SATURN Complaints

I HAVE A 2008 SATURN AURA XE. WHILE DRIVING, I NOTICED THAT OCCASIONALLY THE BRAKE LIGHTS (ALL 3) WOULD ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT PRESSED AND THEY WOULD OCCASIONALLY NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS PRESSED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE MY CRUISE CONTROL DISENGAGED AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. THE BRAKE LIGHTS STAYED ON AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK. WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE BRAKE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND NO REAR TAIL LIGHTS. WHERE VISIBLE. SINCE IT WAS WAY OUT OF WARRANTY I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT. THEY PUT DIALMETIC (SPELLING) ON WIRES GOING INTO A CONNECTION BOX. IT WAS VERY SCARY TO DRIVE FELT LIKE YOU NEED TO PUMP YOUR BRAKES WHEN STOPPED TO LET OTHER DRIVERS KNOW THAT YOU WERE STOPPED. *TR

IN SEPTEMBER 2010 AND AGAIN IN JULY 2011, MY CAR BEGAN HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH BACK UP LIGHTS (NON EXISTENT) AND BRAKE LIGHTS. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD REMAIN ON WHEN DRIVING AND WOULD GO OFF WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. THIS ALSO SEEMED TO HAPPEN IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. OTHER DRIVERS FLAGGED ME DOWN TO ALERT ME TO THIS DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CHIMSEL LIGHT IN THE REAR WINDOW REMAINED LIT WHILE DRIVING AND TURNED OFF IF BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED. I TOOK MY CAR TO A LOCAL GM DEALER TWICE..IT TOOK 2 WEEKS EACH TIME, TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY IDENTIFIED AS A FAULTY BODY CONTROL MODULE. THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR, THAT HAD TO BE COMPLETED TWICE. 2007 SATURN AURAS SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. I HAVE NOT USED MY CRUISE CONTROL SINCE JULY 2011, AS I AM AFRAID TO START THIS WHOLE EXPENSIVE AND DANGEROUS SEQUENCE AGAIN. *TR

THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. UPON BEING INSPECTED BY AN IN DEPENDENT GARAGE, IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. SHOULD THIS BE COVERED UNDER 07V-519? *TR

MY SATURN IS EXHIBITING THE BRAKE LIGHT PROBLEM REPORTED IN MEDIA. I HAVE VIDEOS AND PHOTOS SHOWING THE BRAKE LIGHTS ON WITHOUT PEDAL DEPRESSED AND MOST CONCERNING THE BRAKE LIGHTS NOT COMING ON WHEN BRAKE PEDAL PUSHED. I'VE HAD CAR SERVICED AT DEALERSHIP TWICE AND HAVE FOLLOWED THE TSB ON WIRE CORROSION AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. IT EXISTED THIS MORNING. I BORROWED A TECH 2 COMPUTER AND HAVE VIDEO AND PHOTOS OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE SENSOR. THE BRAKE PEDAL POSITION READS A NEGATIVE POSITION OF -50 AND THIS TURNS ON THE BRAKE LIGHT. WHEN BRAKE LIGHTS ACTING NORMAL IT READS A BRAKE PEDAL POSITION OF +3. AS YOU PUSH THE BRAKES DOWN THE PEDAL POSITION INCREASES FROM THE STARTING NEGATIVE VALUE UNTIL IT GETS TO 50 AND THEN THE BRAKE LIGHTS TURN ON. SO I HAVE A 100 POINT TRAVEL WHERE THE BRAKE LIGHTS WORK THE OPPOSITE. I HAVE THIS ALL ON VIDEO. ALSO, WHEN THIS PROBLEM IS APPEARING, IF I DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL AND RELEASE IT, THE BRAKE LIGHT GOES OFF. I THEN COUNT TO FIVE AND THE BRAKE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE COMPUTER GOING INTO SOME ALARM MODE. IF I DRIVE DOWN THE STREET PUSHING BRAKE PEDAL EVERY FIVE SECONDS, THE BRAKE LIGHT STAYS OFF. I WILL RETURN THE VEHICLE TO DEALER AND SHOW MY VIDEO. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AND GOES AWAY WHEN THE CAR/COCKPIT WARMS UP. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME AND WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN IT GOES AWAY AFTER ABOUT FIVE MILES OF DRIVING. *TR UPDATED 03/27/13*LJ

CAR SUDDENLY LOST THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE, FOLLOWED BY THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMING ON. HAD TO VEER ACROSS LANE TO PREVENT BLOCKING TRAFFIC. WAS TOLD BY MY MECHANIC THAT THE "TRANSMISSION WENT OUT" AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED, THOUGH I STILL NEED TO VERIFY THIS WITH A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST. IN LOOKING FOR PEOPLE WITH SIMILAR ISSUES THAT EVENING, I FOUND THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING NHTSA INVESTIGATION FOR THIS ISSUE (EA11-015). *TR

