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The Case of the Shamrock Saturn

Saturn • Engine problems • Transmission problems • Airbags • Fires • Ignition interlock • Oozing goo • Miscellaneous woes • The Shamrock Saturn --- Recalls/News • NHTSA Recalls Saturn L Series • NHTSA Probes Saturn Timing Chain Failures • Saturn Astra Named Safest Car Under $25,000 • Saturn Outlook Gets Top Marks from Consumer Reports • Saturn Targets Toyota, Honda for Side-by-Side Tests • Saturn Sky Prices Go Sky High • Saturn VUE Recalled • L-Series Cars Recalled

The editors of ConsumerAffairs.com spend considerable time on the bumper-car lot known as I-66 and we have also had the experience of "losing" our car after an accident, so we have considerable sympathy for James of Alexandria VA (5/5/03):

I was driving home from work in my girlfriend's 1993 Saturn SL2 in Virginia on I-66 East towards Washington, DC. I was in the typical stop and go traffic, when it seemed things started to finally move. I was behind a large SUV - I think it was a Toyota Highlander - and began to accelerate. I was some good distance behind it and shifted into 3rd gear so I was probably approaching 35 or 40 miles per hour (50 MPH speed limit). I was in the right lane at the time and a truck, in the left next to me, began to "drift" with some alacrity into my lane. I looked over at the truck and, when he kept coming, honked to alert the driver.

Next thing I know I wake up to the ear splitting sound of the Irish Tenors singing "Take Me Home Again Kathleen" at a hundred decibels. I thought maybe I was waking up on the floor of an Irish pub or something. Was extremely confused and had no idea who or where I was or anything at all really. After some time (probably a minute or two) I realized what had happened. While the truck next to me invaded my lane, another car cut off the SUV in front of me. While I had my head turned for a split second the guy in front of me had jammed on his brakes and come to a total stop. I rammed into the back of him at about 35 to 40 miles an hour.

I hit so hard a casette tape leftover from Saint Patrcik's Day launched itself into the tape deck, my right hand flew forward and knocked the volume knob on the upgraded sound system to max and blasted this music. The un-funny part (I know you are laughing now...so quit it) is that my left hand also went straight forward and bent back my thumb to an seriously unnatural angle, my right knee bashed on something, and my body and head went forward and my head slammed into the steering wheel and knocked me completely unconscious. OUCH!

I awoke to blistering pain everywhere. My airbag NEVER deployed! What kind of nonsense is that?! The car is at the Saturn dealer in Alexandria.

Damage Resulting: Well I can tell you it is more than economic and physical damage! My girlfriend was not too pleased with me and actually broke up with me for detroying her car (after 9 years). GEEZE! We're back again but she was really upset b/c after the crash I was so disoriented I actually gave the car to an unknown tow truck driver and let him take it without knowing who he was or his company. He dropped me at home then the car disappeared. I even left him my check book. He said he would drop it at the dealer but the dealership told me 2 days later they didn't have it.

At the time I was completely clueless. It is hard to describe the experience except to liken it to waking up from a root canal and immediately being asked questions about last year's tax return. "Um, huh? Taxes? Ouch? Where am I? Why does my neck hurt...I think I want to take a nap. I think it was a 1040A and the stardard deductions were...ummm hmmm can I lie down for a minute..."

Anyway so I filed a police report and the Alexandria P.D. filed it as stolen. A detective started to actually look for it. The whole experience was EXTREMELY upsetting to say the least (there is a lot more to this story...) Turns out that after 10 days Saturn of Alexandria admitted that they had the car all along but just couldn't find it! What a bunch of c***, huh? After asking them to check about 4 different times... I didn't have any money for a new car - still don't so am using my emergency reserves (i.e. a loan) to rent at $300/week! I commute every day from Alexandria to West Virginia the car is my livelihood so this has been a HUGE burden.

Physically I still alive, but my thumb is still giving me problems although it is slowly getting better. It has been hard to travel for my job and try to struggle through airports with only one opposable digit. The worst thing has been my head and neck. I am still having headaches. I have had concussions before (can you tell, ha ha) so I self-treated. My sister and father are doctors, mom's a nurse, etc. so I know how to treat a concussion. I basically took it as easily as I could. However my neck and back still hurt and although the extremely bad blistering headaches I had for the first couple of weeks have subsided, I do still have headaches.

I am not too worried about it (that's just how I am) BUT... I am P-O'd that the stupid airbag didn't go off in the first place. That is really not cool. Hell I'd rather have a face burn from the bag then freaking brain damage or Alzheimer's some day as a result of a brain injury. I need each and every little neuron I have left. By the way, the guy I hit was fine, no damage to his vehicle, was very nice and felt OK. My car actually went UNDER his to a degree the bumper was too high. My hood and bumber crumpled, radiator smashed, etc. etc. Front end basically destroyed. Estimate for $5,000 min. to repair just the VISIBLE damage without removing the hood to look INSIDE. I am half thinkning that maybe my airbag was removed (stolen) or something when it was in for service some time. Otherwise if it just didn't go off, what is the point?

I advised my girlfrined to buy this car new, in part because I thought it would be SAFE! The car, of course was totalled. I did not have collision insurance and it was paid off but all in all this was not too much fun at all. I am lucky I am not dead. I really believe that. God granted me the unusual blessing of thick-headedness else I may no longer be. Thanks for reading.

We suspect that because James basically drove under the SUV, the airbag sensors never had a chance. Airbags deploy only when the sensors "feel" the impact. There's another lesson here: make sure you get your belongings out of your car after an accident and ask the police or even the "other" driver to help you get the name of the towing company.

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