2008 Saturn Outlook Powertrain & Transmission Problems

Transmission is failing. Reverse is slipping. Low torque trying back up inclines. Known problem with 2008 Acadia, Enclave, Traverse & Outlook per transmission shop who test drove and scanned. No code via dashboard, but scan tools and professional diagnostics verify failure. Techem has been replaced in February 2019, by GM service @ owners expense when forward drive failed.

This has been a big problem for all Saturn owners. The transmissions are always going out in them. This transmission is starting to slip. I’m surprised there is no recalls. Very disappointed.

DEAR NHTSA, PLEASE FIRST REFER TO THIS KNOWN ISSUE: NHTSA ID NUMBER: 10126145 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER: GCUS-9-2635 14404B ' SPECIAL COVERAGE.BULLETIN. THIS WAS AN OFFER FROM GM TO REPAIR THIS KNOWN DEFECT IF IT OCCURED EITHER BEFORE 120K MILES OR 10 YEARS. MY WIFE'S 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK IS USED FOR KID TRANSPORTATION AND LOCAL TRIPS MOSTLY SO SHE NEVER PUTS ON THAT MUCH MILEAGE. THIS VEHICLE WENT INTO SERVICE IN OR AROUND 10/2008. ON OR AROUND MARCH 1, 2019 HER OUTLOOK BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE ISSUES CONSISTENT WITH THIS GM TSB, FAILURE OF THE 35R WAVE PLATE, A KNOW ISSUE DOCUMENTED BY GM.THE THING WOULD JERK AND SHAKE IN REVERSE, WOULD EITHER FAIL TO SHIFT INTO 3RD OR 5TH OR IF IT DID, WHINE AND SHOW NO ACCELERATION IN THE LEAST. IT HAPPENED ABOUT 10 TIMES, ON LOCAL ROADS AND ON THE HIGHWAY, VERY DANGEROUS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO OUR LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHOT, ONLY 67K MILES AND IT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I ASKED THE SERVICE WRITER ABOUT HAVING THE TRANSMISSION REPAIRED RATHER THAN REPLACED. HE REALLY RECOMMENDED A FACTORY REBUILT UNIT. WE WERE LITERALLY 120 DAYS, 4 MONTHS OUTSIDE OF THE WARRANTY COVERAGE PERIOD ON THIS ISSUE. SATURN/GM WOULD NOT BUDGE AND TOLD ME THAT AT SOME POINT I HAD TO OWN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE REPAIR! REALLY? ON A KNOW ISSUE THAT WAS OUTLINED IN THE TSB AS, "UPON FAILURE ONLY" SHOULD I BRING MY VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR. HOW IS THIS FAIR? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I EXPECT FROM THE NHTSA, BUT TO SIMPLY KNOW THAT GM SHOULD HAVE HONORED THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT, IT WAS ONLY FOUR MONTHS PAST THE CUT OFF AND IT IS A KNOW ISSUE. THANKS FOR LISTENING, I DO PLAN TO FILE A SMALL CLAIMS CASE AND CONTACT ANY AND ALL CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCIES ABOUT THIS MATTER. (XXXXX) REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

I WAS ON A 4 LANE HIGHWAY, AND THE VEHICLE ACTED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL ALL OF A SUDDEN, AND SLOWED DOWN WHILE MAINTAINING HIGH RPMS AND WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 10 MPH. I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE BEING HIT BY TRAFFIC BEHIND ME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HAVE IT CHECKED. A CODE WAS PUT OUT OF IT FOR THE SHIFT SOLENOID FOR GEARS 1-2 BEING 'STUCK ON'. AFTER HAVING THE FLUID CHANGED AS STATED FOR A POSSIBLE CAUSE, EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. TODAY, ON 11/19/2018, I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAD TO ATTEMPT TO MAKE A SAFE EXIT. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, AND AUTO MECHANICS, THIS ISSUE IS HAPPENING A LOT WITH THESE SPECIFIC VEHICLES, AS WELL AS SIMILAR MODELS FROM OTHER MAKES AND THERE HAS YET TO BE A RECALL. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO BE IN.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK JUST LOST POWER. I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. AS I WAS PULLING OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THE POWER CAME BACK BUT THE ENGINE WAS REVING VERY HIGH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I MANAGED TO GET ALMOST HOME WHEN THE GEAR GOT STUCK IN 1ST AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT ACCELERATE HIGHER THAN 20 MPH. LUCKILY I WAS JUST ABOUT HOME. ONCE I ARRIVED AT MY HOME I TURNED OF THE TRUCK AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT WAS FINE. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN BUT WAS GUESSING IT MAY BE A SPEED SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION. ERROR CODES: P0741 & P0700. I HAVE ALSO TAKEN THE TRUCK INTO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP FOR JERKING AROUND 30-35MPH. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM.

