SATURN Complaints

EXTERNAL TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS GIVING INACCURATE TEMPERATURE READINGS. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 08-01-39-008A DESCRIBES THE ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE PERFECTLY. THIS SAME TSB LISTS MY VEHICLE AS AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM. I CONTACTED TWO DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENTS AND GM CORPORATE TWICE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THEY WILL NOT PERFORM THE WORK BECAUSE THEIR VIN SEARCH DOES NOT YIELD THE TSB AS APPLICABLE MY VEHICLE. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TO LOOK UP THE TSB AND THEY CONFIRMED MY VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODEL LISTED ON THE TSB. I HAVE A SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT ICE/INCLEMENT WEATHER NOT BEING REPORTED AS IT SHOULD. WHEN DRIVING THROUGH SOME OF THE MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS HERE, THE TEMPERATURE CAN DROP QUICKLY WITHOUT OCCUPANTS BEING AWARE. PROBLEM OCCURS INTERMITTENTLY BOTH SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING AND SOMETIMES AFTER STARTING. THERE IS NO OBSERVED DIFFERENCE BASED ON PARKING LOCATION (IN THE SHADE, GARAGED, OUTSIDE IN THE SUN, ETC...) THE PROBLEM SOMETIMES CORRECTS ITSELF AFTER VEHICLE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN OBSERVED AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES.

MY 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK RECENTLY STARTED LEAKING WATER. I FIRST NOTICED THAT MY FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD WAS WET, IN DECEMBER 2015. AFTER NOTICING THIS I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER CONTINUALLY GOING, I COULD NOT TURN IT OFF. I THEN STARTED HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE RADIO STAYING ON WHEN I EXITED THE VEHICLE. WITHIN A COUPLE OF DAYS MY CAR BATTERY DIED AND I FIGURED THIS IS WHY I WAS HAVING THOSE ISSUES. I REPLACED THE BATTERY WITH A BRAND NEW ONE. ON JAN 19, 2016 I GOT INTO MY CAR ON AN EXTREMELY RAINY DAY AND NOTICED A HUGE PUDDLE OF WATER ON THE FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. I LOOKED ALL AROUND THE CAR AND COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS, NOTHING FROM WINDSHIELD, SUNROOF OR DAMAGED WEATHER STRIPPING. I TOOK OUT THE MATS AND THE CAR DRIED OUT. ON JAN 31, 2016 THERE WAS ANOTHER EXTREMELY WET AND RAINY DAY AND ONCE AGAIN WATER WAS POOLED UP IN FRONT PASSENGER FLOORBOARD. AS I DROVER CAR AWAY WATER STARTED POURING INTO THE VEHICLE FROM ALL OPENINGS, IE SEATBELT HARNESS, WINDSHIELD, FROM BELOW DASH, VENTS, EVERYWHERE. ALL OF THE PASSENGERS IN CAR WERE GETTING WET. ONCE HOME I PARKED THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND I TOOK OUT FLOOR MATS AND OPENED UP WINDOWS FOR CAR TO DRY OUT. AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER STARTED GOING OFF REPEATEDLY ON IT'S OWN, LIKE BEFORE. I COULD NOT TURN IT OFF, ONCE AGAIN. THEN THE RADIO CONTINUED TO STAY ON ONCE THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF, KEY REMOVED AND DRIVER DOOR OPENED. I LAST DROVE THE CAR ON WED NIGHT 2/3 AND PARKED IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT. WHEN I WENT TO GET IN CAR THE NEXT MORNING IT WAS COMPLETELY DEAD. NO POWER AT ALL, BRAND NEW BATTERY. THEN THE KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND CAR WAS STUCK IN GARAGE. I HAD TO HAVE TOW COMPANY COME AND TOW CAR OFF TO DEALERSHIP. I FILED COMPLAINT WITH GM. I SEE THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR OTHERS AS WELL.

