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UPDATE: Saturn contacted me and is towing my car back to me in St. Louis. I want to thank them for going above and beyond what I was asking when I pointed out to them the issues that I was having. I should have my car back this afternoon. See the comment below from Steve Janisse, Saturn Communications Manager to that effect as well.

I left this on Saturn’s website after being told (kindly and gently) to go f myself by their Customer Service folks. Apparently, the key is to never trust anything that any company tells you. Thank you, Saturn.

Basically, I have an issue with my 2007 Saturn Aura. The car was purchased in November and has 3,000 miles on it. It brokedown in Chicago over the weekend. I called Roadside Assistance, which towed the car to the nearest Saturn branch. Roadside Assistance told me the dealership was closed on Monday for the Dr. King holiday. So, I rented a car to get back to St. Louis with my 3 year old daughter so that I could go to work on Tuesday.

In actuality, the dealership was open on Monday and would have looked at the car had RA given them my information and what was wrong with the car. I would have stayed and waited for the car had I known the dealership was open. I was relying on RA to give me the correct information that the dealership was closed and I didn’t even try contacting the dealer until Tuesday. It turns out the car was just frozen up and no diagnostics came back on it.

Now, my car is sitting in Chicago and I’m in St. Louis. I’m already out a rental car and a day from work. I called my dealer and the dealer the car is at and neither said they could help me. I called Saturn’s Customer Service at 800-522-5000 and after four transfers and 20 minutes was told that they were very sorry that I was given the wrong information but that I was on my own for getting the car back to St. Louis.

Now, I’m not one to huff and puff and say I’m never buying a Saturn again if you don’t help me. I hate that behavior, but it seems like more and more companies make you do that to get help. I purchased a Saturn based on the advertising that it was a different kind of company and the reliability of other Saturn vehicles that people I knew owned. Now, I have a car with 3,000 miles on it that broke down away from home. I have Roadside Assistance giving me bad information that causes me to head for home in a rental car so that I don’t have to miss additional time at work. And I have Customer Service telling me (dismissively, I might add) that trip interruption isn’t part of my coverage and that I’m on my own for getting my brand new car back to St. Louis.

I guess it all comes down to the fact that Saturn got its sale. The advertising worked. But now that I’m left in a lurch (by relying on Saturn) I’m told there’s nothing that can be done and that I’m on my own.

I don’t want to say it, but this may well be the last Saturn I purchase. I don’t expect to be showered with gifts, I just want someone to help me get my brand new car back. I shouldn’t have to threaten to get a little help.