A plastic bushing in the manual transmission shift linkage broke. Saturn does not sell just the bushing, only the whole shift assembly for several hundred dollars. I found out over the Internet that other Saturn owners have encountered the same broken shift bushing problem. There is even an individual selling a bushing replacement for just a few dollars. Given that Saturn tries to create such a positive owner image, I find it ridiculous that they don't sell just the part in question. Why not just sell you a whole new car when the tires wear out!
Additionally, I have had to alternator once and the battery several times. As this car is driven by son at school, it was serviced for this problem by a local Saturn dealership. I would normally think of this as simple maintenance, but my daughter drives a 1996 SL2 and has also replaced the alternator and battery several times before having 90,000 miles on her car.
My sons and daughters Saturn's together have gone through more batteries and alternators than my old 1977 Oldsmobile with 350,000 miles!
My son and daughters Saturn's together have gone through more batteries and alternators than my 28 year old 1977 Oldsmobile with 350,000 miles!
I would really like to know who is selling the bushing for a few dollars, I just had mine break and need a replacement fast as I am now without a car. If you can just send his name to Spydertl33@hotmail.com.
Try this link for the Saturn shifter bushing.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Saturn-shifter-bushing_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ46104QQitemZ8002994339QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW.
I want to extend my thanks to everyone who has posted information about the shifter bushing on the internet. Checkout the following blog for other people who have had the same issue.
The last week of March-'07 I was returning from a late night at work and was only 3 miles from home when the shifter "popped" while shifting from through a turn.
I was stunned and scared. I was on a small, but busy, back road with no shoulder to pull of to. The only option was to put the car in a 8' ditch.
While still coasting at 30mph and franticly moving the limp shifter around, I was able to catch the little ball in the cable loop and jammed it into 4th. I was able to nurse it into the neighborhood safely, only by chance.
I've pulled the console apart and have ordered a $20 bushing from e-bay. Which is FAR less expensive than the $200 cable and XX$ per hour to do the work.
My biggest concern about this broken plastic bushing is that I could have been seriously injured if I was broken down on that back road because of a critical part made of cheap plastic.
Is there anything else on my SC-1 that I can "upgrade" so I'm not suck on the side of the road due to a simple piece of plastic?
Are there any recalls for this bushing?? Is seems like there are lots of us who have had the same bushing fail.
I have just had mine break the same plastic bushing. you would think something so crucial would be made with better quality. luckily I was able to pull apart the console and tie it together with bailing wire. this is a good patch that will get you home safely. I recommend owners to keep a roll of wire and a pair of pliers in your tool kit for this car. now, any advice on a permanent fix, where have others found replacement parts?
My 1999 Saturn did the same thing last Friday when I was leaving work. I was able to jam it into 2nd and drove 23 miles home. Man did I annoy some people. Anyway, I confirmed with Saturn. They do not offer just the bushing. It's funny how that works out for them, isn't it? I used wire for a temporary fix. I'm going to home depot to buy a couple of washers. I'm going to drill a small hole through the ball; attach the washers, and thread a screw through that. Hopefully, this will be a permanent fix.
Yup, Same thing here. 1995 SL2. Used zip ties to hold it back together to nurse it home. I'm happy I found this site though. Now I know to look for that part on ebay.
My son had the same thing happen to his 99 SC. I never thought to try e-bay motors. They have several options to buy the bushing and save about $200 over having to buy the assembly from the Saturn dealership.
Thanks to all that took the time to share your experiences.
Wow, I almost feel better knowing that I'm not the only one with this problem. Luckily mine broke right after parking the vehicle so I wasn't in any potential danger at the time. I was able to use a few pieces from a roll of duct tape to get it back home and drive around to different auto part outlets. As stated before nobody will have this part unless you check out your local junk yard, always a good choice in my opinion.
This was all very good information, just bought a bushing off of ebay for 19.99!
Mine is a 1996 SL2 with 98,000 miles. Had it towed since it was about 22 miles from the house! Took console off and found the "two" piece bushing. Was going to send my son to Saturn tomorrow, you guys saved him a trip, Thanks! Dickie B.
My son has a 1996 SL1 and I am pretty sure this is the problem. Wish us luck as we try and fix it. We are not particularly mechanical, but this is worth a try. Any advise as we attempt this fix? Thanks!
I have a 1999 Saturn SL1. My shifter broke in Walmart parking lot.
After reading the advice in this topic I remove the center console and found the plastic bushing broken in two parts.
I ordered a replacement on eBay but purchased on the is Improved Saturn Stick Shift Shifter Cable Bushing. Guaranteed for life and the reviews state easy to install with improved shifting.
Thanks for posting this thread. I probably saved $400 at least.
Location of Eba y listing for improved bushing:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__Improved-Saturn-Stick-Shift-Shifter-Cable-Bushing_W0QQitemZ110267966300QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2865QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item110267966300&_trksid=p3756.m14.l1318
Well folks, it's not just the S-Series that has the problem -- the VUE also has a weak spot in the linkage that will cost you +/- $400 to have fixed at the dealer.
