2008 Saturn Aura Other / unspecified Problems

I noticed a rattling while driving also smoking under the hood so I took it to a garage and he said that's no problem and that I have a severe oil leak under the front of car he showed me and oil is EVERYWHERE HE MENTIONED HE COULDNT FIX IT THERES A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS LINE AND POWERSTEERING AXLE OR PUMP. I HAVE TO ALSO PUT ANTI FREEZE IN THE CAR EVERY 2 DAYS. ALONG WITH POWERSTEERING FLUID AND MOTOR OIL. HE MENTIONED HE HAS NO IDEA WHERE THE OIL IS COMING FROM BECAUSE ITS SO MUCH ITS ALL OVER UNDER THE FRONT AND RECCOMMEND ME NOT TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE IT MAY CATCH FIRE. THIS IS MY only resource of a ride. Also I noticed when I go over a bump in the road the dash lights go brighter or darker.The traction control light is also on which just came on along with a s light.i took it to the car wash and did notice it looks like a car possibly swiped the right side because there's paint missing!

NHTSA ID

11674932

Incident

Jul 16, 2025

TRACTION AND ESC SERVICE WARNINGS COME ON RANDOMLY. CAR REDUCES ENGINE POWER RANDOMLY. CAR JERKS RANDOMLY AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE IN TRAFFIC. COOLANT LEAKS BUT COOLANT WARNING DOES NOT ACTIVATE, CAR OVERHEATS.

NHTSA ID

11230892

Incident

Jul 1, 2019

Mileage

93,986 mi

I WOULD NOT EVEN FILL OUT THIS FORM IF THE THINGS I AM ABOUT TO WRITE DOWN DID NOT HAPPEN AT SUCH AN UNEXPLAINED AND WITH EXTREME PROGRESSION. THE CAR STARTED OFF WITH JUST A WOBBLE AND A JERK. WHICH NOW HAS PROGRESSED TO THE TRACTION LIGHT POPPING ON AND OFF; THE CAR SWAYS FROM SIDE TO SIDE SO DANGEROUSLY IT IS NOW ALMOST NOT DRIVABLE; THE PASSENGER SIDE TIRE HAS STARTED TO FLATTEN AND WEAR AND TEAR VERY FAST, EVEN AFTER GETTING BRAND NEW TIRES, NOW ALL OF THE TIRES ARE STARTING THE SAME WEAR AND TEAR; WHEN ACCELERATING IT STARTS TO JERK AND LOCK UP NOT GOING OVER A CERTAIN SPEED LIMIT EVEN IF YOU FLOOR THE PEDAL UNTIL IT LURCHES FORWARD; THE BREAK LIGHTS WERE ALSO STAYING ON AND THEN TURNING OFF WHEN WE PRESSED THE BRAKES, WE GOT THAT FIXED AT THE DEALERSHIP THOUGH; THE CAR IS COMPLETELY FALLING APART; WE TOOK THE BATTERIES OUT OF THE KEY CHAINS AND THE CAR DOOR STILL LOCK AND UNLOCK BY THEMSELVES; THE STEERING WHEEL DOESN'T SEEMED TO BE ALIGNED OR STRAIGHT. LIKE IF IF YOU WANT TO KEEP THE WHEEL SOMEWHAT STRAIGHT (A STRAIGHT LINE IS NOW ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE WITH THIS CAR) THEN YOU HAVE TO ANGLE IT KIND OF THE LEFT. ITS SO DANGEROUS NOW TO DRIVE THIS CAR. THE WHOLE THING FELL APART AT ONCE.AND ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS HAPPEN WHILE MOVING. WHILE THE CAR IS IN PARKED AND ALSO WHILE ITS TURNED COMPLETELY OFF. THAT ONLY WITH THE LOCKS UNLOCKING AND LOCKING. AND THE SPEEDS AT WHICH IM GOING WHEN THE OTHER PROBLEMS ARE HAPPENING ARE NO MORE THAN 35 MILES PER HOUR.;' I KNOW THAT WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THE CAR AND HAVE ALL THE SERVICE REPORTS . SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH MY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11206640

Incident

Jan 19, 2019

Mileage

155,000 mi

MY TIRE PROBLEM

NHTSA ID

11114764

Incident

May 8, 2018

Mileage

50 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRACTION AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT 4 RPMS. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

NHTSA ID

10877123

Incident

Jun 27, 2016

Mileage

130,000 mi

AL OF THE SUDDEN THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT WENT ON APRIL 8 WHEN I STARTED TO WORK. THERE WAS NO PROBLEM ON THE WAY TO WORK, WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME, THE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN AND I COULD NOT CONTROL THE STEERING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. I PULLED OVER FOR A MINUTE UNTIL I GOT HOME. I SPOKE WITH MY HUBBY WHO SAID I SHOULD CALL THE DEALER. WE PROCEEDED TO CHECK THE INTERNET FOR ANY OTHER PROBLEMS THAT HAD BEEN REPORTED TO FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THE STEERING WENT OUT OF CONTROL AND I COULD NOT. I TREASURE MY LIFE. I BOUGHT THIS CAR USED 2 YEARS AGO AND HAD PROBLEMS IN TURNING-A CLICKING WHEN I TURNED RIGHT OR LEFT-THIS WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BY THE GARAGE. CAN THIS BE FIXED--THAT IS THE POWER STEERING PROBLEM AND PAID FOR BY THE DEALER? OH I WAS ON AN INTERCITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT. CAN THE DEALER BUY THE CAR BACK FROM ME OR PAY FOR THE REPAIRS? AS I MENTIONED, I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. SHOULD I TAKE IT INTO THE DEALER OR GARAGE OR WAIT TO TALK WITH YOU?

NHTSA ID

10854519

Incident

Apr 8, 2016

Mileage

76,005 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH OVER A GRASS PATCH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED DURING THE INCIDENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT INADVERTENTLY MADE CONTACT WITH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER AND THE SHIFTER SWITCHED TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. ALSO, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED AND FAILED TO WORK WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

NHTSA ID

10658529

Incident

Feb 1, 2010

Mileage

47,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 SATURN AURA ABS LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL, AND ESC LIGHT COMES ON. CAR STARTS. TRANSMISSION ON ROUTE 95 SOUTH IN FLORIDA WENT FROM SPEED LIMIT OF 70 TO 20 WITH NO WARNING. GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY CAR WOULD NOT GO ANY FASTER. ALSO COULD NOT PUT CAR INTO REVERSE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10532975

Incident

Jul 31, 2013

Mileage

92,000 mi

I PURCHASED AND 08 AURA ABOUT 1.5 YEARS AGO FOR MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER. OTHER THAN A FEW MINOR PROBLEMS THE CAR WAS FINE. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO SHE EXPERIENCED A DEAD BATTERY AND WAS ABLE TO HAVE A FRIEND "JUMP START" THE CAR AND AS FOR THE BATTERY, IT HAS BEEN FINE SINCE. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR SYSTEM (TPMS) WAS INOPERATIVE AND WOULD NOT RESET MANUALLY. THESE TPMS, I BELIEVE, CAME ABOUT DUE TO THE INABILITY TO BE ABLE TO VISUALLY SEE THAT A TIRE IS "LOW" WITH TODAYS "RUN FLAT', LOW PROFILE, AND STIFFER SIDEWALL, TIRES AND THAT THE MAJORITY OF DRIVERS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO CHECK TIRE PRESSURE ANYWAY. I WAS THEREFORE CONCERNED ABOUT MY DAUGHTERS SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHER THAT COULD BE INVOLVED IN A CRASH THAT RESULTED FROM POOR HANDLING OR WORSE, AN OVERHEATED TIRE AND BLOWOUT. I DID SOME SEARCHING AND DISCOVERED THAT GM HAD ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) EXPLAINING THAT THE TPMS FAILURE WAS DUE TO A "LOW VOLTAGE" INCIDENT THAT CAUSES THE CONTROL MODULE TO LOSE MEMORY. THE FIX, ACCORDING TO THE TSB, WAS TO REPROGRAM THE MODULE WITH UPDATED SOFTWARE. THIS BEING A KNOWN CONDITION AND SAFETY CONCERN, I DID NOT EXPECT TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR. I CONTACTED GM WHO REFUSED TO COVER THE REPAIR AND I ULTIMATELY PAID ABOUT $60. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN ON MULTIPLE VEHICLES FROM GM INCLUDING MOST OF THE 08 SATURN LINE AS WELL AS THE PONTIAC G5 AND G6, AND CHEVY COBALT. I ALSO FOUND THAT NHTSA FOUND REASON FOR RECALL ON SOME GM SUV'S A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO DUE TO A PROGRAMMING ERROR ON THE TPMS WHICH IS WHAT THIS IS. AS THESE 08 CARS AGE THEY ARE NOW REACHING THE EXPECTED LIFE OF THEIR BATTERY AND REPLACING THEM WHICH IS CAUSING THE TPMS SYSTEM TO BE INOPERATIVE. I BELIEVE THAT GM SHOULD FOR SAKE OF THE SAFETY OF THEIR CUSTOMERS RECALL THESE AFFECTED CARS AND PREVENT FUTURE ACCIDENTS. SOME MAY HAVE ALREADY HAPPENED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10520847

Incident

Mar 5, 2013

Mileage

73,200 mi

SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL/ESC LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY BRAKE LIGHT STAY ON CONSTANTLY GO OFF WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS TAPPED!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10351398

Incident

Aug 18, 2010

Mileage

36,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN AURA. HE NOTICED IN THE VEHICLES OWNER'S MANUAL THAT THE ENGINE (4 CYLINDER) PART ILLUSTRATIONS ON PAGES 5-14 WERE IMPROPERLY ALIGNED WITH THE CORRESPONDING LETTER DESIGNATIONS ON PAGES 5-15. HE SENT TWO LETTERS TO THE MANUFACTURER AND NEVER RECEIVED A WRITTEN RESPONSE. HE DID RECEIVE TWO PHONE CALLS WITH CORRESPONDING REFERENCE NUMBERS INDICATING THAT HIS LETTERS WERE RECEIVED. AS OF CURRENT DATE HE HAS NOT RECEIVED A CORRECTION OF THE MANUAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 22,000. BL

NHTSA ID

10284112

Incident

Apr 21, 2008

Mileage

3,000 mi