I am a 74-year-old woman who drives a 2001 4-dr. Saturn sedan. We had a cold rainstorm a few nights ago while I was driving my car and my windows started to fog up. I attempted to move the switch from the vents to the defroster, and the knob stopped – and stuck – in mid-turn. After a bit of a struggle, I was finally able to get the switch over to defrost – but the next day, when I again needed the A/C, the switch would not turn back. I took it to a Saturn mechanic who quoted $1,000 to fix it. YIKES! That’s nearly my whole month’s income. I took it to another mechanic who doesn’t specialize and he could only quote his labor – about $200. It is now in the floor vent/defrost position and I can live with that – but I would like to have it fixed some day. Is this a hopeless cause since Saturns are no longer manufactured?
Not necessarily. It is hard to determine exactly what your Saturn mechanic was going to do or what parts were to be replaced, so it is hard to assess whether the $1000 is in the ballpark, or not. If you know or have detailed estimate, post back.
It may be best to wait until April or May, save up and then get it fixed if there are no issues going into fall or winter in its current condition. In many cases, it is also prudent to go to an auto air conditioning specialist and they may be able to get the job done cheaper. Parts availability may not be an issue.