MY FAMILY HAS OWNED GM VEHICLES FOR 35 + YEARS. FEBRUARY 2016, I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 SATURN AURA XR (V6 3.6 L ENGINE) HOME AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL GM DEALER WHO STATED IT THAT IT WAS A TIMING CHAIN ISSUE. REPAIR COST $ 1,667.05. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, WHY? IT IS THE THIRD TIMING CHAIN ON THE CAR. YES, THAT'S RIGHT THIRD! PROBLEMS WITH TIMING CHAIN & TIMING CHAIN TENSIONERS EASILY GO UNNOTICED AND CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. A DEFECTIVE TIMING CHAIN CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND PRESENT SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. THE FIRST TIMING CHAIN FAILED AT 56,000 MILES IN MARCH 2013 THE SECOND TIMING CHAIN FAILED AT 80,000 MILES FEBRUARY 2016 IN 2 YEARS 11 MONTHS AND 24,000 MILES, THE TIMING CHAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT SOMETHING IS INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THIS ENGINE AND/OR REPLACEMENT PARTS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO NEED A THIRD (3) TIMING CHAIN ON A VEHICLE. OUR 2007 SATURN AURA XR HAS THE SAME V6 3.6 L ENGINE AS THE 2007 MODELS: (CADILLAC CTS, SRX, STS; GMC ACADIA & SATURN OUTLOOK) THAT GENERAL MOTORS ISSUED A RECALL CONCERNING PREMATURE WEAR OF TIMING CHAINS FOR THESE 2007 MODELS. GM SHOULD HONOR THE RECALL FOR OUR SATURN AURA XR. AS LOYAL GM CUSTOMERS, WE ARE REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIR EXPENSES OF $ 1,667.05 FOR REPLACEMENT OF SECOND (2) TIMING CHAIN IN LESS THAN THREE YEARS.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

THE TRUCK IS DRIVABLE WITHOUT THE KEY BEING IN THE IGNITION, SO ONCE YOU START THE TRUCK YOU CAN TAKE THE KET OUT OF THE IGNITION AND STILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE. ALSO THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS FOR NO APPARENT REASON.

AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT HAS COME ON IN MY SATURN SKY AND STAYS ON. I DRIVE A 2008 SKY SO THE VEHICLE IS NOT EVEN 10 YEARS OLD AND SHOULD NOT BE HAVING PROBLEMS WITH AIRBAGS. A "SERVICE AIRBAG" MESSAGE APPEARS ON CENTER CONSOLE. FROM RESEARCH I'VE DONE THIS IS VERY COMMON ON THE SATURN SKY MODEL AND CAN BE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE PASSENGER AIRBAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IF CAR IS IN AN ACCIDENT. THE ESTIMATED COST TO FIX THE SENSOR IS ABOUT $1,000. THIS IS A HUGE CONSUMER SAFETY ISSUE AND THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE VEHICLE COLLECTED WATER WITHIN THE WEDGING OF THE SUN ROOF AND HEADLINER AND BEGAN LEAKING FROM ANY OPENING WITHIN THE VEHICLE (DOORS, VENTS, ETC). WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND/ OR STOPPED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCUMULATE WATER ON THE FLOOR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000.

MY CAR HAS PROBLEMS WITH THE PROP ROD RECOVERY SYSTEM. THE BACK HATCH IS VERY DIFFICULT TO RAISE AND LOWER. IT HAS FALLEN ON ME WHEN I'VE BEEN TRYING TO CARRY IN GROCERIES AND IT ALMOST CAME DOWN ON MY GRANDSON'S HEAD WHEN HE WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME TO HELP CARRY IN THE GROCERIES. WHEN I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE BUSINESS SECTION OF OUR LOCAL PAPER ABOUT A RECALL ON 2007-2010 SATURN OUTLOOKS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I ASSUMED MY CAR WAS RECALLED. AT MY LAST SERVICE AT THE GM DEALERSHIP I ASKED ABOUT THIS RECALL. THEY LOOKED IT UP AND SAID MINE WASN'T PART OF THE RECALL. THEY SAID IT WOULD COST $180-200 TO FIX IT. I CALLED THE SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE TO DOUBLE CHECK WHETHER MY CAR WAS ON THE LIST. I WAS ADVISED TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO NHTSA TO HOPEFULLY HAVE GM OR WHOMEVER TO EXTEND THE RECALL TO MY MODEL SINCE IT CLEARLY HAS THE SAME ISSUE. THANK YOU

WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH DAAH BOARD LIT UP - ENGINE POWER REDUCED - TRACTION CONTROL GO OFF AND STABILTRAK SAYS IT'S OFF. I LOST ALL POWER IN CAR WHILE DRIVING INCLUDING STEERING WITH KIDS IN THE CAR, AND INCOMING TRAFFIC. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART IMMEDIATELY, IT TOOK 10 MIN. FOR IT TO START BACK UP AND DASH LIT UP STATING "STARTING DISABLED, SERVICE THROTTLE". TAKING TO SERVICE REPAIR - SAW SERVICE.BULLETIN FOR OTHER MODELS WITH SAME ISSUES.

THERE IS A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE INSIDE OF MY VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AND BEFORE THE CAR IS EVEN STARTED.