WE WERE TRAVELING DOWN A HIGHWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE VEHICLE RPM REVS UP AND THE ENGINE GEARS ARE NO LONGER ENGAGED. WE COULD ONLY DRIVE 30MPH TO PREVENT THE RPM'S FROM GOING TOO HIGH. ALSO, NO REVERSE GEAR. TOWED INTO GM DEALERSHIP AND TRANSMISSION BROKEN DOWN AND THE WAVE PLATE IS WHAT WAS DAMAGED. WAVE PLATE REPLACED AND GM REFUSED TO PAY FOR ALL OF REPAIR. SAID IT WAS NOT THEIR PROBLEM SINCE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WENT OUT 2 MONTHS AGO. THEY HAVE A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT, BUT STILL REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FROM GM ON THIS FAULTY PART SINCE THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT THAT THERE ARE ISSUES WITH THESE MODEL'S TRANSMISSION. THE FOLLOWING IS THE SERVICE BULLETIN LISTED FOR THIS PROBLEM. BULLETIN NO.: 09-07-30-012A DATE: JANUARY 12, 2010 SUBJECT: NO REVERSE, 3RD OR 5TH, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED, DTC P0776 (REPLACE 3-5 REVERSE CLUTCH PLATE (WAVED) MODELS: 2008-2009 BUICK ENCLAVE 2008-2009 CHEVROLET EQUINOX, MALIBU 2009 CHEVROLET TRAVERSE 2007-2009 GMC ACADIA 2007-2009 PONTIAC G6 2008-2009 PONTIAC TORRENT 2007-2009 SATURN AURA, OUTLOOK 2008-2009 SATURN VUE ALL EQUIPPED WITH 6T70/75 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (RPOS MH2, MH4, MH6 OR MY9). *TR

LOAD METAL CLANG ON BUMPS ? DRIVER SIDE FRONT. THE BUTTON BUSHING IS CONTAINED IN A METAL RING THAT IS PRESSED INTO THE ARM. THE RING DOES NOT SEPARATE FROM THE CONTROL ARM. THE PROBLEM IS THE BUSHING IS NOT SECURED WELL ENOUGH IN THAT RING (THE RING IS NOT CRIMPED AROUND THE TOP AND BOTTOM OF THE BUSHING AS IT SHOULD BE) AND SEPARATES ALLOWING THE WHOLE ARM TO GO UP AND BUMP AGAINST THE FRAME CAUSING A LOUD CLANG WHEN THE SUSPENSION REBOUNDS FROM A BUMP. IT IS EASILY DIAGNOSED BY VISUAL INSPECTION SEEING THE REAR AREA OF THE CONTROL ARM UP AGAINST THE FRAME. I CAN SEE THE BUSHING SHREDDING AS A WEAR ISSUE BUT THIS IS A DEFECT WHERE THE BUSING IS FAILING BECAUSE IT IS NOT SECURED AS IT SHOULD BE. I REPLACED IT MYSELF AND MADE THIS VIDEO OF IT. MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. *TR

THE CAR, WHEN JUST WEEKS OLD, SMELLED OF GAS COMING FROM THE FRONT GRILLE, A STRONG ODOR 5 MINUTES AFTER SHUTTING IT OFF. DEALER CHECKED SAID ALL WAS NORMAL. ALONG WITH THIS ISSUE WAS A LOSS OF VACUUM IN THE BRAKE ASSIST CANISTER WHEN IT SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY ? WHEN YOU GOT IN THE CAR THE BRAKE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ROCK-HARD. THERE SHOULD BE 5 ? 10 PUMPS OF VACUUM IN THE CANISTER ON ANY CAR. THIS IS NOTICEABLE IN A STICK SHIFT (IT IS) OR ANY CAR YOU HAVE TO STEP ON THE BRAKE FOR THE INTERLOCKED STARTER. DEALER CHECKED ALSO SAID WAS NORMAL. THEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AFTER THE SMELL OF GAS STOPPED ALTOGETHER AND THE POWER ASSIST SEEMED NORMAL AS THE PEDDLE HAD POWER WHEN THE CAR WAS LEFT TO SIT. ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO THE GAS SMELL STARTED COMING BACK WHEN IT WAS PARKED ? THIS TIME FOR JUST A MINUTE OR SO ? INTERMITTENT. THEN ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO IT STARTED GETTING WORSE ? NOT JUST WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF BUT NOW GAS ODOR WITH CLOSED WINDOWS AT THE FIRST FEW LIGHTS YOU CAME TO AFTER STARTING THE CAR, WITH WINDOWS SHUT IN COLD WEATHER. NOW THE ODOR IS STRONG, SOMETIMES NAUSEATING AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS. THE BRAKE PEDAL ISSUE ALSO RETURNED IN FEBRUARY ON VERY COLD MORNINGS. I DO NOT KNOW IF A VACUUM LEAK AND A FUEL SMELL ARE RELATED HERE. I CANNOT SEE ANY LEAKING GAS OR SPOTS ON THE PAVEMENT AND I HAVE LOOKED A FEW DOZEN TIMES OVER THE TWO TIME PERIODS THIS PROBLEM(S) HAVE OCCURRED. A VERY STRONG SMELL OF GAS AND NO VISIBLE LEAK. I AM FAMILIAR THAT CAR IS RECALLED IN SOUTHERN STATES ONLY FOR A FUEL PUMP THAT HAS CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC RETURN LINES ? AND ALSO HAVE READ (ALTHOUGH CANNOT BE SURE IF THIS IS TRUE LEAK FUEL IN A POOL ON TOP OF THE TANK AND NOT DRIP AND THE EVAPORATING ODOR WILL MAKE ITS WAY FORWARD TO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR THE BACK WHEEL WELLS - I CAN SMELL GAS IN THE REAR WHEEL WELLS ALSO ALTHOUGH SOMETIMES NOT AS STRONG AS THE GRILLE. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. ONE DAY I WAS DRIVING AND NOTICE I HAD A HEADLIGHT OUT. WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB AND SAW THAT THE WIRE HARNESS WAS MELTED. FROM READING ON THE INTERNET I SAW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR