General Motors is recalling certain models of the 2008 Saturn Vue equipped with a 6t70 6 speed automatic transmission. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which the transmission case side bore that holds the park pawl pivot pin may have a casting porosity. This condition, coupled with normal operating stresses, could lead to failure, eliminating the ability to secure the transmission in “park” position.

If this happens while the vehicle is parked on a non level surface, the vehicle could roll without warning and cause injury to people in its path. Dealers will replace the transmission free of charge. The recall began on May 5, 2008. Owners may contact Saturn at 1-800-972-8876.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is recalling a handful of the Saturn cars and SUVStroubled by faulty timing chains.

Federal regulators have concluded that some of the links in the timing chain in the 2001 Saturn L Series equipped with a 2.2 liter 4-cylinder engine can separate causing the timing chain to fail.

“If a timing chain link separates while the engine is running, the engine will stall and will not restart increasing the risk of a crash,” according to federal regulators.

NHTSA reported that 20,514 Saturnvehicles are included in the recall.

Dealers will replace the timing chain free of charge when the recall begins in January of 2008.

But federal safety regulators at NHTSA offer no help for Saturn owners who have already suffered a timing chain failure and paid the price to repair the engine in their Saturn.

In Seymour, Indiana, Terry had to spend $1,200 just before Thanksgiving to repair a broken timing chain and the valves that bent as a result in his 2001 Saturn L200.

The day before, in Arlington, Texas, Susie heard her Saturn Vuebegin to make tapping sounds “which became increasingly louder within a range of about 15 miles before the engine died and would no longer start,” she said.

Susie told us that the “timing chain tensioner screws had backed themselves out and caused the valves to bend in the motor.”

Now Susie says, “I have a blown up motor. I have tried to get Saturn’s customer service department to help me with this however they are unwilling to fully replace what I feel is a lemon motor. Every mechanic that I have talked to concerning this matter has assured me, that this should not have happened. Even Saturn technicians themselves.”

In any event, the Saturn Vue is not covered by the NHTSA recall for faulty timing chains.

On November 11, a Saturn owner in Cheektowaga, New York, said we can add him to the list of people with a broken timing chain and big repair bill.

“I bought a used 2000 L series with just under 60,000 miles in August 2006. Last Friday with no warning, the timing chain broke.”

Kristi faced a similar problem on November 4 with her daughter’s Saturn in Colorado. “We had it towed. The garage said it needed a new timing belt. After $3,400 they said the engine was no good and would replace it for another $3,500. This looks like this same thing has happened to other Saturns.”

Marilyn in La Mesa, California, reports that Saturn mechanics are able to diagnose the timing belt problem but Saturn will take no responsibility for repairing problems caused by a faulty timing belt, even with an extended warranty.

“After fixing the belt tensioner and the serpentine belt, the mechanics found damage to the timing belt and some pistons. They had my okay to take down the engine. What else could I do? The repair for this is going to cost $3,400,” she told us.

“I was relieved when I heard what the problem was because those parts are covered under the warranty. My relief turned to shock when my claim was denied. The warranty company is refusing to pay because they say the damage was caused by the serpentine belt which is not covered,” Marilyn said.

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Saturn Corporation is a division of General Motors (GM) and a brand of automobiles. It was established on January 7, 1985 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of GM, and is active almost exclusively in the United States and Canada. GM began manufacturing Saturn automobiles in 1990, largely in response to the success of Japanese small-car imports in the United States.[citation needed] During the first decade of the 21st century, GM has moved the brand upmarket, to the mid-price segment that was once occupied by Oldsmobile.

Saturn was named after the rocket that took American astronauts to the moon and not after the planet.[1]. Saturn’s motto was initially “A different kind of company, a different kind of car.”[citation needed] Drawing from experiences gained through its NUMMI and CAMI Automotive joint ventures,[citation needed] GM organized the Saturn Corporation differently from their existing divisions, attempting to emulate the Japanese management techniques.[citation needed] At Saturn, workers would have more control and involvement in the plant. [clarify]
The Saturn Corporation also created its own distribution network from scratch, which was both independent and different from those used by older GM divisions. There was much emphasis put on the quality of customer service, with insights drawn from travel and hospitality as well as consumer retail industries, rather than traditional automotive sales.[citation needed] The uniqueness of Saturn’s distribution network was emphasized by referring to what would usually be called “dealers” as “retailers”, and conversely “retail facilities” in lieu of “dealerships”. Such “retail facilities” served non-competing “market areas”. They are noted for their no-haggle pricing, where the cars are sold at their exact sticker price, their no-pressure sales environments, and professional sales staff.[citation needed] The Saturn Corporation strove to build a community spirit among their customers by hosting annual “homecoming” events at its former Spring Hill, Tennessee manufacturing plant, as well a day-to-day special events in retail settings.
Saturn values were initially communicated through image advertising created by the Hal Riney advertising agency.
Nevertheless, from the business point of view, the Saturn Corporation never proved successful, never being able to turn a profit since its founding.[dubious – discuss] In the new millennium, it was decided to integrate the company in to the GM infrastructure in 2003, with Bob Lutz aiming to bring the brand closer to its GM European franchise, Opel.
General Motors even chose west-coast Saturn retailers to sell and service the short-lived and highly politicized electric car, the EV1, in the mid 1990’s.
Saturn’s headquarters, retail employee training facility and primary manufacturing facility were originally located in Spring Hill, Tennessee. The facility was chosen in 1985, after a highly publicized nationwide search for a site. The plant has since been retooled to produce other General Motors vehicles.
Saturn was originally established as a fully-owned, but independently administered subsidiary of General Motors, with GM executive Bill Hoglund at its helm. It was hoped that lessons learned from Saturn would trickle down to the rest of General Motors to make them more competitive against foreign automakers and improve labor relations.[citation needed]
Since the 2000s, Saturn has been gradually losing its autonomy, as new models, for example, do not utilize polymer side panels and are derivatives of other GM models. Production has since been moved to other GM plants. Production of Saturn vehicles at the Tennessee facility ceased on March 30, 2007.[citation needed] Initially, the Saturn Corporation was headed by a president who consulted with a Union local counterpart and reported to the GM Board of Directors. As the role of Saturn changed within General Motors, the chief executive role was shifted to be a Vice President of Sales, Service and Marketing. Since 2005, Jill Lajdziak, previously a VP of SSM,[clarify] has been the General Manager of Saturn, who reports to the Vice President of the GM Small Car Group.
Saturn is known for its company-wide “no-haggle” sales policy. Saturn dealers (called “retailers” by the company) are encouraged to sell vehicles at list price. Customer satisfaction with dealer service is among the highest of any car brand in the US.[citation needed] The company also won praise for its environmentally-conscious manufacturing processes and for its innovations such as using flexible plastic side panels on its cars to avoid minor dents.[citation needed] However, in 2005, the Saturn Relay became the first Saturn vehicle without polymer side paneling.

