2008 SATURN OUTLOOK Complaints

I HAD JUST PULLED OUT ON A INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, AND THE VEHICLE ACTED LIKE IT DID NOT WANT TO SHIFT GEARS. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I COULD NOT ACCELERATE ANY FASTER THAN 40 MPH. I PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAITED ON A TOW VEHICLE. THE STEERING HAS BEEN VERY STIFF ALSO IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. *TR

ON NOVEMBER 28, 2013 WE EXPERIENCED OUR FIRST SYMPTOM THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT QUITE RIGHT ON OUR 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. UPON ACCELERATION OUR CAR STARTED TO REV EXCESSIVELY AT AROUND 35-40 MPH. WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO SWITCH GEARS OK IN EVERY OTHER GEAR...BUT REALLY STRUGGLED WHEN IN THE LOWER GEARS. WE BROUGHT IT INTO TO SEE IF POSSIBLY IT JUST NEEDED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED AND WERE ADVISED AGAINST DOING THAT. INSTEAD, THEY TOPPED OF THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND OUR VEHICLE SEEMED TO RUN SMOOTHLY FOR EXACTLY ONE WEEK. AND THAN BOOM, WE HAD THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOM WHERE THE VEHICLE COULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF LOWER GEARS AND THIS TIME IT HAD A BURNING TYPE SMELL. I WENT ONLINE AND, TO MY SURPRISE, FOUND PAGE AND PAGE OF DISCUSSIONS SURROUNDING TRANSMISSION ISSUES WITH THE 2007 AND 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. IN ALL CASES, THE SYMPTOMS WERE IDENTICAL. IN ALL CASES, COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REBUILDS WERE THE ONLY SOLUTION. MOST VEHICLES WERE JUST OUTSIDE OF THEIR WARRANTY, BUT IN SOME CASES, THE MILEAGE WAS AS LOW AS 30,000. GM IS FULLY AWARE OF THE SITUATION, YET IS DOING NOTHING TO RECTIFY THE MATTER. THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A FAULTY "WAVE PLATE" IN THESE CARS THAT IS CAUSING THE TRANSMISSIONS TO COMPLETELY BREAK DOWN. IF YOU GOOGLE "2008 SATURN TRANSMISSIONS" YOU WILL FIND ALL OF THE EVIDENCE YOU WANT TO SUPPORT THE NEED TO INVESTIGATE A POSSIBLE RECALL. THIS IS BOTH DANGEROUS AND INCREDIBLY COSTLY AND SOMETHING THAT GM NEEDS TO ACCEPT AND STEP UP AND REPAIR. OUR VEHICLE HAS ONLY 72,000 MILES ON IT AND WE ARE LOOKING AT A MINIMUM OF $3,400 IN REPAIRS. THE MECHANIC THAT IS FIXING OUR VEHICLE HAS HAD SIX OUTLOOKS IN HIS SHOP ALONE. WHEN I SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE AGENT, [XXX] AT GM 866-790-5700 EXT [XXX], SHE FREELY AND READILY ADMITTED THAT THEY WERE FULLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

LOW BEAM PASSENGER SIDE LIGHT WENT OUT AND I REPLACED THE LIGHT. TWO WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT WENT OUT AGAIN, I MOVED THE CONNECTOR AND THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. THE LIGHT WORKED FOR TWO WEEKS AND IT WENT OUT AGAIN. I WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB AND IT SMELLED LINE BURNT PLASTIC. I REMOVED THE BULB AND THE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT ON ONE OF THE SIDES. THE WIRE WAS BARELY HANGING ON THE SIDE THE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT. THE WIRE HARNESS SEEMS VERY FLIMSY AND VERY POOR QUALITY. I'M VERY SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED OF THE POOR QUALITY OF THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS CAN ALSO POSSIBLY BE A SAFETY HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SLIP GEARS WITH SEVERE HESITATION WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 35 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION BE REBUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,365. UPDATED 2/11/14*CN ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE REVERSE WAVEPLATE WAS BROKEN. UPDATED 02/18/14

SERVICE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON ON THE DASH AND GOES OUT THEN COMES BACK ON. SOMETIMES IT STAYS LITE SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T COME ON AT ALL,UNTIL YOU LEAN IN THE SEAT. *TR

POWER TRAIN WARRANTY EXPIRED 11/1/13 AND NOW MY OUTLOOK WON'T GO REVERSE, 3RD OR 5TH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, I'LL TAKE IT TOMORROW TO THE DEALER AND FIND OUT IF IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM EVERYONE HAS BEEN HAVING WITH THE TCM OR IF IT'S THE REVERSE CLUTCH PLATE (WAVED). I ALSO HAVE THE OTHER COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE LEAKY SUNROOF, WATER COMES DOWN THE DRIVER FLOOR BOARD BY THE PARKING BRAKE. THIS IS MY FIRST GM AND IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE MY LAST. I'M GOING BACK TO TOYOTA! I WISH I HAD KNOWN ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS, I WOULD HAD NEVER BOUGHT THIS SUV IF I KNEW THIS INFO EXIST ONLINE, LIVE AND LEARN! I CAN'T BELIEVE GM KNOWINGLY ALLOWS THESE PROBLEMS GO ON AND WON'T DO ANYTHING TO CORRECT IT. *TR

