2009 Saturn Aura: complete transmission failure

Filed May 27, 2025 · Steering, Transmission · 124,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while coming to a stoplight, the transmission failed to shift properly, and the vehicle jerked. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized with the power steering warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

Filed Jan 21, 2020 · Steering · MO

Power steering intermittently goes out. Works after restarting vehicle. Had scheduled appointment on dec 27th to fix power steering issue. Was under recall issued warranty. Missed appointment after transmission went out. Was diagnosed bu mechanic who fixed transmission. Took it to gm dealership. Diagnosed it with same problem. Refused to honor warranty because it expired on the 31st. And was diagnosed a week later. Even though had said issue before it expired and confirmation emails to prove it.

Filed Sep 22, 2019 · Transmission · 107,244 miles · WA

I have a 2009 saturn aura, this vehicle was not recalled previously for the transmission issue, but I find now the transmission is going out on my car. It is only 10 years old and was wondering if somehow it was missed or something. It is slipping in the transmission and I was told that I would have to have a new transmission. It is worse in reverse. My car is now parked as I do not want to get out somewhere and have the transmission quit completely. I have never had a transmission go out this quick in a vehicle. There was a previous recall and I was wondering if somehow my car was missed or if something happened. Thank you

Filed Jun 20, 2018 · Transmission · 95,000 miles · MI

Experienced complete loss of reverse gear and forward gears are slipping, and or not engaging so that engine rpms are well above normal before lunging into higher gear and/or not shifting at all. Difficult to reach speeds above 35 MPH. Problem first occurred two days prior and after sitting overnight, seemed to return to normal operation. After parking in angle parking spot with nose forward, the car would not reverse out of parking spot. I had assistance towing aura out of parking spot, and was able to drive forward at low speed to transmission shop. Diagnosis was failure of upper and reverse gears required transmission rebuild with suspected failure of wave plate. Obtained information on gm special coverage adjustment #14404 - transmission clutch wave plate (mar 3, 2015) which extended warranty to 10 yrs/120,000 mi. My 09 saturn aura is within 10 yr period having purchased in january 2010, and has approx 95k miles. I contacted gm customer assistance and was told that my saturn aura is not covered based on the fact that according to my VIN, I have a mh8 6-spd transmission, and the warranty applies only to "other" 6-spd transmissions . . . Even though the transmission failure is for the exact same issue identified in the special coverage adjustment, or specifically that the 6 speed fwd automatic transmission may experience a cracked or fractured wave plate, resulting in a loss of 3rd, 5th, and reverse gears.

Filed May 21, 2018 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 96,000 miles · CO

When I bought the car last year the dealership said they installed brand new brakes but they where still squeaking so I just thought it was because of the new brakes but a month later my brakes and rotors and calipers were completely gone it costed me $1200 to replace them but then 2 months later again it started doing the same thing my brakes wore down completely so I asked my uncle to look at them and change them for me so he did and now my brakes are doing the same thing they grind very loud and squeak and I didn't buy no cheap brakes either they where top performance brakes another problem I had what's my control module in my transmission went out as I was driving on the high way my speedometer wasn't working and my car moved slowly and made a loud noise so I replaced it and it's working for now then my doors won't unlock I'll hit the unlock button in the car and the key chain but my back door on the drivers side does not unlock and my driver door does the same occasionally I have to pull the lock to unlock it and I've had my tires balance rotated and all that more than once but for some reason my front tires wear down fast I've went through 2 sets of front tires but my back tires are still good

Filed Jun 14, 2017 · Transmission · 41,880 miles · MI

35r waved plate broke and damaged transmission internal components. Also damaged teams case. Indepenant shop suggested I take thi car to gm dealer as this is happening on other vehicles with 6 speed electronic controlled transmissions. Gm dealer told me there was a service action against this transmission with a 6 cylinder engine, but my car has a 4 cylinder engine and gm could not offer any assistance.. Gm customer service representative suggested I contact the federal safety agency with my concern of defective transmission in vehicle. My car has 41883 miles at time of transmission replacement. When waved plate shattered, I was driving on I-94 west bound at 55 MPH, causing the vehicle into lump mode as I braked for traffic. I was fortunate that I was not hit by the pick up truck behind me as he changed lanes to pass.. Car was repaired at gordon chevrolet in garden city, mi 48135. Customer number 2440373, invoice number 21573.

Filed Feb 23, 2017 · 95,327 miles · TX

My transmission went out suddenly on the tex-express toll road in dallas, going 75 MPH (the posted speed limit) on a narrow 2 lane overpass in the dark hours of the morning. There were previously no mechanical problems then suddenly I was going about 45 miles an hour. I managed to get off the overpass without an accident but my car would not shift to higher gears and upon parking it I discovered it wouldn't go in reverse either. My mechanic said that the wave plate broke and tore out the rest of the transmission. Other gm cars from my year had their wave plates part of a voluntary recall, however my VIN is not listed as an affected unit. I'm concerned the problem may be more wide spread than originally reported.

Filed Jan 21, 2015 · Transmission · 86,057 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 saturn aura. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into park. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for further inspection. The contact was not included in the federal safety agency campaign numbers: 09v073000 (power train) and 12v460000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 86,057.

Filed Dec 30, 2014 · Transmission · 81,651 miles · MI

Transmission clutch plate cracked per dealership. Car started shifting hard. Had the transmission failed on the expressway it could have caused an accident.

Filed Jan 10, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 116,500 miles · CA

Driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost forward momentum and the tachometer indicated 5000+ rpms. I was able to get to the shoulder and call for a tow truck. After extensive research on-line and with personal contacts which work for a gm dealer, it is most likely the 3-5-r wave plate which has rendered the vehicle hazardous to drive. After towing home and letting the vehicle sit it started fine but it has a new whining sound coming from the engine. Shifting from park to reverse results in mixed results. Some instances it will actually shift into reverse and propel the vehicle backwards. Shifting to drive I have the same mixed results, with no forward movement noted on most occasions. The harrowing experience of losing drive while at 60 MPH is enough of a safety concern to warrant further exploration into a recall of the vehicles affected with the same transmission (6t70/6t75) which are installed in various models of gm products since 2007. The common repair varies from replacement of the defective wave plate to complete transmission replacement. Either option is very costly to the consumer and with a "known" defect that affects gm vehicles with as little as 40,000 miles on them.

Filed Mar 20, 2013 · Transmission · 85,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 saturn aura. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the transmission failed and would not switch to the next gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 85,000.