Source:Wikipedia

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by Alex Nunez

The International Carwash Association (International? Who knew?) has named the Saturn Aura the Most Washable Car of 2007. A variety of criteria are used to determine the winner each year, but predictably, items like securely mounted antennas and wipers, flush-mount trim pieces, sleek body lines, and folding mirrors are among those that the judges look for when making the selection (the complete list is in the release pasted after the jump).

The Aura was the car that fit the bill this year, and as luck would have it, we photographed our Autoblog Garage Aura XR test car as it passed through the wash last year. So, enjoy the suddenly-appropriate gallery of the Aura getting cleaned up in honor of its new award. We won’t mention that our car lost its little XM sharkfin antenna cover during the depicted scrubdown. Oops! I guess we just did! (No worries: we got it back a short time later, so the story has a happy ending.) Now, we assume Saturn will also be making duplicates of its washing award and shipping them to various Aura owners like it has done with its trophy for 2007 North American Car of the Year. Hey, a win’s a win.

[Source: International Carwash Association]

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by Damon Lavrinc

After GM’s mercy killing of its slow-selling minivans, the heads of the General are working towards filling the seven-passenger, non-SUV gap that will soon exist in their lineup.

Crossovers have been the favored saviors of the people mover segment, and as such, General Motors has decided that the former Saturn-only plant in Spring Hill, Tenn. would be the beneficiary of a thorough overhaul to meet the expected demand. In a plan that will invest over $700 million into the aging production line, GM will outfit the plant with more up-to-date manufacturing equipment that has the potential to produce up to 350,000 vehicles per year.

General Motors’ front-wheel-drive, Lambda-based crossovers currently include the new Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, all of which are possible products that could roll off the line in Spring Hill.

[Source: Automotive News –- Sub. Req.]

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By Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

For sleepless car owners who decide they need to check their tire pressure in the middle of the night, General Motors has a solution.
GM (GM) plans to introduce a remote-control key fob next April that will allow drivers to not only determine the pressure in each tire, but also check the odometer reading, see if there’s enough fuel in the tank to make it to work in the morning, change the radio station settings and see if they remembered to lock the car doors, to name a few.

The device will be a $150 option on Cadillac Escalade luxury SUVs and other full-size GM SUVs, pickups and crossover-utility vehicles.

“One of the overarching themes people told us they wanted was security and safety,” GM spokesman Tom Henderson says. Being able to reassure themselves about their vehicles without leaving the house is one way to satisfy that.

The feature builds on GM’s expertise as the first automaker to introduce remote start, which made its debut in the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu and now is available from other automakers and as an add-on accessory.

GM says it will be first to offer remote two-way communication with the vehicle using a liquid-crystal display on the fob. The fob will operate at four to six times the range of competitors’ keyless entry systems, GM says.

Automakers have been giving the remote-control key fob more and more tasks beyond the ability to lock or unlock the doors from a distance. Some will operate the power windows. Others are keyed to a car’s memory settings and reset seats, mirrors, stereo and other functions to the driver’s preference after a different driver has been using the vehicle.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer systems that adjust a vehicle’s seats and mirrors to a drivers’ personal preferences not from the fob, but as soon as the driver touches the outside door handle.

Volvo is planning a keyless entry system that can detect a heartbeat and alert the driver if someone is lurking inside the car. That’ll be introduced on a new version of the S80 sedan in the USA in February. The same technology, with some changes, should eventually be able to remind drivers if they forget and leave children in the car.

GM says its two-way fob will cost less than $100 to replace if it’s lost or broken. And it should be hard to break, Henderson says. For testing, it’s been dropped, dunked underwater and sprayed with saltwater.

GM says the feature probably will be considered a bargain. Consumer test panels showed that interest in the feature rose, rather than fell, when panel members were told what GM planned to charge.

[Sorce USA Today

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