Steering. Review the 210 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 65 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Electrical System. Review the 59 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

12 crash reports2 fire reports9 injury reports

What owners actually said

390 reports

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2015

Seats

THE BACK RIGHT WELD ON MY DRIVERS SEAT BROKE. I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY AND HEARD A LOUD POP AND IT SOUNDED LIKE MY SEAT SKIPPED GROVES IN MOVEMENT, BUT MY SEAT IS POWER. THE BACK RIGHT WELD SNAPPED AND I FEEL THIS IS A MANUFACTURE PROBLEM. I WEIGH 206 LBS SO IT'S NOT AN ISSUE OF BEING TOO "HEAVY" AND RECENT POSTS SAY IT CAN COST U…

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NHTSA ODI #10789157

109,000 miles · Nov 6, 2015

Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR SUDDENLY REDUCED SPEED, ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON STATING TO SERVICE TRACTION. HAD THE CAR REPAIRED. IT HAPPENED TWICE SINCE, EACH TIME A DAY AFTER PICKING UP THE CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP. THE LAST TIME, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28TH, I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE CAR SUDDENLY REDUCED SPEED, LIGHTS ON. THIS IS VE…

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NHTSA ODI #10788915

71,910 miles · Oct 26, 2015

Power Train

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WENT TO TAKE DAUGHTER TO SCHOOL VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. YESTERDAY TRANSMISSION BUCKED ALL DAY WHILE DRIVING. LOOKED ON INTERNET I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM ON THIS SAME VEHICLE. I CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM WANT ME TO PAY $3000 OR BETTER TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT. IF GM KNOWS ABOUT IT WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THE FAULTY PART? PLEASE HELP ME AND THE OTHER DISSATISFIED CUSTOMERS THAT GOT SCREWED ON THESE VEHICLES AND LAUNCH A RECALL FOR ANOTHER FLAW BY GM. THEY ARE MAKING MONEY ON THEIR MISTAKES AND THAT IS WRONG.

NHTSA ODI #10786062

88,889 miles · Oct 15, 2015

Power Train

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THE CAR WOULD NOT START, WOULD NOT EVEN TURN OVER. WE THOUGH IT WAS A STARTER PROBLEM BUT NOTICED WHEN WE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL IT WOULD START RIGHT UP. WE ALSO NOTICE THE SHIFTING DID NOT SEEM TO LOCK INTO GEAR AS IT NORMALLY DOES. THEN WE NOTICED THAT IF WE PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND WERE ON EVEN A SLIGHT HILL THE CAR WOULD KEEP ROLLING. THE DOORS NORMALLY UNLOCK WHEN THE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK BUT THAT STOPPED HAPPENING. WE CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THERE WAS ONE ISSUED IN 2009 FOR THE EXACT PROBLEM WE WERE HAVING. WE TOOK IT TO THE NEAREST DEALER WHO SAID OUR CAR WASN'T INCLUDED IN THE RECALL EVEN THOUGH IT STATED IN THE RECALL THE EXACT MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR.

NHTSA ODI #10782296

90,000 miles · Oct 14, 2015

Power Train

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AFTER EXISTING THE FREEWAY I STOPPED AT A LIGHT. ONCE I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. I WAS ABLE TO ACHIEVE 20-25MPH BEFORE THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP TO 6000-7000 RPM WITHOUT ACCELERATING SIGNIFICANTLY. ONCE I GOT HOME, I FOUND I COULD NO LONGER GO IN REVERSE EITHER. VEHICLE DOES NOT ACCELERATE ABOVE 25MPH NORMALLY OR GO IN REVERSE. I TOOK THE CAR TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY IDENTIFIED THAT THE WAVE PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS AN ISSUE. THERE IS A 3-5-R WAVE PLATE FRACTURE ISSUE WITH GM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS THAT THIS CAR SEEMS TO BE AFFECTED BY, BUT NOT COVERED BY GM'S SERVICE BULLETIN / EXTENDED WARRANTY. GM OBVIOUSLY HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ALL VEHICLES THAT HAVE THIS ISSUE. I AM AT 6.5 YEARS AND 90,000 MILES AND HAVE A BROKEN TRANSMISSION.

NHTSA ODI #10781937

83,000 miles · Oct 14, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)

SERVICE ESC, SERVICE TRACTION AND ESC OFF DASHBOARD LIGHTS HAS STARTED ILLUMINATING INTERMITTENTLY, BUT HAVE BECOME A REGULAR ISSUE AFTER TURNING ON AND DRIVING THE CAR. SATURN CAR MANUAL SAYS THIS COULD BE SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ODI #10781931

54,000 miles · Sep 12, 2015

Steering

MY STEERING IS SUPER TIGHT. I CAN'T TURN MY WHEEL VERY EASILY. I HAVE TO USE 2 FULL HANDS TO MAKE TURNS AND I BELIEVE MY POWER STEERING IS EFFECTED. IT SEEMS VERY UNSAFE TO ME AND MAKES ME NERVOUS LIKE IT MAY LOCK UP. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I SEE THERE ARE RECALLS ON OTHER YEARS OF THIS CAR FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM, YET M…

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NHTSA ODI #10763272

72,600 miles · Sep 5, 2015

Power Train

WHEN ACCELERATING UP TO SPEED LIMIT OF 45 TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FROM THIRD TO FOURTH WITH A SHARP THUNK THAT SHOOK THE VEHICLE. I JUST HAD DEALER SERVICE TRANSMISSION {FLUSH}. IT HESITATES WHEN SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR A FRACTION OF A SECOND AT SLIGHTLY ELEVATED ENGINE SPEED {200-300} RPM THEN ENGAGES AND SHIFTS INTO FIFTH AND …

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NHTSA ODI #10761817

100,055 miles · Sep 3, 2015

Electronic Stability Control (esc)SteeringUnknown Or Other

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THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IN THE LAST YEAR I LOST USE OF MY STEERING WHEEL. THE FIRST TIME, I WAS BACKING UP AND LOST ALL CONTROL OF MY STEERING. I DID NOT REPORT IT BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A WARNING LIGHT. TODAY, SEPT. 3,2015 I WAS DRIVING THROUGH THE PARKING LOT OF THE SCHOOL (MAY 2 TO 5 MPH) WHEN I LOST ALL CONTROL OF THE STEERING. I WASN'T ABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL EITHER WAY, IT WAS COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. I STOPPED THE CAR AND TURNED OFF THE IGNITION. AFTER A COPY OF MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND IT WAS FINE. IT WAS VERY SCARY KNOWING I COULD NOT CONTROL THE CAR. I NOTICED OLDER VEHICLES HAD THE SAME ISSUE AND THEY HAD A RECALL. I BELIEVE THE 2009 AURA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED FOR THE SAME RECALL.

NHTSA ODI #10761209

33,000 miles · Aug 31, 2015

Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.

NHTSA ODI #10760300

Official recalls

14V252000 · Electrical System:wiring; Electronic Stability Control (esc); Exterior Lighting:brake Lights; Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch; Vehicle Speed Control:cruise Control

May 14, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to 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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.

Additional source detail variants (5)

Electronic Stability Control (esc)