2007 SATURN OUTLOOK Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO OPERATE IN REVERSE BUT THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESUME IN DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAVE PLATE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,752.

DURING THE CAR BEING SERVICED THEY DID A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE CAR THAT WAS TO REPROGRAM THE ECM COMPUTER IN THE CAR FOR A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. AFTER THE SERVICE THE GAS MILEAGE WENT DOWN AND NOTICED THE CHANGE OIL CALCULATOR WENT DOWN FASTER. NOT A BIG DEAL I CHANGE MY OIL AT 5,000 MILES WITH SYNTHETIC BLEND. WIFE TOO CAR AND AFTER SHOPPING THE CAR WOULD NOT START. FOUND OUT THAT THE TIMING CHAIN SNAPPED AND BROKE NUMEROUS PIECES IN THE ENGINE. FOUND OUT AFTER TAKING TO THE MECHANIC THAT THE REPROGRAM ACTUAL ALLOWED MORE STRETCH IN THE TIMING CHAIN THEN THE FACTORY SETTING. SO FEEL LIKE THEY WERE TRYING TO PUSH THE ISSUE OUT PAST THE WARRANTY PERIOD. NEVER WAS TOLD AT DEALER WHAT THE REPROGRAM DID OR THEY WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH THE TIMING CHAIN. NOTHING IN MANUAL STATING TO CHANGE TIMING CHAIN AT ANY POINT. FOUND OUT AFTER THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AND GM BASICALLY SAYS IT MY FAULT I SHOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OIL MORE. THIS COULD BECOME A SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU ARE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THIS HAPPENS. *TR

THE AIRBAG SENSOR IN THE PASSENGER SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CONSIDERING THEY DID A RECALL ALREADY WITH THIS EXACT ISSUE, BUT THE FIX WAS REPROGRAMMING THE SDM COMPUTER MODULE. THIS SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED THE SENSOR AS WELL BECAUSE THE ISSUE IS MORE THAN A REPROGRAM. IT WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX, AND AIR BAGS SENSORS SHOULD LAST MORE THAN 78K. PLEASE REFERENCE: NHTSA 07V062000. *TR

2007 SATURN OUTLOOK WITH APPROXIMATELY 35670 MILES ON IT SUDDENLY BEGAN TO JERK WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET WITH 2 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER INTO A STORE PARKING SPACE AND WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE TO MOVE THE CAR. HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT SO THAT I COULD FORWARD. GMC DEALER DISCOVERED IT WAS A BROKEN 3.5R WAVE PLATE. AFTER DOING RESEARCH I'VE DISCOVERED THIS EXACT PROBLEM IS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN GM IS LETTING ON (LINKS BELOW). GM IS STILL NOT WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXTENT OF THIS PROBLEM WHICH IS AFFECTING THE SATURN OUTLOOK, THE GMC ACADIA AND POSSIBLY OTHER GM VEHICLES. NOTE: GM DID COVER THE MAJORITY OF THE COST FOR THIS AFTER 3 WEEKS OF "NEGOTIATION" HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE LOOKED AT FOR RECALL POTENTIAL. HTTP://WWW.SATURNOUTLOOKFORUM.NET/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=2396.0;ALL HTTP://WWW.TIGERDROPPINGS.COM/RANT/P/35400391/2008-GMC-ACADIA-WAVE-PLATE-BROKEN.ASPX HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F171273?@GUEST@ HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F171273/364 HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/SATURN/OUTLOOK/2008/CONSUMER-DISCUSSIONS.HTML. *TR

STABILITRAK TRACTION CONTROL TURNED OFF, WARNING BEEPS CAME WITH A MESSAGE SAYING OIL PRESSURE LOW, SHUT ENGINE OFF. THIS IS ONE OF MANY ISSUES I HAVE ENCOUNTERED, AMONG GETTING A NEW ENGINE AFTER BUYING IT IN 2010 6 MONTHS LATER, BECAUSE OF WAVE PLATE ISSUES, TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM, THE LIFT GATE NOT FUNCTIONING, MY HUSBAND SPENT $23K ON THE CAR AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE PUT THOUSANDS MORE INTO THE CAR TO HAVE IT FIXED. FEEL UNSAFE IN IT AN DISGUSTED AT HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE TO GET IT SERVICED. *TR

LEAKING FRONT SUNROOF OF SATURN OUTLOOK XE 2007. THIS HAS AFFECTED THE WIRING WITHIN THE VEHICLE AND CAUSING OTHER ISSUES AS WELL AS THE WATER CONTINUES TO COME INTO THE VEHICLE. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX THE PROBLEM HAVE NOT SOLVED IT. *TR

CAR IS BUCKING BETWEEN 3RD AND 4TH GEAR. SENT IT TO DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. COULD BE WAVE PLATE PROBLEM THAT IS COMMON ON THIS MODEL CAR. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS AND WHEN SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, IT WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THEN SLAMMED INTO GEAR WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF SPEED AND CONTROL. TRANSMISSION FAILED MORE PRECISELY WAS THE WAVE PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

9/20/2010 - MILEAGE - 77,245 - ENGINE WAS STRAINING; REQUESTED CHECKOUT BY DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE; DEALERSHIP INDICATED A BULLETIN FOR HESITATION IN TRANSMISSION, SO THEY REPROGRAMMED THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM); REPAIRED UNDER OWNER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. 06/02/2011 - MILEAGE - 86,232 -- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING GEARS PROPERLY; VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP INDICATED CODE P0776 WAS DETECTED. DEALERSHIP FOUND FLUID WAS BURNT AND CONTAMINATED WITH METAL; REMOVED TRANSMISSION AND TEAR DOWN; FOUND 3/5/R WAVE PLATE BROKE AND DAMAGED SEVERAL HARD PARTS. REPLACED REACTION SUN SHELL AD END COVER. 3/5/R WAVE PLATE CLUTCH HOUSING; REMOVED DEBRIS AND REPLACED FILTER. REASSEMBLED WITH NEW PARTS, RESET TAPS, SET TOE FLUSHED COOLER LINES; VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER OWNER'S EXTENDED WARRANTY. DEALER INDICATED REPAIR WOULD HAVE BEEN AROUND $4,000 IF COSTS WERE OUT-OF-POCKET. 09/04/2013 - MILEAGE - 134,349 - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON; WHEN TAKING OFF FROM STOP LIGHT ONTO MAIN ROAD, ENGINE JOLTED; TRANSMISSION WAS NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY INTO APPROPRIATE GEARS. SCHEDULED VEHICLE FOR APPOINTMENT AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP INDICATED CODES P0989, P0877, P0752, AND P0700 WERE SET ON VEHICLE. IN SHORT, TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE ISSUES. COST OF REPAIR $1,250. GM PROVIDED ASSISTANCE OF $450. COST TO OWNER IS $800 FOR REPAIR. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED AS OF 09/11/2013. VEHICLE HAS LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING CAUSING VEHICLE TO BE UNSAFE. THERE ARE TOO MANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES ON THIS VEHICLE FOR A RECALL NOT TO HAVE OCCURRED. IT IS NOT "JUST" FOR THE CONSUMER TO COME OUT OF POCKET EVERY TWO YEARS TO BAND-AID A FAULTY TRANSMISSION DESIGN. *TR