Complete loss of power steering due to leaking power steering oil cooler.

- Clarkston, MI, USA

New 2007 Saturn Outlook from dealer on october23, 2007. On Monday, January 14. 2008. Fluid found under car parked in garage. Car has 1800 miles. Dealer advised I bring car in. Upon starting car, I heard horrendous noise from under hood. Backing out of garage, I found steering did not work. Car towed to dealership, Saturn of clarkston. They provided small rental car as loaner. Technician did not look at Outlook until afternoon of Wednesday, January 16, 2008, subsequent to several calls from me. Problem identified as the hose/coil carrying cooling fluid for power steering. Required part has been taking at least week and a half to get. I said my wife and I rented a house in Florida and needed the Outlook for this trip. The service person checked further and then told me the part would be in the following Friday or Monday. Part did not come in as I was told. I have talked with parts manager and service manager at dealer, and Saturn customer service. ( dealer owner not in when I called.) I learned that this dealership alone has owners of five other Outlooks (all 2007's, I think) awaiting the same part, and that the problem is national. This is a defective part! apparently Saturn (and, I assume) the corporation have known about it for a while. I am concerned I purchased a new vehicle which may have had a known potentially defective part. We were fortunate fluid leakage and loss of steering occurred where and when it did, and not while my wife and I were traveling to Florida. I don't know if power steering might have failed while I was actually driving. I advised service manager I was going to contact NHTSA about this problem and suggested he tell the dealership owner. He said dealership doing all it could. He asked when house rental in Florida began. I told him, "February 1, " and we planned to take several days to drive there with our dogs. He said dealership intended to make sure we had our car available for our trip.

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA