NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
57,668 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2008 Saturn Astra electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Saturn Astra Owner Comments

problem #20

Apr 222022

Astra

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My right headlight, kept going out. I couldnt get a sticker because the mechanic stated the headlight kept burning. He reground the right headlight so it could get energy from the battery. Currently, everything in the diagnostic of the car says low beam.

- Holbrook, MA, USA

problem #19

Aug 032014

Astra

  • 75,000 miles
I bought this 2008 Saturn Astra xr used in 2014 from a car dealership. Within a few weeks I began having problems starting the car. And it stalled while driving. I took it to many repair shops for diagnostics and repairs but after spending hundreds and then thousands of dollars replacing various parts and components it still continued having the same exact problems that all the genius mechanics couldn't figure out the cause. I suspect that the car dealership sold me a trade-in car that was involved in a water flood damage situation and all or most of the hidden wiring and electrical components were probably corroded and rusted. But none of the genius mechanics who worked on my car even suspected that all the problems with my car could've been caused by water flood damage. They just kept replacing many old parts with new parts and charging me lots of money. Please help me find out or figure out if my car was involved in a water flood damage situation that is still causing these starting problems. It takes me 15 minutes to over an hour to start this car each time for all these years since I bought it used in 2014. Today is Friday 3-19-2021, thank you

- Warren, MI, USA

problem #18

Sep 152018

Astra

  • 90,000 miles
Problem has occurred twice in four month period. On both occasions the vehicle was in motion going 30-40 mph. Without warning the assisted power steering ceased operation. In a matter of seconds, the steering wheel became stiff, difficult to turn, and the turning range significantly decreased. No warning lights appeared. On the first occasion, the vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop. No discernible issues were found. The mechanic checked all fuses and found no fault. The mechanic decided to replace a fully functioning fuse, which fixed the issue for approximately three and a half months. A few days ago, without warning, while driving under the same conditions as the first occurrence, the issue returned-power steering assist failed. The vehicle is currently in the shop again. The reason for the power steering failure remains unclear.

- Littleton, CO, USA

problem #17

Nov 012017

Astra

  • 98,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

2008 Saturn Astra xr 2dr, 5 speed manual, 98K miles. P2138 code and check engine light has repeatedly occurred, resulting in five replacement accelerator pedals to date, with a sixth pedal required. Accelerator pedals have failed in as little as less than one week of operation, or as long as three years of operation. All pedal assemblies being replaced were oem dealer parts. Wiring harness was inspected for water intrusion per tsb 07-06-04-019E, and determined to be a non-issue. As this is a manual transmission car, the first 1/3-1/2 of the accelerator pedal produces no acceleration, making proper clutch to engine RPM engagement extremely difficult and unsafe. Addtionally, the car may or may not remain in reduced power mode while driving, which has resulted in the car going from part throttle to wide open throttle conditions with no additional driver input, creating multiple near-collisions. Vehicle behavior due to this issue is erratic and unpredictable, and therefore extremely dangerous. Issue does not appear to correlate with weather, temperature, terrain, time of operation, or any other cause.

- Pineville, NC, USA

problem #16

May 222017

Astra

  • 150,000 miles
The horn on my vehicle does not operate, creating an extremely dangerous situation for the driver, as well as other vehicles and pedestrians on the road. This is a known problem, addressed by GM "special coverage 10276". unfortunately, that special coverage did not fix the problem, and GM implemented an extremely low mileage limit so it does not apply to many affected vehicles. This pervasive problem has been known by GM for years both in the usa (with the Saturn Astra) as well as the identical vauxhall Astra and opel Astra in europe.

- Acton, CA, USA

problem #15

Mar 012016

Astra

  • miles
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Astra. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V063000 (air bags). The parts were not available for the repair. The contact waited for months and was unable to determine when the manufacturer would supply the parts to the dealer. In addition, there was premature deterioration on the internal wiring associated with the rear passenger side door. The wires fractured and prevented the rear windows from staying up or down without warning. The contact had to make adjustments to ensure that the rear windows remained up. The dealer was notified of the electrical failure with the wires and indicated that it was not a safety concern. The manufacturer was contacted to determine when the parts would be supplied to the dealer. The failure mileage was not available. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Penfield, NY, USA

problem #14

Sep 212016

Astra

  • 52,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Vehicle horn is intermittently inoperable. I have had two near misses due to the non functioning horn. When it is not functioning, depressing the horn button turns the radio volume instead. At the same time the left steering wheel buttons are inoperable. Occasionally the radio volume will lower on its own, then return to normal. This problem is common oversees in the opel / vauxhall versions of the Astra. Replacement of the wiring harness and cim module have only temporarily resolved the issues there. This issue has persisted on and off in my vehicle for several years.the condition exists while stationary and in motion. The car is mostly driven short trips in city traffic. The car is 8 years old, 52,000 miles.

