NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2008 Saturn Outlook (Page 4 of 8)

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 9
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
61,782 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 Outlook electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Saturn Outlook Owner Comments (Page 4 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #98

May 282013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 45,740 miles

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

Near the end of May 2012, I was backing out of my driveway which slopes slightly downward, and suddenly water started coming out of the rear overhead lights. When the car reached level ground the water then came out of the passenger-side windshield pillar and the sunroof as well. I brought it to a GM dealership and they told me the sunroof drain tubes were clogged. It cost me $90 to have them clean it out. The car is normally garaged, however we had driven it during a rainstorm the day before this happened. Afterwards we started noticing some crazy things happening to the electrical system of the car. Sometimes the radio would stay on even after the key was removed and opening the doors (which normally would shut everything down.) sometimes the front door panel speakers would not work at all, or one would work or both would work. Right now the drivers side is not working. Then the day after the car was out in a torrential rain storm sometime near the end of February 2014, it would not start at all. It was completely dead and I had to call aaa to get it started. The aaa guy said to check this car out online for electrical problems, which I did and found volumes of complaints stemming from this issue, as well as several GM technical service bulletins or tsb's as they are referred to. I once again brought it to the GM dealership which knew about the issue and repaired it at a cost to me of $810.39. GM has not addressed this issue directly, nor has compensated any of the consumers who own the vehicles that all have this problem, namely Saturn Outlook, GMC acadia and Buick enclave from 2008 - 2010. I feel that it is irresponsible and unethical for them to pass this problem off to the consumer. This is not a normal wear and tear issue and I want to be reimbursed, and I'd like them to inspect and repair for free the electrical system as well for other damage.

- Plymouth, MA, USA

problem #97

Jan 292014

Outlook

  • 94,500 miles
I was driving on the highway going 70 miles/hr and the chime went off and engine power is reduced and service stabilitrak traction control off flashed on my display as well as the check engine light. I started to lose power and cars were swerving around me with the sudden loss of speed and I was lucky I was not hit by another car. By the time I got over to the shoulder of the road I was going 40 miles/hr with the gas pedal pushed all the way down. The problem was diagnosed by a GM dealership as a timing chain issue. When I looked online it seems many people have had problems with the same issue. GM has informed me there was a recall for the 2007 Saturn Outlook and the 2009 Saturn Outlook but my 2008 Saturn Outlook was not under the same recall even though nothing is different in the 2008 from the 2007 or 2009, it has the same engine and the same timing chain that qualified the other years recalls.

- Liberty Township , OH, USA

problem #96

Dec 272013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
Driver's side headlight stopped working. Got pulled over and was given a fix it ticket. Replacing the bulb didn't fix it. I've read this is a very common issue with the wiring harness due to manufacturer defect or faulty equipment which shouldn't be the responsibility of the owner to pay to fix. Driving in the dark without a working driver side headlight is very dangerous, especially in the winter which is when this happened to me. There needs to be a recall because this causes a big safety issue.

- Canton, MI, USA

problem #95

Nov 072013

Outlook

  • miles

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

Low beam passenger side light went out and I replaced the light. Two weeks later the light went out again, I moved the connector and the light came back on. The light worked for two weeks and it went out again. I went to change the bulb and it smelled line burnt plastic. I removed the bulb and the connector was burnt on one of the sides. The wire was barely hanging on the side the connector was burnt. The wire harness seems very flimsy and very poor quality. I'm very surprised and disappointed of the poor quality of the wiring harness. This can also possibly be a safety hazard.

- Winters, CA, USA

problem #94

Oct 122013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
10/12/13 we had several inches of rain & the next morning I noticed the floor boards were wet. Again, the evening of 10/15 we had severe rain storms with flooding in our city. The next day when my mil & I got into vehicle the floor boards were soaked. When we put our seat belts on they too were wet. I took the vehicle to a body shop on 10/16 & have a statement that it would be a costly repair, mold was present & he stated it was not recommended that I drive it due to possible electrical problems. On 10/23 I picked the vehicle up from the body shop & noticed the mold on the headliner of the passenger side & driver side floorboard. I immediately called the dealership (covert Buick) where I purchased the vehicle & told them I would be bringing the vehicle to them first thing in the morning. 10/24 I attempted to start the vehicle & it would not start. I called the dealership & spoke to the service manager tom. He sent a tow truck out to bring the vehicle to the dealership. Prior to the tow truck arriving I cleaned out all my personal belongings & upon doing so I found that the third row cup holder had standing water in it & mold was growing in it also. Upon arriving to the dealership tom stated he "got me a loaner vehicle approved by [xxx], they usually don't do this" & told me I would "likely not hear from them until wed, 10/30 as they were very busy". I did not hear from tom until fri, 11/1 at 3pm. I returned his call at 5pm & he explained that they assessed my vehicle & it would cost me $1900 for repairs. "there were leaks found & water damage caused a short in the battery." I then explained that I did not feel this was something I should have to pay to get fixed as I had just purchased the vehicle from them. Asked him to escalate to his manager & get back to me. I received a call from tom 11/4 stating covert was not going to pay for the damage. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Hutto, TX, USA

problem #93

Aug 192013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 16,110 miles
Driving down the highway at 60mph when car slowed down to 10-15mph. Had to place my emergency lights on in order not to get hit by passing vehicles and move to the emergency lane. I had to turn off the car in order for the accelerator to work again. After the first incident the vehicle kept on stalling. Took the vehicle to the dealer and it turns out its the throttle body that's malfunctioning. The warranty I purchased does not cover this type of part, I don't even have a year with this vehicle. In doing my research I find out that there has been an investigation on this vehicle on foresaid problem around the time I purchased the vehicle. The investigation is still opened. Investigation number PE13-003. The Ford dealership is charging me close to $700 in order to get this part fixed. They did not provide this information to me I had to look it up my self. They also did not provide me with a renter car I had to purchase one on my own. Its just unfair.

- Kegley, WV, USA

problem #92

Aug 012012

Outlook

  • 86,000 miles

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

We have owned this 2008 Outlook since it was new, we are the original owners. It was principally garaged until recently. After any rain water can be heard sloshing over your head and the floor gets wet. On several occasions electrical issues have started happening. Various lights come on the dash and the radio will turn on by itself. I am concerned that the water leaking in is causing electrical shorts which could cause a fire or cause the airbag system to fail. This is a known problem and this much water entering the dash could cause a catastrophic failure resulting in injuries. Water is entering from the sunroof and does not drain properly. GM has a tsb that speaks of drain tubes that need to be extended. I do not think that is the issue because, if it was, it would have leaked since it was new. This problem only started a couple of months ago and this car had been exposed to rain over the years with no issues.

- Groveland, MA, USA

problem #91

May 112012

Outlook

  • 60,000 miles
While on vacation, noticed the engine light come on, no apparent problems at the time but the next morning (after sitting in the parking ramp all night) I come out to find a dead car battery. Apparently, after turning the car off and removing the key, the car did not shut off. Jumped the battery, took it right to a repair shop. Due to a major water leak of the sunroof, my whole electrical system was affected. The car had to be dried out, I continue to have more and more things go wrong with this vehicle. It continues to leak water on the passenger side floor, roof (comes down like a waterfall), etc. Now I have noticed my car battery running higher and my front head lamp turns on and off. Could make this car very dangerous!

- Brookings, SD, USA

problem #90

Jun 222013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 65,500 miles
While driving on the tollway, all electrical parts on instrument panel went completely out, and the air conditioner stopped blowing, and the radio went out. Even the speedometer stopped displaying. The entire instrument panel showed nothing. The service technician at jupiter Chevrolet in dallas charged us $770 to repair a wiring harness that they said was ruined due to a leak in a drainage hose in the sunroof and that this is common with this vehicle. I don't understand why there is no recall. This could have been very dangerous. Water had leaked into the passenger floor board as well.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #89

Apr 132013

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 54,246 miles
Last night when I went to drive my vehicle I noticed the left front low beam headlight was not working. Took vehicle in to have the light bulb changed and the technician said the bulb socket/wiring was burnt and the bulb was damaged. They said I would need a new bulb and low beam headlight wiring harness. This is the third time this part has failed since the vehicle was new. The dealership replaced both the right and left side harnesses when the vehicle was under warranty and the left side harness and bulb was replaced last year approx. 10,000 miles ago and now it is burnt up again. I feel this part is defective and could cause a fire. GM should do something to upgrade the wiring harness so this problem does not continue.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #88

Apr 022012

Outlook

  • 72,000 miles

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

When a passenger is seating in the front seat, the air bag light indicator will say off instead of on.

- Evarts, KY, USA

problem #87

Dec 102012

Outlook

  • 99,000 miles
2008 Saturn Outlook, water leak through seal on dash. Shorted out fuse panel allowing the car to run with key turned off and losing function of passenger air bag control. Multiple complaints of this defect in the manufacturing of vehicle. Consumer cost $1300.

- Dayton, TN, USA

problem #86

Nov 162012

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 57,000 miles
My driver side headlight (low beam) was working intermittently. Finally it stopped working. I bought a new bulb and was replacing it this weekend. While removing the old bulb, I saw that one wire had pulled out of the socket. I looked closer at the socket and realized that it was melted. There were also burn marks on the bulb plug and a green plastic piece. To my knowledge, this is an oem part. The part says phillips H11 ll and made in germany. It also says 55 w, 12 V. this would imply almost 5 a of current, which seems alot for the very small wiring size. While trying to find a replacement socket, I found out that this seems to be a very common problem on these vehicles.

- Riegelsville, PA, USA

problem #85

Apr 222011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 38,500 miles
The low beam headlight went out on the vehicle. I went to autozone to purchase the headlight replacement when I was told that it could possibly be two different headlights that I would need to bring the broken one so they can sell me a replacement. I found out that it is not very easy to replace the headlight on this vehicle as several other parts have to be removed in order to get to the headlight connector. I found instructions and several complaints from owners indicating they have replaced the headlight several times during the year only to be told by dealers that the harness/connector are burned and that is the cause of the problem. I proceeded to remove the underliner of the tire to get to the headlight on my vehicle. As suspected, the connector and wire harness were burned. I found several service bulletins instructing dealers to "check and replace" the harness and headlight on these vehicles. When I called Saturn I was informed that the dealership had replaced the headlight in my vehicle on April 2011...however they never informed me of this change. Right now my wife is driving this vehicle without a headlight as Saturn is refusing to replace the burned harness that I found on the car. This is not only a safety issue, but a fire hazard on the vehicle. This should be a mandatory recall by now....it is not just happening on Saturn Outlooks, it is also happening on GMC acadias which is exactly the same car.....

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #84

Oct 052012

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 67,350 miles
Water leak from sunroof traveled down the driver's pillar and through the dash, onto the floor. This caused an electrical shortage which caused the emergency brake warning bell to sound. Water was also leaking out of the curtain airbag badge on the pillar potentially compromising the airbag. Water soaked the driver's carpet and mats. Now the dashboard indicator light for RPM is operating sporadically.

- Torrington, CT, USA

problem #83

Oct 262010

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
Passenger low-beam headlight went out on the 2008 Saturn Outlook at 48,000 miles. I replaced it and the bulb blew out again only two weeks later. I then discovered the wiring harness had melted. Replacement bulbs continue to blow because of the defective wiring harness.

- Martinton, IL, USA

problem #82

Aug 012012

Outlook

  • 67,000 miles
The passenger side running light went out. I had the bulb replaced. About a month later the same light went out again. I had the light taken out and was told the wiring harness was melted and had caused the bulb to go out. So I now have to replace the wiring harness for that side. I have also been told by other Saturn Outlook owners that is a common problem with most of them.

- Spanish Fork, UT, USA

problem #81

Jul 282012

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 47,500 miles
The drivers side headlamp assembly overheated and melted causing the light to fail. This is the second time this happened with this automobile. The last incident was the passenger side headlamp assembly same exact thing happened overheated and melted causing light to fail.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #80

Nov 082008

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 46,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that while driving at any speed the vehicle would lose power and downshift with an abnormal increase in rpms. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer updated the transmission module but the failure was not corrected. The vehicle continued to lose power with a significant loss of fuel mileage. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000 and the failure mileage was 50,000...updated 07/12/12 the consumer stated the sensor camshaft, cylinder head, battery, windshield wiper motor, air bag wiring harness, power steering rack and gear, front pads and rotors, gaskets for intake manifold, gasket for rear valve cover, right front strut, both strut mounts, engine mounts, left front stabilizer link, headlight harness, timing belt cover seal, exhaust stud, power steering pump, hose and clamp, all had to be replaced. Updated 10/02/12

- Danbury , CT, USA

problem #79

Dec 012009

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 21,888 miles
Purchased on 9/17/2008 and noticed a wet smell and brought it in 12/1/09 we also informed them of an electrical problem dvd/rear hatch - they found no problem with any of the issues. On 2/10/10 car in due to a wet smell rear hatch/dvd electrical issues. Found no issue with hatchback but the waterleak report "exterior - poor fits, water tested- removed headliner found excessive water leaking around glass-water running down headboard to rear - necessary sunroof window replacement. 4/14/2010 back with the dome light not working and smelled wet- dome light "inop verified due to water intrusion from sunroof leak"asked them to check the rear seat tracks -lots of rust- "surface rust on seat tracks- per tac normal condition - did spray down with silicone lubricant". in 6/8/2010 because of wet smell service states, "verified water in vehicle above headliner, removed headliner for water test - removed sunroof module and installed urethane sealer in drain holes and removed cross hatch area in drain tubes - watertested good" and under repair 1 "07-08-57-002E water dripping from 'a' pillars or ropcode:C9818 and repair 2, "07-08-57-002E water dripping from 'a' pillars or ropcode: C9820. Back on 8/24/2010 because a molding would not stay attached and front seatbelt adjusters was cut. In 12/23/11this time to rosner Chevrolet - electrical issues with warning lights-"open recall 10085 and they rerouted wireharness/replace-open recall- replaced connecter and re-routed harness as per recall". noise coming from the tires and"both front hub/bearing assemblies to be bad and replaced both left and right". the car has continued to stink like "wet dog" even though we are not seeing any dripping water. Today used a moisture meter - high levels of moisture throughout the entire car - all 4 door frames, the flooring, the hatch, pulled back floor mats to find white powdery mildew.

- Rockledge, FL, USA

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