Saturn FAQs

[Saturn team]

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We appreciate the many comments we have received from ImSaturn members, and we want to do our best to answer your questions and to keep you update on developments with the Saturn brand.

Q. UPDATE (4/28/09): In his press conference April 27, CEO Fritz Henderson said Saturn production will be phased out by the end of 2009. What does that mean?

A. In our need to move "faster and deeper" with restructuring, GM is accelerating a resolution for the Saturn brand. That means GM will be reviewing expressions of interest from potential investors until June 1, 2009, and will work to have an agreement in place with the winning investor by the end of this year.

Q. What does that mean for Saturn owners?

A. You can still get your Saturn vehicle serviced by any Saturn retailer. Your warranty will be honored, and, as noted in question 3 below, and you can find the retailer nearest you by visiting Saturn.com. If there is no Saturn retailer nearby, or if it is an emergency situation, you can bring your Saturn to any GM dealer for warranty repairs. If you have trouble securing warranty service at a non-Saturn GM dealership, please contact Saturn Customer Assistance, or call 1-800-553-6000.

Q. If GM sells Saturn, who will make Saturn cars?

A. That will be up to the buyer of the Saturn brand, not GM, to decide. We have told potential investors, however, that we are looking for a partner to provide vehicles that are right for the Saturn brand: fuel-efficient, safe, and affordable.

Q. Would a new buyer have cars ready for 2010?

A. Depending on the deal negotiated, GM would consider offering contract manufacturing for the new owner of the Saturn brand.

Q. UPDATE (4/17/09) What’s the latest update on Saturn? Is the offer by Black Oaks Partners/Telesto legitimate?

A. Since mid-February, a sub-committee of Saturn retailers has been studying the feasibility of alternative options for the future of the Saturn brand. Steve Girsky has been working with them on this process.They have identified multiple parties who are interested in the possible sale or spin-off of Saturn. The group led by Black Oaks Partners is one of those groups. We cannot provide information on other interested parties, and it is simply too early to speculate about any eventual outcome.

UPDATE (3/31/09): See Jill’s email to owners

UPDATE (3/9/08): Newspaper Report: Retailers May Save Saturn Brand
There have been many media reports recently about the future of the Saturn brand. One of the most comprehensive articles appeared on March 8 in the Nashville Tennessean.

UPDATE (3/7/09)Well-known consultant retained by Saturn retailers: The Saturn Franchise Operation Team (FOT) sub-committee that is evaluating the potential spin-off of the Saturn Distribution Corporation has retained the services of advisor Steve Girsky, of S.J. Girsky and Co. Girsky will act as an independent business consultant to the sub-committee as they study options for the potential operation of the Saturn brand as a standalone enterprise.

“The spin-off of an independent Saturn would break new ground in the auto industry and would give the brand a new chance to build on its tradition of innovation,” said Saturn General Manager Jill Lajdziak. “Girsky’s extensive expertise will be a tremendous asset to the FOT sub-committee as this process continues.”

UPDATE (3/2/09)
Below are a few answers to some of frequently asked questions.

1. Why is GM phasing out Saturn? While Saturn has been a strong brand with loyal customers, it has continued to be unprofitable for the manufacturer under the current business model. Saturn retailers, however, have historically been profitable. That is why Saturn is investigating the potential sale of the brand.
2. If Saturn goes away, what happens to my warranty? Will I be able to get replacement parts? Absolutely nothing happens to the warranty. General Motors stands firmly behind its warranty obligations for every vehicle it produces. GM is also committed to maintaining the availability of service parts.
3. The Saturn retailer where I bought my vehicle has closed. Where should I take my vehicle for warranty repairs? You can take your vehicle to any Saturn retailer for warranty service. To find the nearest Saturn retailer, visit Saturn.com. You can also call the Saturn Customer Assistance center at 1-800-553-6000 if you have other questions.
4. If Saturn is sold, who would design and manufacture its products? That would be negotiated between the new owners of the brand and potential vehicle suppliers.
5. If Saturn never turned a profit as part of GM, what factors will allow it to make money as an independent entity? While Saturn has not been profitable at the manufacturing level, Saturn retailers have traditionally earned a profit. Saturn has a number of unique attributes that could make the spin-off a realistic alternative, such as the size, distribution and unmatched quality of our retail network.
6. What can I do to show my support for Saturn? The best thing to do is to remind your friends and family that Saturn is still open for business. Remind them that we have a great line-up of new fuel efficient vehicles and assure them that Saturn and GM will stand behind all warranty obligations.

