Owner-reported complaints naming the brake system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2009 Saturn Aura submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 43 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 43, in the owner's own words
I was driving and all of a sudden I lost power steering and I had to get over pull over and I was freaking out I could have crashed my dash was saying service ecs
Electric power steering randomly disables assist but resumes with restart. Brake lights randomly illuminate and randomly stop working.
The brake lights illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights will not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features. The car is available for inspection upon request. I am put at risk because there are multiple system malfunctions that occur that could result in a wreck or injury. The brakes selectively illuminating can result in a rear end collision and is not safe for travel. The traction control malfunction is unsafe for safe travel on the road. When the problem occurs the TSC will disengage with a light on the dashboard. The brake lights will stay illuminated.
THE BRAKE LIGHTS CONSTANTLY STAY ON. THE ESC ALERT/TRACTION CONTROL ALERT ALWAYS TURNS ON. ACCELERATION AND TRANSMISSION ISSUES. RPMS SHOOT UP AND JERKS INTO NEXT GEAR FROM WHEN I TURN THE CAR ON, AND SOMETIMES THEY HAPPEN AFTER I'VE BEEN DRIVING AND THERE WAS A RECALL ON THESE MODELS
I WAS DRIVING HOME ON HWY 59 AND MY 2009 SATURN AURA XE JUMPED INTO REDUCE POWER MODE AND CUT OFF ON ME ,,THIS HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR, ALSO THE ENGINE RPMS GO HIGH EMGINE LIGHTS CUT ON AND CODES SAYS SENSORS AND THROTTLE BODY ALONG WITH AIR MASS BOX HAS A LEAK AND I HAVE TO CUT THE ENGINE TAKE OFF THE BATTERY TOO RESET THE COMPUTER, MY ABS SENSORS TURN ON AND OFF AND THE EXAUST KEEPS HAVING LEAKS IN THE MUFFLER EITHER BEHIND THE MOTOR OR UNDER THE CAR BY THE CATALAC CONVERTER ..
WHILE DRIVING STREARING JUST STOPS ALMOST GETTING INTO ACCIDENT AND ALSO BRAKES FAILED AND HAD TO REPALCE CALIPERS AND ROTORS WAS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE BILL MARSH GMC DEALER LOCATED AT 1621 S. GARFIELD AVE, TRAVERSE CITY, MI 49686, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED AN UNKNOWN SWITCH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 30,000.
WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE LIGHTS WILL REMAIN LIT UP EVEN THOUGH THE BRAKES ARE NOT BEING ENGAGED. MY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) LIGHT HAS BEEN POPPING UP ALOT LATELY, ALMOST EVERY TIME THE CAR IS BEING USED, IT HAS POPPED UP ON MY DASH WHILE THE CAR IS PARKED AND WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. TWICE IN THE LAST YEAR, AFTER JUST STARTING UP THE CAR, WHILE STILL BEING IN PARK THE ESC LIGHT WILL SHOW UP AND I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT THE CAR INTO GEAR, I HAVE TO SHUT OFF THE THE CAR AND RESTART IT.
THE BRAKE LIGHTS OF MY SATURN AURA WOULD AUTOMATICALLY SELF-ACTIVATE EXACTLY 5 SECONDS AFTER THE DRIVER PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ACTIVE UNTIL THE DRIVER PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, AT WHICH TIME THE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD ACTUALLY DEACTIVATE. MY SON WAS DRIVING THE CAR ON I-94 AND WAS ALMOST STRUCK BY A SEMI TRUCK WHEN MY SON PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS DEACTIVATED (TURNED OFF). I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT GM AND HAD TO PAY A TOTAL OF $697.03 TO GET THE CAR FIXED EVEN AFTER I NOTIFIED THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE THAT THIS EXACT ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS OUTLINED FOR THIS EXACT CAR IN GM RECALL #13036. THE RECALL REFERENCED THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND BRAKE SENSOR, BOTH OF WHICH WERE REPLACED CAUSING ME TO PAY $697.03. THIS IS MY SECOND NOTIFICATION TO THE NHTSA, I REPORTED THIS ON JUNE 19, 2019 (NHTSA # 11221201) BUT I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AS OF TODAY'S DATE (SEPTEMBER 3, 2019) GM HAS NOT REIMBURSED ME.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN, THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. ADDITIONALLY, THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER AN UNKNOWN RECALL REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. FREEDOM CHEVROLET BUICK GMC BY ED MORSE (LOCATED AT 8008 MARVIN D LOVE FWY, DALLAS, TX 75237, (972) 330-4981) WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 162,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. WHILE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE; HOWEVER, ONCE THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MORAN BUICK GMC (14000 TELEGRAPH RD, TAYLOR, MI 48180, (888) 350-0669) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. *BF *JB
I WAS DRIVING AND HEARD A WEIRD NOISE. THEN THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM CAME ON (SERVICE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION). START THE AND DRIVING DOWN THE STREET.
