2008 SATURN ASTRA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN ASTRA. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE ALSO MADE A LOUD NOISE, MISFIRED, AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE APP SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

VEHICLE STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT, NEARLY UNRESPONSIVE. VEHICLE WAS DANGEROUS. ELECTRO-MECHANICAL POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED. CHEVROLET/GM DEALER IS ONLY ENTITY CAPABLE/AUTHORIZED OF MAKING REPAIR AS IT HAS TO BE COMPUTER PROGRAMMED. KBB VALUE OF CAR APPROXIMATELY $4,473. COST OF REPAIR $1,700 (38% OF CAR VALUE).

I'M WRITING TO INQUIRE ABOUT RECALLS ON THE 2008 SATURN ASTRA.FROM DAY ONE, THE SATURN ASTRA I OWNED HAD PROBLEMS DUE TO AN ENGINE LIGHT FREQUENTLY COMING ON AND ISSUES WITH THE SENSORS. AT ONE POINT, ONE OF THE CV BOOTS WENT BAD.THE REPLACEMENT REQUIRED A NEW DRIVEAXLE, DUE TO THE PROBLEMATIC DESIGN OF THE CAR. THAT ISSUE COST ALMOST $500, EVEN WITH THE MECHANIC INSTALLING USED PARTS. THEN JUST A MONTH LATER, THE ABS LIGHT STARTED COMING ON AS THE RIGHT WHEEL SENSOR WAS BAD. AGAIN, DUE TO THE CARS DESIGN, THIS MEANT NOT ONLY A NEW SENSOR BUT A WHOLE NEW WHEEL BEARING AT ANOTHER $800. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND ONLINE, THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH ASTRAS; ALSO, AS IT DISABLES THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS, IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THUS WARRANTS A RECALL FOR SAFETY REASONS. IT SEEMS CLEAR, FROM THE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ONLINE [JUST GO TO WWW.SATURNFANS.COM AND PUT "SENSORS" IN THE SEARCH BOX TO SEE TONS OF THEM - HERE'S JUST 1 PAGE FROM THAT SITE: HTTP://WWW.SATURNFANS.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=169386 ] THAT THE SATURN ASTRA SHOULD?VE BEEN RECALLED. WITHOUT SUCH A RECALL, IT COST ME MORE THAN $1300 DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE SIMILAR RELATED COMPLAINTS ON THE SATURN FANS WEBSITE I MENTIONED, I BELIEVE YOU WILL SEE THAT RECALLS ON THE SATURN ASTRA ARE WARRANTED, DUE TO THESE DESIGN FLAWS, SAFETY ISSUES, AND SENSOR PROBLEMS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION OR TO SEE DOCUMENTATION OF THE REPAIRS I HAD TO HAVE DONE ON A CAR WITH JUST 68,000 MILES ON IT, AT THE TIME, IN A PERIOD OF JUST A FEW MONTHS.THANK YOU. *TR

I WAS DRIVING SLOWLY THROUGH A PARKING LOT WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE MIRROR GLASS SUDDENLY FELL OFF AND SHATTERED.

EARLY MORNING, PARKED IN GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT. FINISHED SHOPPING, LOADED GROCERIES IN TRUNK, TRIED TO START CAR...KEY DID NOT EVEN TURN IN LOCK AT FIRST. THEN ALL GEAR LIGHTS CAME ON, BUT NO ENGINE START. TRIED SEVERAL TIMES. THEN I CALLED AAA. THEY SAID IT WAS NOT BATTERY, BUT GOT IT STARTED BY TURNING KEY TO FIRST POSITION, STEPPED ON BRAKE, PUT GEAR IN NEUTRAL, THEN TURNED KEY FURTHER TO START. I THEN DROVE CAR TO GARAGE WHERE THEY SAID IT WAS PROBABLY A TRANSMISSION SWITCH PROBLEM. I AM WAITING TO HEAR MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED AND THE COST.

THE VEHICLE WILL NOT REGISTER THE CORRECT GEAR ON THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY DISPLAY, SHOWS PARK OR ALL LIGHTING INDCATORS ILLUMINATE SIMULTEANEOUSLY, IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHICH GEAR IT IS ACTUALLY IN, MOST TIMES REVERSE EVEN THOUGH THE INDICATOR LIGHTS ARE NOT ACCURATE. DEALER RECOMMENDS CHANGING BOTH THE SHIFTER ASSEMBLY AND CABLE AT A COST OF OVER $1300, CAR HAS LESS THAN 46000 MILES. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, HAPPENS RANDOMLY WITHOUT WARNING.

THE DRIVER WAS ENTERING THE VEHICLE AND WHEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS SHUT, THE PASSENGER SIDE SIDE MIRROR GLASS FELL OFF AND SHATTERED. THIS LEFT A BLACK PIECE OF METAL WHERE THE MIRROR SHOULD HAVE BEEN. BECAUSE THE GLASS FELL OFF SO EASILY, THIS COULD HAVE EASILY HAPPENED WHILE ON THE ROAD FROM A GUST OF WIND OR A BUMP. IF THE GLASS HAD FALLEN OFF WHILE DRIVING AND WAS NOT NOTICED, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IF ONE WAS NEEDING TO USE THE MIRROR FOR PASSING OR MERGING.

WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THE LIGHTS LIGHT UP ON THE GEAR SHIFT, AND WILL NOT ENGAGE. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND BACK IN REVERSE. 2ND TIME I HAD AN ISSUE THAT CAR WOULD NOT START EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN PARK, I SOMEONE TRY TO JUMP IT, THINKING IT WAS THE BATTERY, BECAUSE I HAVE GONE THROUGH 5 BATTERIES BECAUSE OF A SHORT IN THE DOORS AND ALSO THE RELAY FOR POWER LOCKS.. WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN NUTRAL THEN THE CAR COULD START AND THEN I CAN DRIVE IT AND 3 RD INCIDENT I PARKED THE CAR, MY DAUGHTER GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND IT WENT FORWARD AND SHE ALMOST GOT HURT. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC AFTER THE 2ND INCIDENT AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE CABLE. I DID RESEARCH AND SAY THAT GM RECALLED THOUSANDS OF CARS BECAUSE OF THE CABLE DEFECT. SATURN AURA WAS RECALLED ALSO FOR THIS ISSUE. I CONTACTED GM TO SEE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR IT, THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL. THAT I HAD TO HAVE GM DEALER LOOK AT IT, BECAUSE THEY DON'T BELIEVE ME. ONCE GM SAYS IT'S THE CABLE THEN THEY WILL DECIDE IF THEY WILL DO A REPAIR. SATURN ASTRA NEEDS TO BE RECALLED THE CABLE REPLACED.

THE GLASS ON THE EXTERIOR DOOR MOUNTED MIRRORS CAN FALL OUT MAKING A SAFETY ISSUE. SPOKE TO OTHERS WHO OWN SAME VEHICLE AND DOZENS OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

MIRROR PORTION OF SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FELL OFF CAR. ADHESIVE HOLDING ON MIRROR SURFACE DETERIORATED COMPLETELY. *TR