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Archive of entries posted on October 2009

Steering Defects and Water Leaks a Common Problem with General Motors Vehicles

Posted by  on 28 October 2009, 8:41 am

A concerned consumer, Art, recently asked this question:

I have just brought my 2008 Saturn Aura to the dealers for steering box “knocking” which he wrote up on the service ticket. The service person noted to me a mildew odor in the car and this turned into the “discovery” of a real serious water leak. The service person went immediately to the source; He quickly revealed standing water under the front passengers side carpet!

Now Saturn is going to locate and fix the problem? and replace all carpeting.

My concern is…CAN this type of problem really be fixed? Is this not a serious health issue?

Thank you for your inquiry. In fact, GM is having a major problem with both of the described conditions in many of it’s products. Hundreds of my clients are undergoing multiple repairs for steering defects. Repairs range from lubrication to replacement of end links, steering gears, steering shafts and steering columns. Many clients indicate the noise and sometimes looseness or binding just keeps coming back.

The same can be said for water leaks. I have hundreds of GM clients who experience repeat water leaks and resultant mold and mildew in their vehicles.

The best advice I can give you is to aggressively return your vehicle under warranty for repairs for both issues. Of course, if the conditions are successfully repaired in a “reasonable” number of attempts or in a “reasonable” number of days in the shop, GM did what it is supposed to do under the warranty.

On the other hand, if GM goes through an “unreasonable” number of repair attempts or there are an “unreasonable” number of days in the shop and the conditions remain, e-mail us back and we will put you in touch with a lawyer who may be able to help you free of charge.

Also, feel free to check out www.lemonlaw.com/breakmold.html for more information on leaking and moldy vehicles.

Bob

Filed under Defects, Questions, Saturn. Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
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General Motors Shutting Down Saturn

Posted by  on 6 October 2009, 12:18 pm

General Motors announced that they are shutting down their Saturn division after a deal with Penske Automotive Group fell through. Penske Automotive Group couldn’t find a manufacturer to supply it with new cars once General Motors’ current contract runs out in 2011. PAG had been negotiating with General Motors since early June.

General Motors chief executive officer Fritz Henderson issued a statement of deep regret on September 30th, saying:

Today we learned that Penske Automotive Group (PAG) has decided to terminate discussions with General Motors to acquire Saturn. This is very disappointing news and comes after months of hard work by hundreds of dedicated employees and Saturn retailers who tried to make the new Saturn a reality.

Production has ceased on all Saturn vehicles and GM expects the remaining stock of about 12,000 vehicles to be sold off within four (4) months.

While there was speculation that French automaker Renault had negotiated a deal with PAG to manufacture Saturn vehicles, the deal was ultimately rejected by PAG’s board of directors, fearing U.S. competition.

General Motors issued a statement:

As a result of PAG’s decision, we will be winding down the Saturn brand and dealership network, in accordance with the wind-down agreements that Saturn dealers recently signed with GM. Pursuant to the terms of those agreements, the wind down process will be determined and communicated shortly.

What does this mean for Saturn drivers and their warranties? According to the following statement by GM, current Saturn owners will be able to get parts and service at other General Motors dealerships:

Saturn customers and owners will continue to be able to purchase and have their vehicles serviced at Saturn retailers during this process. Once the wind down is complete, Saturn owners will still be able to have their vehicles serviced at other GM dealerships. We will be communicating with our customers very soon to explain the next steps in this process.

In addition, it’s important to note that all Saturn drivers still under manufacturers warranty are entitled to consumer protection under State Lemon laws and Federal Warranty laws if their repairs cannot be fixed despite repeated repair attempts. For more information on your State’s Lemon Law, click here.

Filed under General Motors, Saturn. Tagged , , , , , , ,
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