SATURN AURA 2009 THE THIRD LIGHT STICKS WHILE DRIVING. THE SEAT BELT LIGHT STAYS ON WITH THE BELT ENGAGED.
2009 SATURN AURA STATIONARY SHOWS MESSAGES "SERVICE TRACTION, ESC OFF, SERVICE ESC" CONSTANTLY ON THE GAUGE CLUSTER. ALONGSIDE THE MESSAGES THE ABS LIGHT AND THE ESC OFF ICON IS CONSTANTLY ON IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN THE MESSAGE "PWR STR" REFERRING TO POWER STEERING SHOWED ON THE GAUGE CLUSTER THEN DISAPPEARS. UPON RESEARCHING THESE ISSUES, I HAVE FOUND THAT NHTSA AND GM HAVE ISSUED RECALLS AND TSBS REGARDING THESE ISSUES, HOWEVER THE VIN FOR MY VEHICLE DOES NOT SHOW ITS UNDER RECALL. I SUSPECT THIS MAY BE THE CASE OF VINS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL SYSTEM. NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V153000, 14E044000, 14V153000, 14V252000, I HAVE CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL AND MUST BE TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS UNDER CASE NUMBER 8-440138641. I WILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE DIAGNOSED, HOWEVER IN THE CASE THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE ESC AND POWER STEERING. I WANT NHTSA TO HAVE A RECORD ON FILE OF THESE ISSUES AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE.
WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR LAST YEAR THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY INSTALLED BRAND NEW BRAKES BUT THEY WHERE STILL SQUEAKING SO I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE NEW BRAKES BUT A MONTH LATER MY BRAKES AND ROTORS AND CALIPERS WERE COMPLETELY GONE IT COSTED ME $1200 TO REPLACE THEM BUT THEN 2 MONTHS LATER AGAIN IT STARTED DOING THE SAME THING MY BRAKES WORE DOWN COMPLETELY SO I ASKED MY UNCLE TO LOOK AT THEM AND CHANGE THEM FOR ME SO HE DID AND NOW MY BRAKES ARE DOING THE SAME THING THEY GRIND VERY LOUD AND SQUEAK AND I DIDN'T BUY NO CHEAP BRAKES EITHER THEY WHERE TOP PERFORMANCE BRAKES ANOTHER PROBLEM I HAD WHAT'S MY CONTROL MODULE IN MY TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY MY SPEEDOMETER WASN'T WORKING AND MY CAR MOVED SLOWLY AND MADE A LOUD NOISE SO I REPLACED IT AND IT'S WORKING FOR NOW THEN MY DOORS WON'T UNLOCK I'LL HIT THE UNLOCK BUTTON IN THE CAR AND THE KEY CHAIN BUT MY BACK DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE DOES NOT UNLOCK AND MY DRIVER DOOR DOES THE SAME OCCASIONALLY I HAVE TO PULL THE LOCK TO UNLOCK IT AND I'VE HAD MY TIRES BALANCE ROTATED AND ALL THAT MORE THAN ONCE BUT FOR SOME REASON MY FRONT TIRES WEAR DOWN FAST I'VE WENT THROUGH 2 SETS OF FRONT TIRES BUT MY BACK TIRES ARE STILL GOOD
DRIVING AND MY BRAKE LIGHTS COME ON. I STOP AND THEY GO OFF. AS I'M DRIVING I FEEL RESISTANCE LIKE MY BRAKES ARE BEING PUSHES
TAKATA RECALL: GRANDDAUGHTER HAD A COLLISION 26 AUG 17, WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES THEY TRAVELED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. SHE WAS TRAVELING WEST AT 30MPH ON ARBROOK BLVD TO THE BOWEN RD INTERSECTION WHEN A CAR IN FRONT OF HER CHANGED LANES. SHE BRAKED TO AVOID THE CAR BUT COLLIDED INTO THE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HER. BRAKE APPLY SENSOR (BAS) "AND DISABLEMENT OF CRASH AVOIDANCE FEATURES SUCH AS.... AND PANIC BRAKING ASSIST FEATURES." USAA AUTO CLAIM # 014301086-7103-8, POLICE REPORT: 2017 - 08380314, NHTSA # 14V252000.