IN MY SATURN OUTLOOK. THE TRANSMISSION IS FAULTY. IVE TALKED TO MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUES WITH SATURN OUTLOOK. ALSO TALK TO SERVICE MANAGERS AT A COUPLE DIFFERENT GM DEALERSHIPS. TO WHICH THEY HAVE ALL SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS THOSE VEHICLES ARE VERY BAD DESIGNED AND ARE NOT BUILT TO LAST. THEY HAVE REPLACED A BUNCH OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS. PROBLEM : STARTING OUT ON TAKE OFF. THE TRANSMISSION WILL HESITATE AND JERK THE CAR. POTENTIALLY PUTTING YOU AND OTHERS IN A BAD SITUATION IF THERE ARE OTHER VEHICLES. AND ONCE YOU ARE GOING IT WILL DO THE SAME THING. TO ME ITS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT GM SHOUPD ADDRESS AND FIX.

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON PUBLIC ROAD THE TRANSMISSION FAILED IN 3RD GEAR WITHOUT WARNING WHILE IN MOTION AND I WAS UNABLE TO GET VEHICLE TO SAFE PLACE OFF OF THE PUBLIC ROAD WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON A FREEWAY THE RESULT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH. VEHICLE TOWED TO REPAIR CENTER AS IT WOULD NOT MOVE UNDER ITS OWN POWER. REPAIR CENTER CONFIRMED THAT PARTIAL FORWARD GEARS WERE NOT OPERABLE AS WELL AS REVERSE GEAR. ISSUE WAS IDENTIFIED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THIS VEHICLE PLATFORM WITH 6 SPEED TRANSMISSIONS OF A FRACTURED WAVE PLATE. REPAIR CENTER REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND VEHICLE CURRENTLY WORKING FINE FOR LAST 6000 MILES. AT THE TIME OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE THE VEHICLE HAD JUST OVER 122,000 MILES ON IT AND HAD BEEN IN SERVICE FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS AND 2 MONTHS

AFTER PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PUTTING MY CAR IN PARK, I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TOOK THE KEY OUT OF IGNITION. AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE, THE CAR IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS AND I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. I ALMOST HIT MY SON WHO HAD ALREADY EXITED THE VEHICLE. I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE CAR APPEARED TO BE IN PARK BUT WOULD ROLL BACK AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. I COULD REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE DOOR LOCKS DID NOT UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY AS THEY USUALLY DO. I ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE CAR FROM ROLLING. THE SHIFT CABLE NEEDED REPLACED DUE TO A FRACTURE OF THE LOCKING TABS. THERE HAS BEEN A SIMILAR RECALL FOR DIFFERENT YEARS AND MODELS SEE GM RECALL NO. 12106

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LEAKED TRANSMISSION FLUID. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ALL STAR CHEVROLET LOCATED AT (9352 PLANK RD, BATON ROUGE, LA 70811) WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 93,000.

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE FREEWAY IN THE CARPOOL LANE, GOING APPROXIMATELY 70 MILES PER HOUR, ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD THE ENGINES RPMS SOUNDING LOUDER THAN SUPPOSED TO BE. I LOOKED DOWN AT MY DASHBOARD AND THEY WERE AT 7000 RPM. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FELT LIKE IT WAS NO LONGER ACCELERATING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. PREVIOUS TO THIS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD NEVER COME ON. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND DEPRESSED IT AGAIN AND ONLY THE RPMS WENT UP AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED I HAD NO ACCELERATION PEDAL CONTROL, WHILE IN THE CARPOOL LANE, SO AS SO AS SAFELY POSSIBLE, I MERGED OVER TO THE FREEWAY SHOULDER. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE SHOULDER, THEN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AND REALIZED THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY GO AS FAST AS 20MPHS BEFORE TAKING THE RPMS OVER 5000. I COMPLETELY STOPPED THE VEHICLE AGAIN ON THE SHOULDER BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO MOVE IT AGAIN. AND WAS MET WITH THE SAME RESPONSE. I REALIZED, AT THIS POINT, THE TRANSMISSION IS THE PROBLEM. I SHIFTED THROUGH EACH GEAR TO SEE IF I HAD THEM, PARK REVERSE NEUTRAL DRIVE, AND I HAD THEM. I PROCEEDED TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT PAST 2ND GEAR AND I COULD NOT COMFORTABLY DRIVE FASTER THAN 41MPH. I HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED 75 MILES BACK TO MY HOME.

HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY TRANSMISSION IT WILL NOT SHIFT IT IS TANKING MY RPM'S PAST 6 THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT I CAN'T FINE IT.

BOUGHT FROM STERLING MOTORS IN WATERTOWN SD, IN 2017. TRADE IN WAS 2000, PLUS 500 DOLLARS CASH, FOR A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK XR AWD. LOAN WAS FOR 10000 AFTER THE 2500 TRADE/PAYMENT. HAD 160000 MILES NOW HAS 180000. WITHIN LESS OF A WEEK CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, STABILITRAC, SERVICE AIR BAG, TIMING CHAIN, TRACTION CONTROL ALL CAME ON. AS OF 2018 WE HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, BRAKES. STRUTS, ROTORS, TIE RODS, BATTERY, CO2 SENSOR, THERMOSTAT, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS. IT STILL NEEDS POWER STEERING PUMP, TIMING CHAIN FIX, CV JOINTS REPLACED AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. I'VE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND HE TOLD ME I CAN NOT TRADE BACK, AND WHEN WE BOUGHT IT HE SAID IT PASSED THE SUSPECTION TEST AND CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. HE HAD TO TOP OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID AS IT WAS WHINING AND LOW, SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THEY FLUSHED IT. SO NOW UPON TURNING IT HAS THIS WEIRD RUBBING VIBRATION AND LOUD SOUND, IT SHAKES AT ALL SPEEDS, IT LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING STUTTERS AT LOW SPEEDS, PASSENGER WINDOW BUTTON DON'T WORK, LOUD NOISES WHEN IDLING, WHINING NOISE FROM POWER STEERING EITHER JUST FROM STATIONARY OR DRIVING. IT TAKES FOREVER TO PASS SOMEONE AS IT ALMOST STALLS WITH THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IT HAS A WEIRD CHEMICAL SMELL WHEN USING HEATER. THIS SATURN OUTLOOK IS UNRELIABLE, VERY UNSAFE EVEN AFTER FIXING WHAT I HAD ALREADY FIXED. I HAVE AN INVOICE FOR THE REPAIRS FROM WATERTOWN FORD DEALERSHIP IN SOUTH DAKOTA. STERLING MOTORS WILL NOT HELP, SAID THEY COULD FIX BUT I HAVE TO PAY FOR PARTS AND WORK. HE SOLD ME A LEMON AND HE DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OR WELLBEING OF ME, MY CHILDREN OR OTHERS ON THE ROAD. TALK TO THE LOAN PLACE AND ALL THEY SAID IS I HAVE AN AGREEMENT TO PAY REGARDLESS IF THE CAR WORKS OR NOT. I'M CURRENTLY 2 MONTHS BEHIND. I CAN'T AFFORD ANOTHER 700-3000 FIX WHILE PAYING 300 A MONTH FOR A SUV THAT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENTLY WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF GEAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KOOL CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (810 W CHICAGO RD, STURGIS, MI) WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME DEALER REGARDING THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 154,000.

THERE WAS RECALL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT AIRBAG THE DEALER SUPPOSEDLY FIXED IT BUT THE CODE IS BACK ON #B0081 CALLED DEALER THEY SAID OH WELL THE RECALL WAS FIXED WELL IF IT WAS THE CODE SHOULD NOT BE BACK ON FOR THE SAME THING. ALSO THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSON TOOK IT SEVERAL TIMES TO DEALER SAID NOTHING WRONG THEN FINALLY THE SOLINEDS WENT OUT REPLACED THEM 1 MONTH LATER THE WHOLE TRANSMISON WENT THIS WAS ON A GM RECALL AND I FEEL BECAUSE I HAD COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THAT GM SHOULD REIMBURSE ME THE $5000 WE HAD TO PAY TO GET A NEW TRANSMISON. THE TRANSMISON WENT OUT WHILE ON THE FREEWAY AND THE AIRBAG HAS BEEN ON WONT GO OFF.

