2007 Saturn Aura XR from North America - Comments

Steering shaft had to be replaced

Air bag sensor had to be replaced

Gas Cap had to be replaced

Front Suspension Noise (clunks/rattles) unable to find cause after several attempts to fix

Refinish front rotors

Replace rear brake pads and rotors

Service Traction control sensor had to be replaced.

This is my first Saturn and I have had nothing but problem with the 2007 Aura XR. I also did a lot of reviewing before choosing the Aura and was looking at the Camry and the Altima. I chose the Aura because it had all of the features that I wanted and priced lower than the other cars that I was comparing. I guess it's true when they say you get what you pay for.

Aside from other problems listed above I too am having problems with noise (other than normal suspension noise) when going over bumps. Although this noise is occasional is has been persistent. The dealership has tried several times to fix the problem and even suggested that I pursue filing a Lemon Law claim; which I have.

Very disappointed in this car and will never buy another Saturn.

Don't feel too bad that you spent less and got a problematic GM. I was just reading Altima reviews for the later years and they are plagued with major problems. One person had to replace the engine in their brand new Altima. Hey, at least you paid less than them.

RE: Aura rotors; It is really important that if you have had rotor issues with your Aura that you contact the Saturn website 800 customer assistance line and open a service ticket. Depending on the mileage, there is warranty extension potential on the rotors if you are persistent and tenacious. Don't take no for an answer.

I suspect the rotor problem is more common than Saturn is willing to admit. However the data that is measured by the NTSA who facilitates recalls is not collected from dealership repair cases, it is only captured if you call the manufacturer direct and initiate a service/quality issue.

12:27:

I own an 08 Altima 2.5SL. It has 30,000 miles on it. In that time it had a screw fall out of the center console which took me 5 minutes to replace and a tire that was VERY slightly out of balance. '08 Altimas are rated average in CR, above average in truedelta.com, and have a 67% approval rate on this site. In 07 and 08 (the only two years that the new model has been out) there were only 2 people out of 14 who said they wouldn't buy again. Everyone else seemed to be happy with their cars although some weren't willing to commit to saying that they'd buy again yet (especially in the 07 area). Plagued with major problems?... very selective input went into THAT conclusion.

But I also like the Aura and would have bought one if the nearest dealer wasn't 130 miles away. I also like the Fusion, Malibu, Accord, and Mazda 6. Not too sure about the Camry.

I have a 07 Aura XR I got for my wife in Dec of 06, it has 44425 miles on it.

I have never had a issue with it as far as a manufacturing issue goes with things that are not routine IE, sensors, transmission, engine, etc. But then again I am a maintenance nut and have been doing routine maintenance on cars and what not since I was like 7 or 8, and I was also an aircraft mechanic in the Navy. I do 90% of the maintenance on my own.

I will never let a Saturn dealership work on it ever again, as I have had 2 bad experiences with 2 different service departments with Saturn dealerships, over doing the simplest of maintenance.

Also, there is no such thing as a perfect car, all cars will have problems, it's just a fact of life, and some could be defective straight from Saturn or any other manufacture. Components will fail as some point or another, some before their supposed to some when they reach their life expectancy. Treat your car/truck/SUV/motorcycle or whatever you drive well, do the maintenance when it needs to be done, don't abuse it, and more than likely it will be a good vehicle for years and years. My 2 cents.