WATER HAS BEEN LEAKING IN MY 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK FOR OVER 2 YEARS. IT ORIGINALLY STARTED LEAKING IN THROUGH MY LIGHTS AND MORE RECENTLY HAS STARTED TO LEAK IN THROUGH THE AIR BAG COVERS WHICH CAUSED THE "SERVICE AIR BAG" LIGHT TO COME ON. I AM FEARFUL ABOUT THE AIRBAGS WORKING PROPERLY WITH POSSIBLE WATER DAMAGE. I HAVE SPENT THE LAST HOUR ONLINE READING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER SATURN OUTLOOK OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD NO RESOLUTION IN HAVING THIS PROBLEM FIXED. GM NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND HAVE THE VEHICLES RECALLED AND FIXED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND COULD NOT ENGAGE THE REVERSE OR DRIVE SETTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO CHECKED THE VEHICLE OUT AND TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACE FOR $3600. THE VEHICLE IS ONE YEAR PAST THE WARRANTY BUT SHOULD NOT MATTER BECAUSE I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL VEHICLES OTHER THAN SATURN WITH MORE THAN 100K MILES AND NEVER HAD A TRANSMISSION GO OUT. THIS VEHICLE ONLY HAS 67K MILES AND TO HAVE THE TRANS GO IS PATHETIC. I FEEL GM SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHO TO CALL. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN OTHER RECALLS LIKE THE WIPER ARM MOTOR THAT I REPLACED AND DID NOT KNOW IT WAS BEING RECALLED. THEREFORE, I WAS WANTING TO KNOW WHERE I CAN SEND THE BILL FOR THAT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS SEPARATED WHILE HE DROVE IN THE RAIN AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED MECHANIC WHO FOUND THAT THE WINDSHIELD MOTOR LINKAGE BOLT SEPARATED DUE TO A DEFECTIVE BOLT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 08V410000 (VISIBILITY). THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 91,000.

10/12/13 WE HAD SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN & THE NEXT MORNING I NOTICED THE FLOOR BOARDS WERE WET. AGAIN, THE EVENING OF 10/15 WE HAD SEVERE RAIN STORMS WITH FLOODING IN OUR CITY. THE NEXT DAY WHEN MY MIL & I GOT INTO VEHICLE THE FLOOR BOARDS WERE SOAKED. WHEN WE PUT OUR SEAT BELTS ON THEY TOO WERE WET. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A BODY SHOP ON 10/16 & HAVE A STATEMENT THAT IT WOULD BE A COSTLY REPAIR, MOLD WAS PRESENT & HE STATED IT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED THAT I DRIVE IT DUE TO POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. ON 10/23 I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM THE BODY SHOP & NOTICED THE MOLD ON THE HEADLINER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE & DRIVER SIDE FLOORBOARD. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP (COVERT BUICK) WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE & TOLD THEM I WOULD BE BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO THEM FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. 10/24 I ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE & IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP & SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER TOM. HE SENT A TOW TRUCK OUT TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. PRIOR TO THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVING I CLEANED OUT ALL MY PERSONAL BELONGINGS & UPON DOING SO I FOUND THAT THE THIRD ROW CUP HOLDER HAD STANDING WATER IN IT & MOLD WAS GROWING IN IT ALSO. UPON ARRIVING TO THE DEALERSHIP TOM STATED HE "GOT ME A LOANER VEHICLE APPROVED BY [XXX], THEY USUALLY DON'T DO THIS" & TOLD ME I WOULD "LIKELY NOT HEAR FROM THEM UNTIL WED, 10/30 AS THEY WERE VERY BUSY". I DID NOT HEAR FROM TOM UNTIL FRI, 11/1 AT 3PM. I RETURNED HIS CALL AT 5PM & HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY ASSESSED MY VEHICLE & IT WOULD COST ME $1900 FOR REPAIRS. "THERE WERE LEAKS FOUND & WATER DAMAGE CAUSED A SHORT IN THE BATTERY." I THEN EXPLAINED THAT I DID NOT FEEL THIS WAS SOMETHING I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY TO GET FIXED AS I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM THEM. ASKED HIM TO ESCALATE TO HIS MANAGER & GET BACK TO ME. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM TOM 11/4 STATING COVERT WAS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR THE DAMAGE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR