2008 SATURN SKY Complaints

SATURN SKY RED LINE BRAKE FAILURE ANYTIME THE CAR SITS FOR A FEW HOURS OR MORE. NO BRAKE PRESSURE. CAR IS HARD TO STOP. *TR

WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED (COLD START) THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK AT FIRST. IF ONE SITS THERE FOR 2-3 MINUTES AND LETS THE VACUUM BUILD UP - THEN THEY WORK. THE MANUFACTURER FAILS TO MENTION THIS TO THE BUYERS. I HAVE HAD THIS OCCUR SEVERAL TIMES. *TR I MUST MENTION THAT MY CAR IS A 5-SPEED STICKSHIFT. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASE, I STARTED MY CAR - THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ON, MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE, AND AS SOON AS I STARTED TO LET UP ON THE CLUTCH THE CAR JUMPED FORWARD & MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE. SINCE THEN, I ALWAYS PLACE MY CAR IN NEUTRAL BEFORE STARTING. THEN APPROXIMATELY A MONTH AGO: I WENT TO MOVE MY CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE TO THE DRIVEWAY - I STARTED THE CAR, AFTER APPROXIMATELY 45 SECONDS TO 1 MINUTE I PUT IT INTO REVERSE, SLOWLY BACKED OUT, AND WHEN I WENT TO STOP I HAD NO BRAKES - THANKFULLY I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO THROW IT INTO NEUTRAL AND GRABBED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. JUST MISSED GOING ACROSS THE STREET TO WHERE CHILDREN WERE WALKING TO SCHOOL. THEN ON MONDAY OF THIS WEEK, I STARTED THE CAR, LET IT IDLE FOR OVER 2 MINUTES, PUT INTO REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF THE GARAGE AND HAD THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. I DISCUSSED THIS WITH MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD TO "JUST LET THE CAR WARM UP PROPERLY". THIS IS WORRISOME BECAUSE I CANNOT LET ANYONE VALET PARK OR DRIVE MY CAR FOR FEAR THAT SOMEONE COULD GET HURT. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT GM DID AWAY WITH AN AUXILIARY VACUUM BOOSTER ON THE ENGINE SO NOW IT TAKES TIME FOR SUFFICIENT VACUUM TO BUILD UP FOR THE BRAKING SYSTEM TO WORK. AND I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE 2008 MODEL YEAR OF THE SATURN SKY BY PERUSING THE SKYROASTER.COM WEBSITE. SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN A BIG MISTAKE THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING-TO-HAPPEN AS NOT ONLY IS THERE GOING TO BE PROPERTY DAMAGE CAUSED BUT THERE IS GOING TO END UP WITH PEOPLE BEING INJURED OR KILLED. AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO BE MAIMED OR INJURED FOR THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO. *TR

WE OWN A 2008 SATURN SKY RED LINE MODEL. IF THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN GEAR WHEN FIRST STARTING UP THE BRAKES DON'T WORK. SUPPOSEDLY THE SATURN ENGINEERS DESIGNED THE VEHICLE WITH THIS "SAFETY" (AS SATURN CALLS IT) FEATURE. IF YOU FOLKS WILL GO ONTO THE SATURN FORUM AND PUT BRAKE PROBLEM INTO THEIR SEARCH ENGINE THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

AT STARTUP IN SKY 2008 POWER BRAKES FAIL TO WORK, THIS HAPPENS EVERY TIME CAR IS STARTED AFTER SITTING FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS DEALER REFUSES TO PROVIDE ANY CORRECTION STATES ITS BY DESIGN LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM HTTP://WWW.SKYROADSTER.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=19220&HIGHLIGHT=POWER+BRAKES. *TR

I OWN A SATURN SKY REDLINE 2008.. THE BRAKES BECOME INEFFECTIVE AFTER THE CAR SITS IDLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME OVERNIGHT. THIS OCCURS EVERY DAY WHEN THE CAR INITIALLY STARTS AFTER SITTING IDLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD EVERY TIME YOU START YOUR CAR AND ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OFF OR BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY . THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE STOPPING RESPONSE TIME IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL THAT CARS DRIVING PAST MY HOME ARE NO WHERE IN SITE BEFORE I ATTEMPT TO BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY OR WHEN I LEAVE MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT NO CAR IS PARKED BEHIND OR IN FRONT OF ME. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP AND REPORTED THE FAILURE AND THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN PRINTED OUT A SERVICE BULLETIN THAT STATES IT IS NORMAL WHICH INSTRUCTS THE DEALER NOT TO DO ANYTHING. THE ACTUAL WORDING HIGHLIGHTS INDICATE"IMPORTANT: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY PARTS FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE OHB...DOCUMENT ID#1982132. I CALLED SATURN HEADQUARTERS ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2007 AND TALKED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE FAILURE AND IT SHOULD BE EXPECTED WITH THIS VEHICLE...THE WOMAN HANDLING THE CALL WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION ON OTHERS EXPERIENCING THIS SAME PROBLEM. I ALSO E-MAILED SATURN WITH MY CONCERN AND WILL TALK TO A REPRESENTATIVE ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 1. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THEIR RESPONSE IS UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REPAIR FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM. WHAT IF THERE IS AN ACCIDENT AND/OR DEATH..WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE. *JB

WE TOOK DELIVERY OF A 2008 SATURN SKY RL (TURBO) IN EARLY AUGUST 2007. THE VERY NEXT DAY WE STARTED THE CAR AND PULLED OUT INTO THE DRIVEWAY. WHEN THE BRAKES WERE USED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE THEIR WAS ABOUT A 75% FAILURE WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL. MY WIFE WAS BRIEFLY PANICKED AND SLAMMED THE BRAKES DOWN FURTHER AND EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR TO STOP. BY THIS POINT SHE HAD ALREADY TRAVELED AN EXTRA 15 FEET DOWN THE DRIVEWAY AND NEARLY HIT ME AS I WAS STANDING IN THE DRIVEWAY WATCHING HER BACK OUT HER NEW VEHICLE. WE INITIALLY THOUGHT SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEW THAT IT MIGHT JUST NEED A FEW DAYS TO GET THINGS WORKING. SHE DROVE THE CAR VERY CAREFULLY FOR A FEW DAYS AND PUMPED THE BRAKES BEFORE EACH USE. AFTER A FEW DAYS THE ISSUE DID NOT GO AWAY SO WE CONTACTED THE DEALER. WE BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER (WHICH IS SAT FOR 3 WEEKS). EVENTUALLY WE WERE TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR AND IS CAUSED BECAUSE THEY ELIMINATED THE BRAKE VACUUM PUMP FROM THE 08 MODELS. THE DEALER SAID THEY WOULD INSTALL THE OLD VACUUM PUMP ON OUR CAR BUT IT COULD NOT BE DONE FOR ANOTHER 4 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE PARTS. THE CONCERN WITH THIS CAR IS WE ARE NOW FAMILIAR WITH THE VEHICLE AND UNDERSTAND TO LET IT RUN FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING. OUT OF SEVERAL NEW CARS OVER THE YEARS I MUST ADMIT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO LET THE CAR RUN FOR A MINUTE SO THE BRAKES WILL WORK. HOWEVER MY CONCERN IS AROUND SOMEONE NEW DRIVING ANY 08 SKY? I THINK THERE IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN AROUND A PESON IN VALET. I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE ON THE SKYROADSTER FORUMS AND FEEL IT IS A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THERE IS AN ACCIDENT OR SOME IS SERIOUSLY INJURED BY BEING BACKED OVER. *TR

MANUFACTURER:GM MODEL: SATURN SKY REDLINE 2008 BRAKES BECOME INEFFECTIVE AFTER CAR SITS IDLE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME OVER 7 HOURS. ESSENTIALLY OCCURS EVERY DAY WHEN THE CAR INITIALLY STARTS AFTER SITTING IDLE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD EVERYTIME YOU START YOUR CAR AND ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OFF STRAIGHT AWAY AS THE BRAKE PEDAL BECOMES VERY DIFFICULT TO USE AND THE STOPPING RESPONSE TIME IS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO ANOTHER CAR DRIVING PAST MY DRIVEWAY AND AS I WAS REVERSING OUT A PARKING LOT. JUST IMAGINE IF THAT WAS A SMALL CHILD THAT RAN OUT AND YOU COULD NOT STOP IN TIME! I TOOK IT THE DEALER, HE LEFT IT OVERNIGHT AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM YESTERDAY. I KNOW HE WAS SURPRISED BUT ALL HE DID WAS PRINT OUT THE SATURN SERVICE BULLETIN THAT STATES IT IS NORMAL WHICH INSTRUCTS THE DEALER NOT TO DO ANYTHING. THE ACTUAL BULLETIN WORDING HIGHLIGHTED IN RED STATES "IMPORTANT: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR OR REPLACE ANY PARTS FOR WHAT IS CONSIDERED NORMAL OPERATION OF THE OHB". SINCE WHEN IS A CHANGE IN BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS LIKE THIS CONSIDERED NORMAL? THIS IS BEING EXPERIENCE BY NUMEROUS CUSTOMERS (SEE URL HTTP://WWW.SKYROADSTER.COM/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?T=18188) ONLY HAVE A HARD COPY OF THE SATURN BULLETIN AND COULD NOT FIND IT ON-LINE. IT HAD A DOCUMENT ID#: 1982132 WITH A SUBJECT TITLE OF "INFORMATION ON OPTIMIZED HYDRAULIC BOOST BRAKE SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS #07-05-22-002 - (06/04/2007) *JB