- Rochster Hills, MI, USA

problem #13

Jun 242016

Astra

  • 70,000 miles
To whom it may concern- I have had the pedal pressure sensor (in my 2008 Saturn Astra) replaced 5-6 times over the past few years. The car literally will lose all acceleration and cause the car to slow down very quickly and is a serious life threatening safety concern. Previous times it has occurred I had to push my car off of the freeway and out of traffic. The recent experience was on 6/24/16 and I had my 2 week old son in the car seat. We almost were in a serious collision with a semi-truck because yet again the car lost acceleration and decreased speed drastically. My newborn son's life was threatened (as a semi-truck vs. A Saturn Astra is like an ant vs. A human) and now I am very angry. Saturn and Chevy should be held responsible and follow thru on a recall before this issue causes death or injury; or perhaps it already has. The Chevy dealership in tempe refuses to address the concern and call me back. I took the Saturn to this dealership while the car was under warranty to fix the pedal pressure several times. Now that it is not under warranty I am completely ignored and all I have asked for is a phone number for corporate and/or for who exactly addresses life-threatening safety concerns (as Chevy bought out Saturn). All I have asked for is who to contact and what the next steps are to take and the dealership cannot even follow thru on this. How would you feel if you could not afford a new car and bought a complete piece of trash (overpaid) that threatens your life every 6 months? please..someone help. If you have children or even if you don't; whoever reads this should be empathetic to my huge concern with this death trap.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #12

Dec 212015

Astra

  • 100 miles
"takata recall" this car has electronic problems, dashboard lights blinking, gage hand's go up and down. The transmission shift cable broke. I was in a parking lot parked, started car went to put car in gear, gear shift was loose, wouldn't catch, called totruck, to pull car, was told by the driver, that the transmission shift cable was broken.

- Jackson, TN, USA

problem #11

Oct 272015

Astra

  • miles
My car has shut off several times on its own even on highway 81 during peak traffic time I think this car should have been added to the ignition switch recall I mean even shutting off once it should be on the list I reported this awhile back because it shut off and they said it wasn't on the recall list. It happened like 6 times already lucky my son knew what to do and didn't have a accident as of yet thanks god always happens while he is driving and loses all power when it shut off something needs to be done about this ignition switch on Saturn and I don't think I should be the one to buy a new switch when its a GM problem this last time on 10/27 was during peak traffic time on highway

- Ashley, PA, USA

problem #10

Oct 152014

Astra

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Astra. While driving 15 mph, the vehicle did not accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle also made a loud noise, misfired, and the service engine light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the app sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000.

- Scott Depot, WV, USA

problem #9

Aug 042014

Astra 4-cyl

  • 20 miles
I'm writing to inquire about recalls on the 2008 Saturn Astra.from day one, the Saturn Astra I owned had problems due to an engine light frequently coming on and issues with the sensors. At one point, one of the cv boots went bad.the replacement required a new driveaxle, due to the problematic design of the car. That issue cost almost $500, even with the mechanic installing used parts. Then just a month later, the ABS light started coming on as the right wheel sensor was bad. Again, due to the cars design, this meant not only a new sensor but a whole new wheel bearing at another $800. From what I have found online, this is a recurring problem with Astras; also, as it disables the ABS and traction control systems, it is a safety issue and thus warrants a recall for safety reasons. It seems clear, from the many similar complaints I have seen online [just go to www.saturnfans.com and put "sensors" in the search box to see tons of them - here's just 1 page from that site: www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php"T=169386 ] that the Saturn Astra should"ve been recalled. Without such a recall, it cost me more than $1300 dollars in repairs. If you look at all the similar related complaints on the Saturn fans website I mentioned, I believe you will see that recalls on the Saturn Astra are warranted, due to these design flaws, safety issues, and sensor problems. Please let me know if you would like any further information or to see documentation of the repairs I had to have done on a car with just 68,000 miles on it, at the time, in a period of just a few months.thank you.

- Averill Park, NY, USA

problem #8

May 042015

Astra

  • 78,750 miles
When you put the car in reverse the lights light up on the gear shift, and will not engage. I then put the car in park and back in reverse. 2nd time I had an issue that car would not start even though it was in park, I someone try to jump it, thinking it was the battery, because I have gone through 5 batteries because of a short in the doors and also the relay for power locks.. when I put the car in nutral then the car could start and then I can drive it and 3 rd incident I parked the car, my daughter got out of the car and it went forward and she almost got hurt. I took it to my mechanic after the 2nd incident and was told it was the cable. I did research and say that GM recalled thousands of cars because of the cable defect. Saturn aura was recalled also for this issue. I contacted GM to see if they will pay for it, they said there is no recall. That I had to have GM dealer look at it, because they don't believe me. Once GM says it's the cable then they will decide if they will do a repair. Saturn Astra needs to be recalled the cable replaced.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #7

Feb 012015

Astra 4-cyl

  • 86,000 miles
I was parked at a shopping center, my car was parked and tried to start the car. It would not start and a young man gave me a boost only to still have car not start. I got back in the car and noticed that even though it was in park the display in front of the steering wheel showed the car to be in reverse. The next incident happened at my parents house where the car was parked and turned off but started rolling back. Kids were getting out the car so I immediately pulled emergency brake. Another incident happened at work car in parked position and car was still moving. It continues to happen. I noticed online there was a recall for the exact same problem in the Saturn aura with its shift cable. I contacted the GM manufacturer, they only want to pay half of the cost to fix problem. This is a safety risk to my family and others. I sent emails to at least four executives at GM corporate office. It was diagnosed by a GM dealership as the shift cable, the same problem with the Saturn aura.

- Shreveport, LA, USA

problem #6

Nov 022014

Astra 6-cyl

  • 108,854 miles
Vehicle drivers door locks and won't open during rain or snow. Won't open in an event of emergency.

- Middleboro, MA, USA

problem #5

Apr 052013

Astra 4-cyl

  • miles
2008 Saturn Astra. Consumer writes in regards to the defective electronic module that controls both ABS and stabilitrak systems. The dealer replaced the electronic brake control module, at a cost of $ $797.23.

- Dearborn, MI, USA

problem #4

May 012014

Astra 4-cyl

  • 39,500 miles
Original owner of a Saturn Astra 2008 xr with less than 40,000 miles. Car started losing power steering at low speeds (I.e. turning from a stop, parallel parking, any movement that didn't require actively applying the accelerator such as backing up, slowing to take a curve, etc). Dealer states need to replace electric power steering motor and controller unit gear. Battery is at 35% and also needs replacing. No notice of low battery was shown on the dashboard. Last service (always at dealership) 12/31/13 they had to force the on-board computer to stop showing an engine problem code related to the intake system (P0068), as they couldn't find/replicate the indicated issue. GM says they won't cover this because of the age of the car, despite the low mileage and the fact that this is the same issue cited in various recalls since the beginning of 2014. They have, as of July 24, 2014, sixty different recalls covering almost 30 million cars. They have allowed extended warranties of 10 years or 100,000 miles to Saturn ions for this problem and issued actual recalls for, among many others, Saturn aura, sky, ion etc. For this and related problems.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #3

Mar 272013

Astra

  • 78,230 miles
Owner was stop N go city driving pulled into his home driveway noticed smoke coming from under dash. Parked car and immediately contacted fire service. Car dash ignition area burst into flames and was heavily damaged by fire. Fire was extinguished quickly by firefighters, extremely fast moving fire and excessive smoke. Total damage to vehicle. All damage limited to interior. Point of origin was left of lower dash area under steering wheel. Under investigation at this time as to cause. Suspected electrical in nature.

- Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada, AA, USA

problem #2

Mar 062012

Astra

  • 76,900 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Astra. The contact stated that the horn was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was advised that the electronic control module for the horn failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired for the electronic control module. The failure recurred approximately one year later. The vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and the current mileages were approximately 76,900.

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #1

Jan 162009

Astra

  • miles
Service update-inv & cust-obd system improvements rprgrm ECM & tcm exp 8/80 warr. Type:yt number:08335.

- Norristown, PA, USA

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