WHEN GOING DOWN ROAD BREAK LIGHTS ARE ON. WHEN PRESS BREAK PEDAL BREAK LIGHTS GO OFF. THIS IS SIMILAR TO RECALL CAMPAIGN 14V252000 BUT MY VIN IS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL. WITH THIS I AM GETTING WARNING OF SERVICE ESC THEN SERVICE TRACTION AND MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WILL STAY ON THE DASH. DURING THESE TIMES THE VEHICLE WILL SHIFT ERRATICALLY, UP SHIFTING AND DOWN SHIFTING AT INCORRECT TIMES. THIS MAKES IT DIFFICULT SOMETIME TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE BREAK LIGHT HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED. THE ERRATIC SHIFTING HAPPENS MOSTLY WHEN VEHICLE IS GOING GREATER THAN 35 MPH.
TAKATA RECALL THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE STRUCTURE OF THE CAR THERE IS RATTLE/VIBRATION WHEN GOING OVER 50 MPH. CAR HAS BEEN MAINTENANCE TWICE IN THE PAST 2 YEARS FOR ELECTRICAL AND BREAK PAD REPLACEMENT AND I'M STILL HAVING A VIBRATION AND RATTLE SOUND WHILE DRIVING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND BOTH EXTERIOR BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LATER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE UNTIL THE CONTACT FULLY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST AND THAT THE CONTACT SHOULD PAY FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OUT OF POCKET. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 155,000.
THIS VEHICLE HAS SUPPOSEDLY ALREADY BEEN SERVICED UNDER RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V252000. HOWEVER, INTERMITTENTLY, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING PUSHED; THE BRAKE LIGHTS DON'T ILLUMINATE WHEN THE PEDAL IS PUSHED; DIFFICULTY ENGAGING OR DISENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL, AND CRASH AVOIDANCE FEATURES SUCH AS TRACTION CONTROL, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, AND PANIC BRAKING ASSIST FEATURES BECOME DISABLED. THE DATE GIVEN BELOW FOR OCCURRENCE OF THE INCIDENT IS JUST THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE. THIS ISSUE CAN HAPPEN ON A DAILY BASIS AND HAS BEEN RETURNED TO THE DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE RECALL SERVICE BUT NOTHING IS FOUND TO ADDRESS THE INCIDENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. IN ADDITION, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND THE REMOTE STARTER WOULD NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2014 PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 165,000.
I OWN A 2009 SATURN AURA. LAST YEAR, IT WAS RECALLED DUE TO A FAULT WITH A BREAK LIGHT MALFUNCTION, CAUSING THE BREAK LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED AT ALL TIMES. I TOOK MY SATURN IN TO MY LOCAL GM TECHNICIAN TO HAVE THE ISSUE ADDRESSED AT THAT TIME. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ISSUE HAS RETUNED TO MY VEHICLE WITHIN THE LAST MONTH, AND MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE CONSTANTLY ON WHILE I'M DRIVING THE CAR, UNLESS I ACTUALLY USE THE BREAK PEDAL, AT WHICH POINT, THEY GO OFF. I AM AT ODDS WITH MY LOCAL GM SHOP AS TO LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE AGAIN (AS IT WAS A SAFETY RECALL), AND I'M HOPING I CAN GET SOME KIND OF AUTHORIZATION OR VOUCHER TO PERFORM THIS SERVICE AGAIN TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ALREADY-RECALLED ISSUE. GM WOULD LIKE TO CHARGE ME TO PERFORM A SERVICE DIAGNOSTIC TEST, AND CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT THE ORIGINAL TERMS OF THE RECALL WOULD BE HONORED. I DON'T FEEL IT IS RIGHT TO SPEND MONEY ON A VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUE (UNDER A RECALL, NO LESS) CONSIDERING THAT GM HAS ALREADY RECALLED MY CAR ONCE AND THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD IN THE PAST WHICH PROMPTED THE ORIGINAL RECALL IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE MY CAR IN ITS CURRENT CONDITION, AND I BELIEVE UNFAIR FOR GM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TREATING THIS REPEAT ISSUE AS A "NEW" ISSUE. ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATE WITHOUT BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED, AND DO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED WHILE DRIVING. SERVICE TRACTION, SERVICE ERC, AND ESC OFF WARNINGS APPEAR ON DASHBOARD. NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 14V252000, GM RECALL # 13036 WAS NOT APPLIED TO MY VIN EVEN THOUGH MY MANUFACTURE DATE IS 12/08, WITHIN THE SPECIFICATIONS OF SAID RECALL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED INDEPENDENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CRUISE CONTROL CEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V252000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
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