2007 SATURN AURA Complaints

I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WASN'T NORMAL AND FELT LIKE I DIDN'T HAVE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I MADE NUMEROUS STOPS ALONGSIDE THE ROAD TO CHECK TIRES AND EVENTUALLY MY STEERING WHEEL WAS CROOKED EVEN THOUGH I WAS GOING STRAIGHT. THE STEERING FELT LIKE IT GAVE OUT OR SLIPPED DURING CERTAIN TURNS AND GOING STRAIGHT. I BROUGHT CAR INTO DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE BOLTS ON THE BALL JOINTS NEEDED REPAIR. UNSURE IF THEY FELL OUT OR WHAT BUT VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED. *TR

I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF ISSUES WITH MY 2007 SATURN AURA. I HAVE HAD MY DASH GO OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON SATURN COULDN'T FIND OUT WHY IT JUST STARTED WORKING AGAIN. I ESTIMATING AROUND 13,000 MILES I HAD TO HAVE MY THERMOSTAT REPLACED. THE CAR WENT DEAD AND WOULDN'T START HAD TO BE TOWED SATURN SAID THE BATTERY WOULDN'T HOLD A CHARGE. MY BIGGEST COMPLAINT IS THE HEATED SEATS. WHILE ON MY WAY FROM WORK AT 11PM ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY DEC 9 2007 THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT CAUGHT FIRE BURNED A HOLE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE SEAT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN A QUARTER. WHILE TRYING TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY I WAS UNABLE TO SIT IN THE SEAT. WHILE I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE VEHICLE I DID PANIC MY REAR WAS BURNED BUT THANK GOD TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. WHEN I TURN THE HEATER OFF AND THE CAR A POLICE OFFICER WAS ON THE SCENE AND CHECKED THE CAR OVER BEFORE THE FIRE TRUCK ARRIVED. HE STATED TO THE ONSTAR HELP THAT THE FIRE DID BURN FROM THE INSIDE OUT IT DID SMELL LIKE ELECTRICAL AND THAT IT APPEARED TO HAVE SUFFOCATED OUT AFTER THE HEATER WAS TURNED OFF. SATURN COULD ONLY TELL ME THAT THE SEAT WOULD BE REPLACED AND THAT ENGINEERS WOULD BE CALLED. I THANK GOD THIS WASN'T WORSE BUT I WAS LEFT VERY TRAUMATIZED AND TRIED TO SPEAK TO THE OWNER OF THE DEALERSHIP BUT HE DID NOT RETURN MY CALL. MY SATURN EXPERIENCE IS REALLY TAKING A DOWNWARD DIVE. *TR

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR DID NOT IMMEDIATELY RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR BEING PRESS DOWN, RESULTING IN MY CAR BEING NEARLY REAR ENDED AT OVER 50 MPH. SIMILAR NEAR MISSES HAVE HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. WHEN TRYING TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES, MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY, OR WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR TO QUICKLY GAIN SPEED AFTER SLOWING DOWN MOMENTARILY, THERE IS FREQUENTLY A ONE TO TWO SECOND LAG BETWEEN THE PRESS OF THE ACCELERATOR AND THE RESPONSE OF THE CAR. I HAVE MENTIONED IT TO MY SATURN DEALER WHO COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ISSUE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN THE SAME COMPLAINT ON NUMEROUS WEB SITES (EG. SATURNFANS.COM) AND AS FAR AS I CAN DETERMINE IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE DRIVE-BY-WIRE/6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COMBINATION. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY BOTH THE DEALER AND MY OWN RESEARCH THAT A DELAY WITH THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM ISN'T UNUSUAL, BUT I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE AS THE PROBLEM IS DOWNRIGHT DANGEROUS. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS SOMETHING A DEALER CAN READILY FIX AS IT SEEMS TO BE A DESIGN PROBLEM BASED ON EVERYTHING I HAVE ENCOUNTERED IN MY RESEARCH INTO FINDING OTHER OWNERS WITH SIMILAR ISSUES. *TR

PASSENGER AIRBAG OFF LIGHT STAYS LIT WHEN SEAT IS OCCUPIED. THIS DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF AN AIRBAG AND IS CERTAINLY UNSAFE. *JB

UNDERDOOR ROCKER PANEL SEPARATION FROM CAR ON BOTH SIDES RESULTING IN A 1/4 TO 1/2 INCH GAP THAT ALLOWS WATER, CARBON MONOXIDE OR ANY TYPE OF LIQUID ROAD DEBRIS TO ENTER THE PASSENGER CABIN. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A 2007 SATURN AURA XR, PURCHASED ON 30 APR 2007. THE CAR PRESENTLY HAS 4020 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. COMPLAINTS TO SATURN CORP. AND MY LOCAL RETAILER HAVE RESULTED IN NO ACTION TO DATE. A COMPLAINT TO THE BBB IS PRESENTLY IN PROGRESS; HOWEVER, I AM REPORTING THIS TO THE NHTSA BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT AS THE CAR GROWS OLDER AND THE EXHAUST SYSTEM WEARS, A POSSIBLE LEAK OF CARBON MONOXIDE GAS CAN ENTER THE CABIN AND CAUSE AN ACCIDENT OR DEATH. THIS DEFECT CAN BE SEEN ON MANY SATURN AURA AUTOMOBILES. *TR

