2008 SATURN AURA Complaints

MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON WHEN I DON'T USE THEM AND GO OFF WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. I'VE HAD THE CAR IN THREE TIMES TO GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED AND IT NEEDS TO GO AGAIN! *TR

FROM THE OWNER'S MANUAL: "THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN ELECTRONIC SHIFT LOCK RELEASE SYSTEM. THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE IS DESIGNED TO: (1) PREVENT IGNITION KEY REMOVAL UNLESS THE SHIFT LEVER IS IN PARK (P) WITH THE SHIFT LEVER BUTTON FULLY RELEASED, AND (2) PREVENT MOVEMENT OF THE SHIFT LEVER OUT OF PARK (P), UNLESS THE IGNITION IS IN ON/RUN OR ACC/ACCESSORY AND THE REGULAR BRAKE PEDAL IS APPLIED. THE SHIFT LOCK RELEASE IS ALWAYS FUNCTIONAL EXCEPT IN THE CASE OF AN UNCHARGED OR LOW VOLTAGE (LESS THAN 9 VOLT) BATTERY. IF YOUR VEHICLE HAS AN UNCHARGED BATTERY OR A BATTERY WITH LOW VOLTAGE, TRY CHARGING OR JUMP STARTING THE BATTERY. SEE JUMP STARTING ON PAGE 5-43 FOR MORE INFORMATION." THE CAR HAS A V6 ENGINE AND FROM PARK, WITH THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION AND THE IGNITION IN THE OFF POSITION, I WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO DRIVE AFTER DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP IT BEFORE ANY PERSONAL INJURY OR DAMAGE OCCURRED. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF WITH THE CAR IN DRIVE AND REMOVE THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION. THE BATTERY IS FULLY CHARGED AND DOES NOT HAVE LOW VOLTAGE. WHILE I'VE BEEN LUCK THERE HAS BEEN NO PERSONAL OR PROPERTY DAMAGE SUSTAINED, IT'S EASY TO SEE THAT IT CAN HAPPEN. ESPECIALLY IF AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CAN BE LEFT IN GEAR, THE ENGINE TURNED OFF AND THE KEYS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THIS CAR OCTOBER 10, 2007 AND THE DOOR LABEL INDICATES IT WAS BUILT IN OCTOBER 2007, SO THE BUILD DATE FOR THIS CAR WAS BETWEEN 10/1 AND 10/10/2007. *TR

ON JULY 14, 2014, INTERIOR DOOR LOCKS STOPPED UNLOCKING AND LOCKING. CAR IS PARKED IN THE GARAGE AND IS INTERMITTENTLY LOCKING BY ITSELF. I AM RELUCTANT TO DRIVE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO GET LOCKED IN THIS CAR. BASED ON THE COMMENTS ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS MODEL CAR. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK. HAD IT TOWED TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AND WAS TOLD BY THEM THAT THE SHIFT CABLE AND BRACKET WERE BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACE. THE DEALER SAYS THIS VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE CURRENT RECALL 14152. CALLED GM CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE BUT WAS REFERRED BACK TO DEALER. THIS VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE THE LISTED IN THE RECALL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND REAR WINDOW BRAKE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AND DIM INTERMITTENTLY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER MORE THAN FOUR TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE REMEDIED. THE REAR BRAKES WERE CALIBRATED SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

I BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH POWER STEERING FLUID LEAKING ON MY 2008 SATURN AURA OVER A YEAR AGO (APPROXIMATELY JANUARY-MARCH 2013). I HAD SOME TEMPORARY FIXES DONE TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM, BUT ON APPROXIMATELY APRIL 1, 2014, MY POWER STEERING SYSTEM TOTALLY FAILED. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING WITHOUT POWER STEERING SINCE THIS TIME. I HAD READ THAT MANY 2008 SATURN AURA'S WERE BEING RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM AND HOPED THAT MY AURA WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL. WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY CAR WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL, I HAD AN ESTIMATE DONE TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO HAVE THE POWER STEERING FIXED. THE ESTIMATE I RECEIVED WAS OVER $1,200.00. BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY READILY AVAILABLE, I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM TAKEN CARE OF. I AM HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED THAT GM IS NOT COVERING MORE OF THE VEHICLES THAT MAY BE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WITH PARTS FOR SOME 2008 SATURN AURA'S (AMONG OTHERS) - BUT APPARENTLY THERE ARE MORE VEHICLES AFFECTED THAN YOU ARE COVERING - OR PERHAPS THAT YOU ARE AWARE OF. I AM HOPING THAT MAYBE YOU WILL CONSIDER LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE ON OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE MANUFACTURED NEAR THE SAME TIME AS THOSE BEING RECALLED BEFORE THERE ARE MORE INJURIES AND/OR FATALITIES. *TR

EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH THE ESC, TRANSACTION CONTROL SENSORS, AND POWER LOCKS. WE HAVE HAD THE SENSOR IN THE GAS PEDAL REPLACED WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE ARE EXPERIENCING ISSUES DAILY WITH OUR SPEED CONTROL, LOCKS, AND ESC AND TRACTION SENSORS. CONTACTED GM AND THEY STATED OUR VEHICLE IS NOT ON THE RECALL LIST DUE TO IT BEING MANUFACTURED IN NY. WE NEED TO GET THIS RESOLVED ASAP AS WE HAVE A NEWBORN ON THE WAY. *TR

WHILE DRIVING OUR CAR ALONG COASTAL HIGHWAY NEAR BETHANY, DE OUR TRANSMISSION BECAME DISENGAGED ( NO FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR). I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC AND PARKED THE CAR ON A SIDE ROAD. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED AN ENGINE ALERT AND WE RECEIVED AN ON-STAR ALERT MESSAGE BUT COULD NOT GET THE INFORMATION WITHOUT INTENT. WE CALLED AAA AND THEY TOWED MY CAR TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP IN BELIN, MD. AT THIS REPAIR SHOP I WAS INFORMED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS "TOASTED AND WOULD COST AROUND $4,800 TO REPLACE. I HAD TO RENT A CAR AND MOVE OUT OF MY RENTED CONDO AND THEN RETURNED TO MY HOME NEAR BALTIMORE, MD. I DISCUSSED MY PROBLEM WITH MY LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE SUGGESTED THAT A TRANSMISSION COMPANY LOOK AT THE CONDITION OF THE TRANSMISSION IT COULD BE REPAIRABLE BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION FOR MY CAR (XR 6-3.6L) HAS HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE GM 6T70 IN THE WAVE PLATES. I ARRANGED AT GREAT EXPENSE TO HAVE MY CAR TOWED 150 MILES TO A LOCAL TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP NEAR MY HOME. WE HAVE BEEN GM OWNERS SINCE 1985 WITH MANY GOOD EXPERIENCES BUT THE 2008 AURA HAS BEEN HAD MANY PROBLEMS (LAST YEARFOR SATURN) AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN HAPPY WITH THE GM DEALERSHIP. IF GM HAS HAD THESE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED TO BRING IT IN FOR SERVICE. MY SEARCHING THE INTERNET I SEE THAT MY CAR HAS SEVERAL RECALL NOTICES ( TRANSMISSION SHIFTING CABLE, STEERING POWER ASSIST SYSTEM ETC) BUT WE HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY NOTICE ALTHOUGH WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS AND HAVE LIVED AT THIS ADDRESS FOR THE LAST 17-YEARS. *TR

POWER DOOR LOCKS FAIL TO UNLOCK. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED. FIRST OCCURRENCE IT WAS FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. POWER DOOR LOCK MECH FAILS TO UNLOCK ON DOOR, THIS WILL SOMETIMES CAUSE DOOR TO NOT UNLOCK. CONCERN IS IN A ACCIDENT, YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXIT CAR. MANUFACTURE SEEMS TO KNOW THIS HAPPENS. *TR

BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ALWAYS ON AND MY CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE A FAIRLY LARGE SAFETY CONCERN AND I'VE READ ARTICLES ONLINE THAT LEAD ME TO BELIEVE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM. READ SOMETHING ABOUT FAULTY WIRING CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AND BRAKE LIGHT... *TR