NHTSA — Electrical System Problems

2008 Saturn Outlook (Page 5 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 5 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #78

Mar 022012

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 69,000 miles

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

My 2008 Saturn Outlook (w/sunroof) engine continues to run with key off position (see GM bulletin #08-08-57-003C [seam seal] dated July 15, 2011) water leak at A-pillar caused various electrical problems such as engine continues to run with key off/possible no crank/no start/communication loss/various electrical concerns, which was the result of a water leak on the ip bec from the sunroof drain hose that exits through the vehicle at the plenum and re-enter through the "unsealed seam at the front of the dash". this can effect 2007-2010 Outlook; 2007-2012 GMC acadia; 2008-2012 Buick enclave. GM only covers this to 3 yrs/36K mile warranty then GM requires owner to pay $400 to repair their engineering defect...

- North Royalton, OH, USA

problem #77

Jan 112012

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
My 2008 Outlook has been in the shop now three times for leaks. They can never find the leaks. Now I have the inner lining of the ceiling leaking with water from the rain and all my leather seats are wet, the inside of the windshield was wet along with all my lights dripping with water. I have read on so many forums how the electrical problems all started with these leaks and we should have a recall before anyone gets killed from the car dying on the highway while driving.

- Newport, NC, USA

problem #76

Nov 162011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 55,000 miles
Driver side headlight wire harness arcs and causes light to fail. Replacing lightbulb temporarily fixes issue. Light fails and causes loss of light while driving at night. Also, potential fire hazard.

- Canton, MI, USA

problem #75

Dec 102011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 44,875 miles

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

Headlight-dis-failed and wireharness melted.

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #74

Dec 062011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 42,265 miles
Passenger side low beam headlight harness (female socket) melted.

- West Chester, OH, USA

problem #73

Dec 032011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 56,000 miles
Passenger headlight fails intermittently. Appears to be due not to the bulb, but due to sub-grade wiring harness that melts over time.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #72

Oct 012011

Outlook

  • 58,000 miles

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

The passenger headlight burned out and was replaced. Two weeks later the same light burned out. This time all the wiring was pulled out and it was discovered that the wiring harness was melted. Looking on online it has been shown to be a big problem. As I am driving my 3 children around, I would like my headlights to work and not be melting in my car. Please have GMC fix this problem. A car that cost as much as mine should have working lights and non-melting parts.

- Moore, SC, USA

problem #71

Nov 012011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 50,000 miles
Headlamp failed, wiring melted. Next time the car may go up in flames. Dangerous!!!!!

- Reno, NV, USA

problem #70

Nov 262009

Outlook

  • 37,000 miles
The headlamp on my 2008 Saturn Outlook has gone out multiple times over the last two years that I have owned the vehicle. I have had to have the wiring harness replaced more than 3 times. The first time the new harness lasted a couple of months. The last two times, it only lasted about a week before burning up again. The harness that holds the lamp gets too hot and melts which is an electrical safety issue.

- Centennial, CO, USA

problem #69

Dec 102010

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 40,568 miles
My 2008 Saturn Outlook lost both headlights in December 2010 within a couple of days of each other. The dealer informed us the bulbs had burned out and when they burned out they burned/corroded the wiring harnesses connected to them, necessitating a $200 repair. Less than a year later, in November 2011, the right headlight went out again. When we took it to the dealer on November 4, 2011, they informed us the bulb had burned out and the harness had burned out again, and said the repair would be more than $200. We have seen this problem documented by many Saturn owners on Saturn fan sites, and also read to contact NHTSA to notify you of this common and potentially dangerous safety problem with the Saturn Outlook so that you could consider ordering GM to recall these vehicles. I hope you will order a recall and order GM to solve an unnecessary design problem that is a nuisance at best and could potentially lead to a fire or lost visibility that could result in accidents at worst. Thank you for your consideration.

- San Diego, CA, USA

problem #68

Aug 022011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 65,187 miles

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

Complete loss of low beam headlights under similar or identical circumstances as other voqs and various websites forums. Inspection revealed melted wiring harness connectors inside the headlamp assembly at the low beam headlamp bulb. Vehicle date of manufacture 10-2007. No known body work. Passenger low beam headlight connector is not melted as bad as the driver side low beam headlight connector. Appears to be coming predominantly from the black wire going into the connector. All insulation is melted away. Connector melted and brittle that it fell apart removing the bulb. Bulb part # appears to be H11, 12V 55W U 64211 L+dot. Osram. Germany E1 25S. W0 Q3. Driver head light assembly casting date September 2007. Part number 25876413, which appears to have been superseded. Appears manufactured under automotive lighting with number LH hal 6143101907C2824. The inside connector area of the bulb itself also appears melted. The bulb is available for inspection. The headlamp assembly is still in use on the vehicle after receiving a pigtail splice repair and new bulb. The passenger side headlamp is now working and has received no repairs. Updated IVOQ 11/29/11

- Fuquay Varina , NC, USA

problem #67

Oct 272011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • miles
Passenger side headlamp wiring harness found melted during hid lamp replacement. This is a fire hazard. It appears the melted wire was due to a design\manufacturing defect in that the wiring going to the hid headlamp needs to be made from a larger gauge. Also, there is not enough slack in the bulb assembly to easily replace the bulb.

- Jackson, LA, USA

problem #66

Oct 262011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 91,440 miles
The headlights went out while I was driving home in the early evening, reducing my visability and the ability for others to see my vehicle. Fortunately, it wasn't night yet and I was still able to navigate home, however had it been just an hour later it would have been completely dark and siginificantly more unsafe for this incident to have occurred. The wiring harness is a known defect by GM and steps should be taken to remedy it. This can create unsafe road conditions for Saturn Outlook drivers.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #65

Jul 012011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Head lamp wiring harness was melted due to poor wiring and thin wires.

- Cypress, TX, USA

problem #64

Oct 082011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 40,000 miles
Upon inspection, I noticed that the passenger front head lamp was inoperative. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and a technician concluded that wiring harness had melted and caused the bulb to fail. He then added that the other head lamp would soon fail. The vehicle was repaired at an expense of$ $360. The failure mileage was 40,000.

- Ramsey, NJ, USA

problem #63

Aug 262011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 44,396 miles
On 8/26/2011, I replaced my drivers side headlight bulb and noticed a burnt wire smell but did not notice anything visually, approximately one month later I noticed that my light was out again the next day I bought a new bulb. I started the process of changing out the bulb but noticed it was back on so I stopped. A few days later the bulb was out again so I changed the bulb and noticed that the burnt smell was very bad and the plug on the wire harness and the wire insulation had melted. I have read many complaints for this issue at www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php"T=165895&goto=nextoldest, www.saturnoutlookforum.net/index.php"topic=818.80 and others. Please look into this issue before someone is injured.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #62

Sep 102011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 43,000 miles
Driver side headlight went out, bought a new bulb and went to change it and realized the wiring harness is melted. Called the "authorized" Saturn dealer and was told this was fairly common (what!!!!) and that it would cost approx. $700 to repair. After some on-line research, found alot of people out there with the same problem. Factory warranty that would cover this ran out 4 months prior to this and do not have that kind of money to spend on a simple headlight. This should be a safety issue due to the fire hazard of melting wires and people driving with only 1 or no headlights. Who knows how long I have till the passenger side does the same thing.

- Roy, UT, USA

problem #61

Aug 222011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 44,000 miles
My Saturn Outlook only has 44,000 miles on it and the passenger side headlight went out. Got a replacement bulb from dealership - changed it - and the light was out after a week and a half. Went back to dealership to buy another bulb and when switching it out - noticed that the wiring harness was melted. Looked online only to find that this is a common problem with this vehicle and it should be recalled - as the danger of a fire is a high risk and having working headlights is the law.

- Elkton, SD, USA

problem #60

Mar 012011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 65,000 miles
In March, 2011, my cars left headlight burned out. When I changed the light, I discovered that the wiring harness had melted. I replaced the harness with a GM part bought at a dealership. Last week, the right headlight burned out. Again, when I changed the light, I discovered that the wiring harness also had melted. The wires seem small to me, and are smaller than the wires on the replacement harness.

- Mesquite, TX, USA

problem #59

Aug 012011

Outlook 6-cyl

  • 80,000 miles
Right headlight low beam connection has melted. Was able to remove bulb, but badly burnt, can not replace lamp.

- Oliveburg, PA, USA

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