2008 SATURN AURA Complaints

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND MY CAR SEEMED TO SHIFT ODDLY BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. ROUGH, JERKY AND REVVING WHEN IT DIDN'T NEED TO. WHEN I WAS BACKING INTO MY PARKING SPACE IN THE GARAGE, I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY POWER. IT HESITATED LIKE IT DIDN'T WANT TO GO AND THEN IT FINALLY MOVED. I HAD TO DO THIS TWO OR THREE TIMES TO GET INTO MY PARKING SPOT AND EACH TIME IT WAS WORSE. I CALLED THE SHOP AND HAD IT TOWED BECAUSE I SUSPECTED THE TRANSMISSION WAS HAVING ISSUES, AND EVEN SAW ONLINE THAT THERE HAD BEEN SOME RECALLS ON THE SATURN AURA FOR THAT YEAR ON THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE DEALER SAID THERE ARE NO ACTIVE RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE. I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION NOW ACCORDING TO THE DEALER. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR NEAR MY HOME I TRIED TO GO IN REVERSE AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CAR ALSO WILL NOT GO OVER 20 MPH. *TR

LOST COMMUNICATION WITH TRANSMISSION, GM TOLD ME TCM, I REPLACED FOR $1277. GOT THE CAR BACK STILL SAME PROBLEM NOW THEY SAY I NEED A TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. *TR

ON SATURDAY, JUNE 14 MY CAR WOULD NOT START. I MOVED THE FLOOR GEAR SHIFT DEEPER INTO THE PARK POSITION AND IT STARTED. ON MONDAY, JUNE 16 I PARKED MY CAR AFTER PURCHASING AN ITEM AT DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT, IT WOULD NOT START. THE GEAR SHIFT MOVED THROUGH ALL OF THE INDICATORS (PRD...) AND THE CAR BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS NEARLY HITTING ANOTHER CAR. I CALLED FOR A TOW, AND THE DRIVER NOTED THE PROBLEM. TODAY, PEP BOYS COMPLETED REPAIR OF THE THE GEAR SHIFT ASSEMBLY. THERE WAS A MISSING PART. THE INCIDENT NOTICE (HTTP://WWW.MOTORTREND.COM/CARS/2008/SATURN/AURA/RECALLS/) RECALL ID # 103875 - POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFTPLUSHIDE DETAILS RECALL DATE: APR 30, 2014 MODEL AFFECTED: 2008 SATURN AURA SUMMARY: GENERAL MOTORS LLC (GM) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY ON APRIL 29, 2014, THAT THEY ARE RECALLING 56,214 MODEL YEAR 2007 AND 2008 SATURN AURA VEHICLES. CONSEQUENCES: IF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE FRACTURES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SELECTION MAY NOT MATCH THE INDICATED GEAR AND THE VEHICLE MAY MOVE IN AN UNINTENDED OR UNEXPECTED DIRECTION, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. FURTHERMORE, WHEN THE DRIVER GOES TO STOP AND PARK THE VEHICLE, DESPITE SELECTING THE 'PARK' POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT BE IN 'PARK.' IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE "PARK" POSITION THERE IS A RISK THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL AWAY AS THE DRIVER AND OTHER OCCUPANTS EXIT THE VEHICLE OR ANYTIME THEREAFTER. A VEHICLE ROLLAWAY INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY TO EXITING OCCUPANTS AND BYSTANDERS. REMEDY: GM WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND GM DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY AND MOUNTING BRACKET, FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS NOT YET PROVIDED A NOTIFICATION SCHEDULE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT GENERAL MOTORS AT 1-800-553-6000. GM'S NUMBER FOR THIS RECALL IS 14152. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ACROSS THE PARKING LOT GOING TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT. MY SON WAS IN THE REAR LEFT PASSENGER SEAT. AS I BEGAN TURNING THE WHEEL, THE CAR LOCKED UP, HESITATED, THEN QUICKLY SPED UP. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE CAR, THE VEHICLE STUCK THE CURBSIDE AND THEN A TREE. MY SON AND I WERE NOT INJURED, ONLY SHOOK UP. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED IMMEDIATELY AND THE ADJUSTER INFORMED ME OF THE RECALL ON THE SATURN AURAS. *TR

EXITING ROUTE 53 AT LAKE COOK ROAD AT 30 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE CAR STARTING SWERVING AND WENT DOWN INTO A DITCH FOR NO KNOWN REASON. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

STEERING WILL NOT STAY STRAIGHT WANTS TO GO LEFT OR RIGHT. STEERING WHEEL WILL SHAKE WHILE IDLING. WHEN DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENS CAN BE HAIR RAISING AND DANGEROUS. *JS

I PARKED MY CAR, THEN TURNED THE IGNITION KEY SWITCH TO THE "OFF" POSITION AND PULLED THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. THE KEYS WERE IN MY HAND AND OUT OF THE IGNITION BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. I INSERTED THE KEY BACK INTO THE IGNITION AND TURNED IT FORWARD (IN THE SAME MANNER AS ONE WOULD TO START THE CAR) AND THEN, TURNED THE KEY BACK TO THE OFF POSITION AND THIS TIME, THE CAR TURNED OFF AS USUAL. A FORMAL COMPLAINT WAS FILED TODAY WITH GM AT: 800-553-6000 AND WAS GIVEN AN SR# BEGINNING IN 71- AND ENDING IN [XXX] . TO DATE, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS OF A GM RECALL REGARDING FAULTY IGNITION SWITCHES FOR SATURN AURA'S. I FAIL TO BELIEVE I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHILE IN PARK OR WHILE DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 73,985 WAS AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000.

WE PURCHASED A 2008 SATURN AURA XE 3.5 V6 WHITE IN COLOR IN JANUARY FROM A CARMAX IN NEWPORT NEWS THE FIRST DAY WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TAKE IT HOME THEY DIDN'T ALLOW US BECAUSE THEY SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A AIRBAG LIGHT SO THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY,NOW A COUPLE AMOUNTS DOWN THE ROAD THE PASSENGER AIRBAG STAYS OFF MOST OF THE TIME WHEN A PERSON OF 120+ POUNDS SITS IN THE SEAT ITS BECOME A HAZARD AS I HAVE TWO TEEN BOYS AND A DAUGHTER THAT HAVE TO RIDE IN THIS CAR CARMAX WANTS TO CHARGE ME TO FIX IT WHEN ITS SUPPOSED TO BE COVERED BY WARRANTY I NEED ADDITIONAL HELP THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED ALONG WITH THE PONTIAC G6 CARS THAT'S WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *JS *TR