RoadVitals

2007 Saturn Outlook Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Apr 10, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
2%
of 511 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2007 Saturn Outlook submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 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.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Apr 10, 2011

WE WERE DRIVING WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN OUR TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SHIFT ERRATICALLY. WHEN WE WERE AT A STOP SIGN, I WENT TO PULL OUT AND RELIZED THAT WE HAD LOST THE FIRST 2 GEARS AND WERE ALMOST HIT BY AN ON COMING VEHICLE WHEN THE CAR FAILED TO MOVE AT THE RIGHT SPEED. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH BEFORE SOME IS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395400
Incident
Apr 10, 2011
Mileage
52,745 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 7, 2010

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 70 MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO FIFTH GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWLY DRIVEN BACK TO HER RESIDENCE. LATER THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN AND THE THIRD GEAR STOPPED WORKING. SHE STATED THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO INDEPENDENTLY SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES WHERE THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUTCH PLATE AND OTHER DAMAGED PARTS. THE TRANSMISSION SEALS AND SENSOR WERE ALSO REPLACED DUE TO A LEAK. THE DEALER ALSO CLEANED METAL SHAVINGS FROM THE TRANSMISSION TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT THE MANUFACTURER EXPENSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,475 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 95,972.

NHTSA ID
10369442
Incident
Jun 1, 2010
Mileage
88,475 mi
Transmission
Filed Dec 1, 2010
Crash reported

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED A CHILD'S FOOT HIT THE GEAR SHIFT AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A NEIGHBOR'S PARKED VEHICLE. NO INJURIES OCCURRED AND THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 39,806.

NHTSA ID
10368476
Incident
Nov 19, 2010
Mileage
39,806 mi
BrakesElectricalOther / unspecified+2 more
Filed Sep 24, 2010

I HAVE EXPERIENCED ONLY ISSUES ALL YEAR WITH MY 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. IT HAS 55,000 MILES AND IN JUNE 2010 THE WIRING SHORT CIRCUITED BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL CAUSING THE THEFT SECURITY LOCK SYSTEM TO GO INTO EFFECT ASSUMING THE CAR WAS BEING HOT-WIRED. IT COST ME OVER $300 TO FIX AT THE DEALER AND HAD TO BE TOWED. THEN THE DEALER SAID MY INSIDE FUSE BOX WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED FROM WATER AND THEY WOULD NEED TO FIX THE LEAK MY SUNROOF WAS CAUSING. THE DEALER HAS MADE 6 ATTEMPTS TO FIX AND I JUST PICKED UP MY CAR THIS MORNING, HOPEFULLY AFTER THE FINAL ATTEMPT. NOW MY BREAKS ARE CAUSING ISSUES, THE BREAK PEDAL SOFTENS AND GOES DOWN TO ALMOST THE FLOOR WHEN PRESSED EVERY 4TH OR 5TH TIME AND IT IS DRINKING BRAKE FLUID, I NEED TO TAKE IT THIS WEEKEND TO CHECK FOR A LEAK. NOT TO MENTION MY POWER STEERING IS MAKING LOUD WHINING SOUNDS EVERY TIME THAT I MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL. OH, AND MY PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT HAS GONE OUT A FEW TIMES AND MY HUSBAND HAS HAD TO ACCESS THE BACK OF IT TO REPLACE IT BUT IT CONTINUES TO GO OUT. OH, AND MY TRANSMISSION CAUSED PROBLEMS TWO WEEKS AGO AND THE DEALER FIXED IT UNDER MY POWERTRAIN WARRANTY.. 55,000 MILES AND THIS CAR IS GIVING ME ISSUES AS IF I'M OVER 200,000 MILES! *TR

NHTSA ID
10357393
Incident
Sep 24, 2010
Mileage
55,000 mi
SteeringTransmission
Filed Jun 4, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHILE TURNING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND IN THE STEERING COLUMN. SHE ALSO EXPERIENCED GEAR SLIPPAGE. ON ONE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND STEERING COLUMN. SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE FAILURE RESURFACED. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE COOLANT LINES. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE REPAIR, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,600 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ID
10272851
Incident
May 7, 2009
Mileage
1,600 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 24, 2008

VEHICLE HAS LAGS (CAR DOESN'T PICK UP SPEED WHEN ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED DOWN) AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS. MOST NOTICEABLE IS THE 40 MILE AN HOUR RANGE. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO GET ON HIGHWAY AND NOT BE ABLE TO ADVANCE THE VEHICLE IN A SAFE MANNER. ONE TIME, A TRUCK WAS VERY CLOSE TO HITTING ME, BECAUSE IT TOOK ABOUT 2 SECONDS FOR MY VEHICLE TO RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR. DEALER HAS PERFORMED 3 SOFTWARE UPDATES (DEALER HAS ADMITTED THAT THESE UPDATES HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE CONSUMER AND HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO PERFORM THESE UPDATES) TO THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING AND THEY CLAIM THAT THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THEY CAN DO. *TR

NHTSA ID
10243321
Incident
Aug 15, 2008
Mileage
10,806 mi
Fuel systemSuspensionTransmission
Filed Jul 2, 2008

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHEN THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS NEVER REPAIRED. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, SHE NOTICED TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHEN THE GEARS BECAME DIFFICULT TO SHIFT. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO REMAIN STUCK IN HIGH RPM'S WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SOUNDED AS IF IT WOULD EXPLODE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A COMPUTER UPDATE ON THE TRANSMISSION, BUT IT DID NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. FURTHERMORE, A STRUT SPONTANEOUSLY BECAME BENT, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING WHEEL TO JERK AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE STRUT. THE CONTACT SMELLED GASOLINE MULTIPLE TIMES COMING FROM HER VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ORIGIN OF THE SMELL AND COULD NOT ASSIST. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 26,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 854.

NHTSA ID
10233066
Incident
Oct 5, 2007
Mileage
854 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 13, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL BACKWARDS ON AN INCLINE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS RELEASED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL TRANSMISSION OPERATION AS COMPARED TO SIMILAR MODELS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 1,722 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ROLL BACK ON AN INCLINE UNTIL BRAKE IS ENGAGED. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR

NHTSA ID
10196313
Incident
Jul 1, 2007
Mileage
100 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 14, 2007

I OWN A 2007 SATURN OUTLOOK AND AM VERY DISAPPOINTED ON THE SHIFTING OF THE TRANSMISSION INTO HIGHER GEARS AT LOW SPEEDS. IF I AM TRAVELING AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO 6TH GEAR, DROPPING THE TACHOMETER AROUND 1100 TO 1200 RPMS. THIS, IN TURN, PUT A STRAIN ON THE ENGINE, AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS STEPPED ON, THE CAR RUMBLED AND THE FLOORD BOARDS ACTUALLY VIBRATED. IT WAS ANNOYING, AND IT UPSET ME THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT CORRECT THE SHIFTING PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WILL CHANGE THE FUEL ECONOMY OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10193393
Incident
Apr 11, 2007

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .