN INCONVENIENT OR DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. GOOGLING "SATURN IGNITION KEY PROBLEMS" WILL REVEAL THAT THERE IS QUITE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH SATURN IN THIS TYPE OF DEFECT. SINCE THE PROBLEM DIDN'T GO AWAY COMPLETELY I WILL ASSUME THAT SATURN IS REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED SWITCH. SATURN NEEDS TO DESIGN AN IGNITION SWITCH THAT WILL NOT FAIL AND USE THE NEW UNIT AS A REPLACEMENT. *TR

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. ALL THE ELECTRICAL LIGHT COMPONENTS WERE OFF. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE HEADLIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER THEN SUDDENLY WENT DIM. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO A TECHNICIAN 13 TIMES FOR THE LIGHT SENSOR BRAIN CONTROL SWITCH. *NLM

THE VEHICLE POWERED DOWN FROM 70 MPH TO 5, THE DEALER REPAIRED/REPLACED NUMEROUS PARTS ON THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED.*JB

ONGOING PROBLEM WITH ENGINE STALLING. VEHICLE BEEN INTO DEALER SHOP ON THREE OCCASIONS, AND PROBLEM STILL REOCCURRING. *AK DEALER REPLACED OIL PAN DUE TO OIL PAN LEAK. GLOVE BOX FELL OUT DUE TO THE LOCK BEING BROKE. SES LIGHT ON DUE TO TERMINAL DISLODGED ON 5 VOLT REFERENCE SPLICE PACK. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE ECM DUE TO STALLING AND FOUND BATTERY CABLE LOOSE AND FIXED PROBLEM, HOWEVER VEHICLE IS STILL STALLING. *SLC