AT 13,000 MILES I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP IN BINGHAMPTON ON 8/14/07 WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE CAR DOESN'T HANDLE RIGHT, THAT IT WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD AND THAT THE STEERING MAKES NOISE. IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. THEY SAID THEY TEST DROVE IT AND HEARD NOTHING. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. I CALLED THEM BACK WITH A TIRE PROBLEM (THE SIDE WALL HAD A HUGE BULGE IN IT) I THOUGHT THIS WAS WHY THE CAR DIDN'T HANDLE GOOD. THE BINGHAMPTON STORE DIDN'T HAVE A TIRE. I TOOK THE CAR TO SATURN OF WYOMING TO HAVE THE DEFECTED TIRE REPLACED. I ASKED TO CHECK THE STEERING. THEY FOUND SOMETHING WRONG AND REPLACED THE STEERING KNUCKLE JOINT. THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH HANDLING AND A HUMMING NOISE. THEY FOUND AND REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING. AGAIN THE CAR HANDLING GOT BAD AND IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP BEING CHECKED. I CALLED SATURN AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE CAR CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. IT GOES WHERE EVER IT WANTS, YOU HAVE TO CONSTANTLY STEER THE CAR TO KEEP IT STRAIGHT. THEY DIDN'T SEEM TO CARE BECAUSE I ASKED THEM TO TOW IT AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO DO ANYTHING LIKE THAT. *TR

MY 2007 SATURN AURA HAD BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP APPROX. 1.5 WEEKS AGO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY ACCELERATING. THE ENGINE WOULD REV BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2007, AT APPROXIMATELY 8:30 PM, WHILE DRIVING THE CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, I TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES AT A STOP SIGN. THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR, AND THE CAR REVVED, SURGED FORWARD THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND STRUCK ANOTHER VEHICLE. MY CAR HIT CAR #2 WITH SUCH FORCE THAT IT CAUSED CAR #2'S WHEEL AXLE TO SNAP IN HALF AND SEVERE DAMAGE TO CAR #2'S FRONT PASSENGER SIDE FENDER AND DOOR THAT THE CAR NEEDED TO BE TOWED AWAY. I WAS TAKEN AWAY IN AN AMBULANCE. ONSTAR CONFIRMED TWO CODES AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT: #1--ABS/TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND #2--TAKE THE CAR TO A SERVICE CENTER AS IT MAY EXHIBIT ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR WHEN DRIVING AND/OR STOPPING. THIS SATURN AURA HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE GETTING IT IN OCTOBER 2006. IT HAS JUST OVER 14,000 MILES ON IT AND HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED ISSUE PLUS REPLACING A BROKEN ENGINE MOUNT, REPLACING A LEAKING ENGINE GASKET, RESURFACING THE BRAKE ROTORS AT 7,000 MILES, MULTIPLE REPAIRS TO A NON-FUNCTIONING ONSTAR SYSTEM, AND CONSISTENT ISSUES WITH THE WARNING LIGHT ON THE TIRE INFLATION MONITOR (I EVENTUALLY HAD THE TIRES FILLED WITH NITROGEN). THIS CAR IS A HAZARD. BECAUSE OF THE SERVICE HISTORY OF THE VEHICLE, I HAVE OBTAINED LEGAL COUNSEL. THE SATURN WILL BE EVALUATED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED. I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR AGAIN. *JB

INCOMPATIBILITY OF ON-BOARD GARAGE OPENER SYSTEM WITH MY GARAGE DOOR, RESULTING IN BEING ASKED TO BUY A $38.00 CONVERTER KIT FROM LEAR. LATER, THROUGH THE INTERVENTION OF A FRIEND WHO IS A GM PLANT MANAGER, HE WAS ABLE TO GET MY $38.00 CREDITED TO MY CARD. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT IT TOOK HIS INTERVENTION TO GET THIS PROBLEM SOLVED. THE DEALER HAD NO FIX (NOT EVEN AN EXPLANATION) FOR WHY THE IN-CAR UNIT WOULDN'T WORK, BUT INSTEAD REFERRED ME TO A LEAR 800 NUMBER, WHERE I BOUGHT THE CONVERTER UNIT. PERHAPS GM CAN ANNOUNCE THAT THEY WILL PROVIDE THE CONVERTER UNIT AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER IF THEY EXPERIENCE THE SAME INCOMPATIBILITY PROBLEM. *TR

2007 SATURN AURA WITH A SLIGHT GRADE PROBLEM CUSTOMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE CAR WOULD START TO STUMBLE AND WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT AS SOON AS IT SHOULD**CC THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHILE IN CRUISE CONTROL EVERYTIME THE VEHICLE APPROACHED A SLIGHT GRADE IN THE HIGHWAY THE CAR WOULD STUMBLE AND NOT DOWNSHIFT LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS SUPPOSED TO, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE DEALER INFORMED HIM THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS TEST DRIVEN BY A MECHANIC THAT THE MECHANIC STATED HE WOULD TAKE THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CALIBRATION FIX OR RECALL. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MECHANIC INFORMED HIM THERE WAS NOT A FIX BUT TO WAIT TO SEE IF GM WOULD DISTRIBUTE A RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEAD REST IS POSITIONED FORWARD AND DOES NOT ADJUST. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO SATURN AND HE WAS ISSUED CASE # 1-24206879. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 220.