CarComplaints.com Notes: The Saturn Aura was a mid-size car meant to replace the somewhat problematic L-Series. Unfortunately, the Aura brought its own problems: namely cheap brake parts that needed early replacement and a gear shifter that could say it’s in park while the transmission was still engaged.
Brake problems, including uneven wear and warped rotors that cause the car to wobble, are common complaints from 2007 owners. Did GM use metal for its rotors that can’t stand the heat? That’s what some say, and it’s hard to argue when reports show that rotors could start to warp as early as 500 miles off the dealer lot.
Meanwhile, a busted gear shifter cable lead to some unwanted rollaways. That’s because the shifter could say “Park” while the transmission was still in drive, reverse or neutral. A defect investigation into the issue was opened in 2011, eventually leading to a recall of 56,000 vehicles in 2014.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
15,643 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
The contact owns a 2007 Saturn Aura. While driving 35 mph and coming to a sudden stop, the contact noticed that only the front driver side brakes functioned. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for service. After the repair, the contact began hearing a squeaking sound whenever he stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was returned to the dealer three different times, but the brake failure remains. The current mileage was 17,382 and failure mileage was 17,000.
My 2007 Saturn Aura had been into the dealership approx. 1.5 weeks ago because the vehicle was having difficulty accelerating. The engine would rev but the car wouldn't move. The dealership said there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. On the night of September 20, 2007, at approximately 8:30 pm, while driving the car in a residential neighborhood, I tried to apply the brakes at a stop sign. The ABS light came on, the pedal went to the floor, and the car revved, surged forward through an intersection and struck another vehicle. My car hit car #2 with such force that it caused car #2's wheel axle to snap in half and severe damage to car #2's front passenger side fender and door that the car needed to be towed away. I was taken away in an ambulance. Onstar confirmed two codes at the time of the accident: #1--ABS/traction control system malfunction and #2--take the car to a service center as it may exhibit abnormal behavior when driving and/or stopping. This Saturn Aura has been nothing but problems since getting it in October 2006. It has just over 14,000 miles on it and has been serviced for the aforementioned issue plus replacing a broken engine mount, replacing a leaking engine gasket, resurfacing the brake rotors at 7,000 miles, multiple repairs to a non-functioning onstar system, and consistent issues with the warning light on the tire inflation monitor (I eventually had the tires filled with nitrogen). This car is a hazard. Because of the service history of the vehicle, I have obtained legal counsel. The Saturn will be evaluated by an independent mechanic to determine what needs to be repaired. I am scared to drive this car again.
- Buffalo, NY, USA
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- Houston, TX, USA