2007 Saturn Aura Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission problems — rough or delayed shifting, hesitation when accelerating, and occasionally a shifter that will not engage or release from Park — along with brake lights that stay on or fail to light, which several owners link to cruise control and brake wear. Air bag warning messages and power steering loss also recur, most often on vehicles with well over 60,000 miles.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission shudder, slipping or failure to move

   • 212 complaints (35%)
   • median 90,000 mi at 6.8 yrs old (183 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 25 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2026

   Complaints describe the transmission jerking, hesitating, or refusing to move when accelerating from a stop or at highway speed, sometimes with the engine revving while the car barely moves. Some owners report the vehicle dropping into a reduced-power mode or stalling the transmission entirely, requiring a tow. Dealers often rebuilt or replaced the transmission, and several owners said no warning appeared beforehand. Mostly reported between roughly 40,000 and 150,000 miles, often during acceleration from a stop or at highway speed.

   Recall 12V460000Recall 14V2240003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from a cold start and note any hesitation, shudder or delayed engagement in Drive and Reverse. Ask for transmission service records and whether the shift cable recall work (12V460000, 14V224000) was completed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was on my way to work, in rush hour traffic, when I accelerated after being at a stop light. Just as I started to accelerate when the light turned green I could tell the engine was racing but I was going no where. I managed to drift off the side of the road and had to call a tow truck. The car won't go forward or reverse. Dealer now putting in a new transmission at $3000. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10515666, filed 2013-06, 85,747 miles

   “On 09/12/14, I was driving my vehicle exiting a highway when my transmission stalled out and would not move forward. This put me and other vehicles in danger as there was no notification or indicator that transmission problems were occurring. I have learned that the vehicle has transmission failure.”

   NHTSA complaint #10640896, filed 2014-10, 104,100 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shifter will not engage Park or move out of gear

   • 198 complaints (33%)
   • median 86,699 mi at 6.6 yrs old (172 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,150 (median of 22 quotes)
   • filed 2006–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle rolling after being shifted into Park, refusing to start because it is not recognized as being in Park, or failing to shift out of gear when leaving a parking spot. Some complaints mention the shift cable breaking or the selector not matching the actual gear. A few owners noted their VIN was not covered by the shift cable recalls. Mostly reported above 50,000 miles, often at low speed while parking or maneuvering.

   Recall 14V224000Recall 12V4600001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Shift through every gear with the engine running and confirm Park holds the car on a slight incline. Ask whether the shift cable and linkage recall repairs were performed for this VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car does not seem to go into park when you do think you have it in park it isn't another gear and as lurched out and almost smashed a couple people that have helped me with the car it also seems to have a tendency to roll because it is not fully going in the park and I cannot even start it”

   NHTSA complaint #11192131, filed 2019-03, 160,000 miles

   “In march 2009 there was a recall on the shift cable for the 2008 and 2009 Saturn AURA but not on the 2007. I own a 2007 AURA and the shift cable recently snapped in half while driving. My car was literally stuck in drive on an incline. After my mechanic purchased a new cable he noticed that the design was totally different which lead me to research the recall on that part. I don't understand how a part can be recalled but only for certain years and not all 3 years the car was made. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10374834, filed 2011-01, 105,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake lights stay on or fail to illuminate

   • 101 complaints (17%)
   • median 74,800 mi at 6.4 yrs old (86 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,200 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2009–2023

   Owners report the brake lights coming on by themselves while driving and going out when the pedal is pressed, or the opposite — no lights when braking. Some link it to cruise control that will not engage, and a few describe the pedal sticking or the transmission being movable from Park without the brake. Dealers often could not reproduce the condition, and some owners had the brake pedal position sensor or related parts replaced. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 40,000 to over 140,000 miles, in ordinary driving.

   Recall 14V252000

   What to check: Have someone watch the rear lights while you press and release the brake, and check that cruise control engages. Ask whether the brake pedal position sensor and the 14V252000 recall software work were done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My external brake lights come on as soon as I crank my vehicle. They do not go off unless I press my brake pedal. I have almost been rear ended a couple of times. Also when I first get in my vehicle when I press my brake pedal it gets stuck and it makes it hard to put my car in gear. I need this checked almost immediately. This is my second time filing a claim. The first one was not looked at.”

   NHTSA complaint #11119947, filed 2018-08, 150,000 miles

   “I bought this 2007 Saturn AURA on 05/23/2010. The same day I started noticing my cruise control wasn't working properly. Sometime it would work, other times it wouldn't. Then I realized when I drove the car home that night that the brake lights were on and this was causing the cruise to not work. The brake lights will come on at random times without pressing on the brake pedal. You have to press the brake pedal to shut them off. Opposite of what should be happening. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10382212, filed 2011-02, 35,000 miles
4. 4
   Air bags

   Air bag warning light and passenger seat sensor

   • 103 complaints (17%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (83 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2023

   Complaints describe a "Service Air Bag" message and warning light appearing at random, or the passenger air bag indicator showing off even with an adult in the seat. Some owners were told the passenger presence module needed replacement; others said the dealer could not duplicate the fault or that the repair was not covered. The warning often comes and goes on its own. Most often reported between roughly 17,000 and 110,000 miles, with no clear pattern by weather or driving conditions.

   What to check: With the ignition on, watch the passenger air bag indicator with an adult in the seat and confirm it reads on. Scan for stored air bag codes and ask whether the passenger presence module has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have owned this 2007 Saturn AURA since 2017 and the service airbag light will come on intermittently whether there is a front passenger or not, sometimes the light will remain on for the entire time I'm using the car that day and then other times the light come on for a brief period and on rare occasions the light will remain off that entire day. It doesn't seem to matter if the car is in motion or at what speed this occurs, it seems to be totally random. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11350469, filed 2020-08, 105,000 miles

   “My passenger air bag light came on. When I took it to the dealership they indicated it was a bad bag that looked like it had been used. The car has never been in any kind of wreck. I bought it from a dealership with 28,000 miles and a carfax indicated one owner and no wrecks. I noticed on GM recall list several passenger air bags are being recalled. My dealership wants $700.00 to replace and I feel it should be fixed by GM for putting a faulty air bag in the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #10644280, filed 2014-10, 70,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Power steering loss or heavy steering

   • 58 complaints (10%)
   • median 86,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (53 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2024

   Complaints describe the steering suddenly becoming very hard to turn, sometimes with a whine or fluid loss, and a few report the wheel pulling or catching mid-turn. Some owners found a failed power steering hose or pump; others had the system checked without a definite cause found. A small number describe the loss happening while driving rather than only at startup. Reported from about 68,000 miles upward, often first noticed at low speed or when turning into a parking space.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Check the power steering fluid level and look for leaks or a whine when turning the wheel at idle. Turn lock to lock at low speed and note any binding or loss of assist.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Beginning around march 4 2015, car began to have issues with loss of power steering. Initially, it would sometimes have no power steering at start up. I would turn it off and then back on and eventually, this would result in power steering being restored. While driving, the steering wheel would pull independently. At stop lights, if I took my hands off the wheel, the steering wheel would twitch and shake and turn by itself. On sat. March 21, 2015 I lost power steering while driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10701734, filed 2015-03, 144,000 miles

   “Power steering high pressure line failed when the hose became disconnected from the end crimp. The power steering system lost all of its fluid resulting in the complete loss of power steering. The failure occurred when traveling in reverse at a slow speed and maneuvering out of a garage.”

   NHTSA complaint #11397402, filed 2021-02, 68,000 miles

Buying note. Transmission and shift linkage behavior deserve the most attention on this model year — a thorough test drive and a check that the applicable recall work was completed will tell you a lot. Have a pre-purchase inspection look at the brake light switch, steering system and air bag codes before you commit.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.