EVERY TIME IT RAINS MY CAR GET A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER INSIDE CAUSING A MUSTY SMELL AND POSSIBLE MOLD. I HAVE TO VACUUM WATER FROM THE BATTERY AREA, IN THE TRUNK LIFT IT UP AND VACUUM OUT AND LEAVE IT TO DRY OUT IN SUN WHEN AVAILABLE. IT CAUSES MY SEAT BELTS TO BECOME WET. THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE FLOOR IS WET AS WELL AS THE BACK SEAT AREA FLOOR. IT CAUSE THE WINDOWS TO CONTINUALLY FOG UP AND THE DEFROSTER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. WHEN I PRESS THE GAS THERE IS A HESITANT SOMETIMES AND I WAS TOLD BY A GM SERVICE TECH THAT IS THE BATTERY LOSING POWER CAUSING THAT ISSUE. THIS IS RIDICULOUS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD MORE THAN ONCE FROM THE GM SERVICE TECHS THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE AND THAT CORPORATE IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THIS IS NOT ONLY A SAFETY ISSUE BUT HEALTH AS WELL. MY FAMILY RIDES AROUND IN THIS CAR.

WAS DRIVING AND NOTICED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 35MPH, BROUGHT TO A SHOP AND IT HAD TRANSMISSION CODES, SHOP DRAINED FLUID WHICH WAS BLACK AND REPLACED WITH NEW FLUID. THINGS SEEMED FINE BUT THEN WAS USING CAR IN LOW GEARS AND LOST LOW GEARS. STARTED BEFORE CHRISTMAS, CAR SPENT TWO WEEKS AT SHOP TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. LOST LOW GEARS ON JANUARY 23. *TR

11/17/2016 REPLACED 2 TRANSMISSION IN TWO YEARS WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM REPAIR SHOP WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 12/16/16 THE CAR STOP RUNNING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. DEALER STATES THROTTLE BODY WAS FREEZING DO TO CONDENSATION BUILDING UP WITHIN THROTTLE BODY STATED THIS IS COMMON IN THESE CARS. AGAIN GOT THE CAR BACK AFTER SPENDING A TON MORE MONEY GETTING IT FIXED HAD TO TAKE IT RIGHT BACK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON WITHIN 20MI OF DRIVING. DON'T WASTE YOU TIME BUYING THESE LEMON CARS. *TR

3-5-R WAVEPLATE IN TRANSMISSION IS KNOWN DEFECTIVE. TRANSMISSION FIRST WENT OUT AT ~4 YEARS OLD AND 50,000 MILES LEAVING US STRANDED. ABOUT 1 YEAR LATER TCM (VALVE BODY) IN TRANSMISSION FAILED (LIKELY DEBRIS FROM WAVEPLATE FAILURE). FORCING YOU TO PULL OVER AND TURN CAR AND OFF HOPE IT WOULD BEGIN SHIFTING AGAIN. FORTUNATELY, MADE IT TO DEALER UNDER ITS OWN POWER FOR THAT ONE. GM DID NOT COVER THIS, $1000 OUT OF MY POCKET. 8 YEARS OLD AND 99,000 MILES WAVEPLATE OUT AGAIN STRANDING US ON HIGHWAY... AGAIN. 2 WEEKS LATER THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AGAIN, THIS TIME SHAFT THAT HOLDS GEARS WAS SCARRED UP (LIKELY DEBRIS FROM WAVEPLATE FAILURES) STRANDED AGAIN AND $3200 TO FIX WITH SOME HELP FROM GM. 2008 TO 2013 ACADIA, OUTLOOKS, TRAVERSE, ENCLAVE ALL HAVING THIS ISSUE STRANDING PEOPLE ON ROADS.

"TAKATA RECALL" HAVING PROBLEMS WITH STABILITRAK AFFECTING THE BRAKES,TRANSMISSION,AND ENGINE WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET CAR NOW WILL NOT START.

TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. 35R WAVE PLATE KNOWN TO BE DEFECTIVE (CAUSING COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE) IN OUTLOOK, ACADIA, ENCLAVE, VUE, ETC. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS HAVING THIS ISSUE.