Please leave a comment below if you would like to submit a question that we have not addressed.

[Rob]

Brian

Anyone try trading in Saturn lately.

I sure did. Traded in a 2006 Saturn Ion Red Line for a 2008 Saturn Astra XR 3-door and received Kelly Blue Book value for it. No regrets about it either. And still had a great experience in the process of doing so! If anyone out there is not experiencing the core Saturn values, you need to find yourself a new facility to deal with. There are still many out there that are still doing business the way Saturn meant it to be. And in this case, I'm glad for "business as usual".

[Saturn team]

The Saturn team would like to remind members of its terms of use. Abusive language like name calling is not permitted. Please keep this in mind when posting.

[Rob]

Red-Sky

The Daewoo G2X is built on the Kappa platform, same as the Solstice, Sky and Opel GT. The Solstice was released first so many relate to that vehicle. They are all built in Wilmington DE but the exported versions use the Sky body style.

[Red-sky]

I have too many thoughts for one message, but here goes:
-born & raised GM (childhood-1962 Corvair, 1965 Chevelle SS, 1970 Chevelle, 1984 Monte Carlo SS, etc.[has 86K original miles, show car, still have]).
-marriage to a Ford mechanic (swore he'd never own a Ford after having fixed 'em all the time) brought 1979 Chev Monza, 1988 Chev Cavalier Z24, 2000 Dodge Intrepid (error in judgement, tranny & a/c failed @ 62K miles), 1999 GMC Jimmy (gas hog, couldn't tow camper, bad MPG), 2004 Silverado Z71 (OK bad MPG, but expected), 1993 Saturn SC2 5-spd, 2008 Saturn Sky Redline 5-spd, 2004 Saturn Vue, etc.

-1st Saturn bought (in 2001) used '93 SC2-had 112K miles on it, ran like a top! Gave to son when turned 16 (2007), ended up with >165K miles on it B4 engine failed (prior owner lack of care, not us).
-so-o-o impressed w/'93 SC2 fit & finish, paid $1800 for refurbed Saturn engine & got back on road. It absolutely screams, will never rust, and has been extremely dependable! 4-sale now. Committed to Saturn as a result, buying '08 Sky, then used '04 Vue.

When I look around me in 50+ mile daily commute, I see Saturns everywhere; not just new ...old ones. Maybe that's the problem w/profitability. They last too long w/out trouble! Other GM labels seem designed to "fail" in some way, bringing in repair/warranty money. (i.e. '04 Silverado brake problem, speedometer/dash failure problem, etc.), or lead to trade-in for newer model.

And has anyone Googled Daewoo G2X? It's nearly identical to my Sky, looks less like the Solstice, but has been linked numerous times to Pontiac in this discussion, not Saturn.

We love Saturn, & don't want it to go. I see more Saturns on the road than Buicks, but Buick is staying? And Pontiac? Who'd want to pay more for a G5 than a Cobalt (same car)? Who'd want to pay more for a Torrent than a Equinox/Vue (same car)? Who'd want to pay more for a G6 than a Malibu/Aura (same if not similar car)? Who'd pay more for a Solstice that with "pay more for"options to equal a Sky (where everything is standard) which is less money? Tell me again why itr's prudent to keep Pontiac, which doubles Chevrolet/Saturn models, for more money, and trash Saturn ( unique, innovative)?