A couple of years ago, my wife's SL blew out the bushing and like complete rubes, we threw down the $400 to have it fixed -- mainly because we thought the entire transmission had gone south and was expecting to pretty much total the car and start over -- $400 sounded like a bargain at the time, and I suppose that may be the case for a lot of people when they get the call from the service rep...
Saturn Service Rep: "Hello, Mrs. Smith -- good news! It's not the transmission, just a shifter assembly!"
Mrs. Smith: "Whooo Hooo!!! Put that sucker in!"
Saturn seems more than happy to harvest this cash cow when it's manual transmission vehicles reach about 60k miles, and sadly, it's not just the S-Series.
My 2002 VUE 5 speed dropped a bushing last Thursday as I was in the drive thru lane at my bank. Went to pull off and had that nasty "dead stick" feeling as the shifter flopped helplessly in my hand as I went for first. I engaged the handbrake. Jumped out of the car and asked the people behind me in line to clear a path so I could roll back, hopped back in and coasted into a nearby parking spot. After an hour of tearing out the interior of my car I was able to recover the leftover bits of exploded plastic and wrap a paper clip around the ball of the shifter to secure it to the cable. This gave me 1 thru 4, but no reverse or 5th. Fortunately I had backed into the parking space. I limped it home. By this point it was almost 7pm on July 3rd. I was pretty much dead in the water until parts places opened up after the holiday.
On Saturday, I called Saturn and got the parts department, asked about the bushing and was told I had to get the entire assembly... $198. I said, "No, I just need the bushing -- it's like a $5 piece of plastic." and the parts guy just chuckled a little. "That's not available sir, the entire assembly wears and needs to be replaced as a unit." I said, "Oh, then why didn't anything else in the assembly break or show any wear?" He replies "That's just the way we sell it." In other words, "Why offer a $20 solution when we can tag you for $200?" I also got a sarcastic "Good Luck" when I said I would try to scare a bushing up in a junk yard.
The junk yard option proved fruitless -- they were all closed for the holiday weekend and no one within 100 miles had a Manual Trans. VUE on the lot when I finally was able to call around on Monday.
I dug around on the internet and found the S-Series solution on eBay, and a reference to a similar solution from NAPA, also for the S-Series. My local NAPA had one in stock so I took a shot and snagged it. It doesn't fit the VUE shifter arrangement -- It almost does, if you still have the rubber inserts on the cable ends and the little teflon cup that fits over the ball, but not quite -- blows apart when you make the move for Reverse, so it's toast. The ball at the end of the VUE shifter is smaller than the S-Series.
In absolute stubbornness not to give Saturn $200, (or 50 gallons of gas) I used a combination of the recovered broken bushing, part of the the S-Series replacement from NAPA, epoxy, JB Weld, and cable ties; I have re-secured the shifter cable and have full use of my VUE. After a one hour local test drive with multiple shifts up and down, I put all the console bits back together and called it a day.
I have the tools and such in the back that I need to fix it if it should decide to let go again, and I guess that's how it will be until Saturn wakes up or someone comes up with a permanent $20 solution for the VUE.
For those that come behind me:
FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NHTSB -- It is the first step in getting a consumer instigated recall:
Http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/index.cfm.
If you are looking at this page you should own a Saturn SL series with manual transmission between the year 91 -02, and have a dead or floppy stick shifter. It should feel like there is absolutely no resistance in the shifter and it just flops up and down freely. All the above comments are correct. THE REPAIR IS SIMPLE!!! It took more effort to remove the staple from the directions that came with the part I'm about to list. The part you need is available from NAPA Auto parts, the part number is 620-1411 - Shift Cable Bushing. The part looks pretty cheesy and NAPA must think it's made of gold they charge 19.95. All you have to do to put this part in like me in a Walmart parking lot is a have a phillips head screw driver and a flat head screw driver. Begin by putting both front seats all the way back and reclining the seat all the way back then remove the 2 screws in the rear of the center console, then remove the 2 front side center console panels allowing access to 2 phillips screws. Use your flat head screw driver to remove the cup holder, simply pull up on the center console and remove the connectors for the cup holder lamp and cigar lighter. Then all you have to do is follow the simple directions on the NAPA part. This repair took all of 15 minutes in the parking lot. Good luck!!
I had this problem with the shift cable bushing as well. I followed the directions of the poster above me, and used NAPA part 620-1411. It worked! This saved me ~$400.
I was shifting from 1st gear to reverse in my 1998 Saturn SL2 when I felt a snap and the shifter went loose. I had the car towed to the local dealer and was called at 10am and quoted 405 dollars for replacing the "broken shift cable assembly". I searched online to find this page and several other sites about the plastic bushing that snaps. I called the dealer not 30 minutes after they called me to tell them not to do the repair, and my car was magically already being fitted with the new assembly at 10:30am. They refused to stop the repair either. 195 dollars for the part and 200+ dollars in labor for what they had done in 30 minutes (and a part they had on hand for some "strange" reason). I asked for the old shift cable assembly when I picked up my car, and was given the "oh we threw it out" routine. I hope this page and others like it reach you before you pay $400+ for a 20 dollar max fix. If you do go with the $400 dollar alternative make sure you tell them before hand you want the assembly so you can make sure they even put an entire new one in. My car was also around 60,000 miles. Another "coincidence" I'm sure.