This is the message I wrote to them.
To: cac@saturn.com
Subject: 1997 Saturn sc1 Engine Block damage at 76,000 miles?
I am writing to you as a 2 time Saturn owner to express my extreme displeasure at my current situation.
I previously owned a 1993 saturn SL2 and drove it happily until it was involved in an accident in 2006. When the accident disabled the vehicle it had 114,000 miles on it and still performed flawlessly.
Pooling together my insurance settlement money and extra cash I had saved, my fiancee and I decided to remain loyal to the Saturn brand and purchased a 1997 Saturn SC1. When purchased, in December 2006, the car had 68,000 miles on it.
I've driven the car rather infrequently but regularly (approximately 12 - 15 miles a day 4 days a week to my job and back, and on normal grocery and shopping runs) but have never driven the car for long amounts of time (the most distance ever traveled by the car in one trip was on the day I purchased it from the dealership to my home, approximately 60 miles).
3 months after purchasing the vehicle the heater core failed and was replaced.
3 months later a leak developed in the power sunroof, forcing me to either cover the sunroof when it rained or deal with a pool of water in the passenger's side of the vehicle.
The exhaust system required replacing in 2007.
As of 2 weeks ago, during my drive home, the coolant went totally hot, I arrived home to view the milky oil/coolant sludge pouring from the coolant reservoir.
I replaced the head, and all other associated gaskets, refilled the coolant and drove again, for about 4 total trips.
The problem has resurfaced. Leading to only one conclusion, the engine block or a cylinder is cracked.
I have come to this conclusion thanks to your technical bulletin on vehicles from 1991 to 1997 with SOHC engines.
76,000 miles does not sound to me like the amount of driving that a company would want their engines lasting.. it would probably put that company out of business quickly.
Upon further internet investigation, I see this to be a RECURRENT and EXPECTED problem with engines of these years.
I also see that some disgruntled Saturn owners (who had FAR MORE miles on their vehicles) have voiced their concerns to your company, some seeking legal recourse.
I know that these are troubling times for the Saturn brand, and I am sure you are more than aware that Americans are frugally spending their dollar on trusted brand names and value-added products, this includes vehicles.
I, unfortunately do not have the over 2 thousand dollars required to repair this vehicle. I can site the troubled economy for my woes as well. I actually expected, with finances in peril as they are currently, that I could count on my low mileage Saturn to keep performing up to its specifications for AT THE VERY LEAST another 40,000 miles. At least to get close to the performance of my last Saturn.
Alas, it seems the 97 SC1 is a pretty face and nothing more.
Please advise if there is some sort of way I can seek recourse from your company, or perhaps you could convince me as to why I should not share my experiences with this vehicle with the entire world and all I come in contact with. As of now, without a vehicle to speak of, I am in a very dissatisfied and unsettling place.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and respond.
Sincerely,
Me
They responded 2 days later:
Service Request: 71-731558480
Customer Relationship Specialist: Marv Henry
Dear Me,
Thank you for contacting the Saturn Customer Assistance Center. We appreciate you taking the time to write us in regard to your 1997 Saturn SC1.
We sincerely apologize for the concerns that you are experiencing with your vehicle. We understand this can be very frustrating and would like the opportunity to assist you further in any possible way we can.
Based on the nature of your concern, it would be better if we can also continue our communication via telephone. Since you included your phone number in your email, I will be contacting you today, June 09, 2009, between the hours of 8:00am to 10:00am, Eastern Time. If for any reason I am unsuccessful in reaching you, do not hesitate to call me directly at 1-866-790-5700 extension 42700, and advise the best time I may call you. However, I am only available Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 11:00am, Eastern Time. If my hours are inconvenient for you, please feel free to contact the Saturn Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-553-6000. Customer Relationship Specialists are available Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 09:00pm, Eastern Time. If you choose to continue to resolve the concerns through email, simply reply to this message. I look forward to the opportunity to speak with you soon.
For more information regarding the maintenance and care of your vehicle, please visit www.gmownercenter.com. This free online service offers vehicle and ownership-related information and tools tailored to your specific Saturn.
Again, thank you for contacting Saturn.
Sincerely,
The Saturn Consumer Support Team
[THREAD ID:1-C2WMZS]
The call that day never arrived, and I proceeded to call my Customer Support Representative several times that day to no avail.
I finally left him a message stating that when he felt I was important enough to call back, I would be waiting.
This is the email I sent to him:
Hello,
I waited up today until 11:12 AM for your call and it did not arrive. I work a 3rd shift job, so waiting up this late has really cut into my sleeping time and will alter my schedule for today.
I called at approximately 10:15 to your number directly and left a voicemail. Apparently you had left for the day by then?
This really isn't doing a great deal to endear the Saturn or GM brand name to me.
Please contact me as soon as you feel it is important enough. I will be waiting.
Me
The next day I received my telephone call.
Marv proceeded to apologize to me, stating that there was a problem with the telephone system in their office. (They couldn't email and let me know that, and amazingly I was able to get an operator to forward me directly to him with no problems at all. he never answered.)
Marv explained to me that there was nothing that The Saturn Corporation could do to help me with my cracked cylinder head problem. While he was very sorry for my inconvenience, the car was indeed 12 years old and I was the second owner. He stated that there wasn't enough complaints to warrant the use of a recall and that a technical service bulletin (which I had to remind him existed) is just a simple guideline to their technicians should such an anomaly arise and I had no reason to use that as an example of there being a larger problem or a defect.
Marv talked in circles around my well stated arguments for over 12 minutes before I finally realized that the conversation was futile and intended to give me the proverbial brush-off.
FINAL SCORE :
SATURN CORPORATION - 1
UPSET SATURN OWNER - 0
I ended my conversation with Marvin Henry by letting him know that based on my experience with my 1997 Saturn SC1 and my experience with Saturn Corporation's Customer Assistance Center that I would NEVER AGAIN purchase another Saturn Vehicle.
I also informed him that I would NEVER AGAIN purchase another General Motors ( GM ) automobile.
I hope that through this blog I can encourage more of you to consider (or reconsider) your purchase of a Saturn vehicle.
Don't support a company that does not care.
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