To succeed on their own, Saturn must fill niches. They lack pickup as a niche for commercial concerns, and their passenger cars don't offer AWD, which is needed to succeed in the northeast (where they're built). Can't the Aura or Astra be adapted to offer a model w/AWD for each? It would help them be more marketable It would be nice if a 4WD was offered; not just AWD. Some buyers need to be assured all 4 wheels can be depended on in winter weather, but can be manually switched out of for non-winter driving.

Price is an issue, although people don't seem to mind paying more for Honda/Toyota for the same basic car/performance/quality/dependability.

If Saturn wanst to become independent, they need to consider innovation. I read an article last year about graduates from Korean schools that are superb at innovation, that Honda/Toyota are snatching up for new ideas. Why can't Saturn snatch up a few, instead of using the same old Typical American lack of ingenuity. (i.e. the SUV additction). Saturn's line-up is better, but not cutting edge. It needs fresh ideas & designs, for the "new world we live in" at extraordinarily affordable prices.

I consider Cadillac a limited, upper income, small niche, Pontiac is simply the higher priced Chevy/Saturn, Buick is an EXTREMELY limited niche. GMC? Why bother!

Saturn, please don't leave us! I'd buy stock!

[tony c]

sad this happens when saturn finally had a good lineup. the astra is a fine car. the aura and vue are excellent values in the market. my son has an aura and i have a vue we both love them and are reliable fine rides

[MagnusTexas]

I'm a proud owner of my fourth Saturn and it blows my mind when I hear that the Saturn brand is in trouble. Considering what goes into the making of the Saturns, the level of quality and the dependability they have shown over the years it's as if they're the best kept secret on the road today. After all these years? Doesn't make sense. Every Saturn I've had has given my significantly more gas mileage than posted. From Seminole, TX to Amarillo, TX I got 35 mpg! In a 3.6 252 bhp 6 cylinder! Hello!? The most I got out out of my Dodge Charger was 31. And my Aura is a better built ride from top to bottom/inside out. I honestly don't know what it's going to take for more people to give Saturn another look but from where I stand there's absolutely NO reason for me to consider buying Japanese when Saturn is producing vehicles that go toe to toe with the supposedly superior Japanese models.
My only suggestion is to make an honest effort to tweak the styling of these cars every so often just to keep them fresh. Nothing overboard but just pay attention to detail and put in an honest to God effort.

[Jann Brooks]

I must say I will be upset if Saturn goes away. We are currently driving our 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 11th Saturn's & that's in a 9 year span. My favorite car was & will be the SW2. My ex-son-in-law "murdered" her, with his reckless driving. I now drive the ASTRA, except for a few drawbacks, it's a nice car. My problem is that I have to drive 160 miles to get it serviced, due to there not being a dealership or an authorized servicer near by. All our other Saturn's can be serviced at the GM dealership down the street. For that reason my husband wants me to think about trading it in on a 2010 Ford. There are only 2 ASTRA's in the city I live in, mine & the other one is from Mexico. I do get a lot of compliments on it & a lot of people wondering what kind of car it is, because they don't see them out here.
If Saturn is able to keep afloat, I hope they rethink some of the cars they are making and bring back the wagon!!!!!!!

[Morton Berlin]

With all the Saturns I see buzzing around this area, I would certainly say that the Kansas City area is strong on Saturns. Vues, Auras, Ions, etc. In fact, I probably see about as many Saturns as I do Hondas. I, for one, hope that they don't become history as the DeSoto, Nash, Studebaker and Oldsmobile among others. Long life to Saturn.

[Rayman]

If Saturn really wants to save themselves after GM says bye bye they need to do one thing:

Bring back the S-SERIES

Make a coupe, sedan, and wagon. The wagon can compete with those annoying little Calibers. Give it a fresh look and keep it simple. Bring back the 1.9 except please find a way to give it a little more pep. Im tired of the whining agony I hear every time I have to pass.

[John A. S. Conklin]

When you can re-open a site in San Francisco or San Mateo to replace the one that closed. I hope you will have the courtesy to inform me and all the other owners who got shut-out by that closing thank you.