2007 Saturn AURA XR: Still ain't right.

This sucks. For everyone involved.
 
Sounds like a design flaw without an identified fix, for which some things have worked for some people and not for others, and that the dealership is trying hard to help but doesn't have the right information or resources to give a definitive fix.
 
I'm pissed that it occured 5 minutes into the test drive...kinda says to me that they were "shining you on" when they told you it was ready, in the hopes that they wouldn't have to keep working on a problem they are not sure how to solve.
 
Joe

In my case, after the dealership worked on the car the first time but then realized the wrong part was ordered after the steering shaft was already removed, it was put back together and the problem actually went away for several weeks before coming back. Every other time the clunk was still evident immediately after picking up the car or returned within a few days after.
 
Mike -- What's the build date on the long term Aura? Look at the sticker on the driver door panel. Mine is 2/07.

that doesn't instill much confidence

I'll stand by my prior prediction that the problem is suspension related and not in the steering shaft. I would suspect either control arm bushings or the tie rods. Those are what cause a clunk in my BMW.

Dorman Products has reengineered several intermediate steering shafts for different applications and they are supposed to work pretty well. In some cases they are supposed to "fix" the problem with the OE design.
 
I don't work for Dorman by the way, and I'm not suggesting anyone put an aftermarket part on a car that is still under warranty. I'm only saying that it could be an inherent design flaw that will continue to flare up no matter how many times they put a new shaft on simply because they are putting the same poorly designed shaft on every time.
 
Anyone try to call GM about this and sniff around about a recall?

tsb's are both good and bad. They provide a clear fix to a problem.
 
But they also blind people, instead of looking for the problem, they go, hey look, this is similar lets try this. Bad service dept. imho.

I'm waiting for the spin.

karjunkie -- It's not the suspension, definitely the steering. It's not only clunking, the steering feel itself is now different. The once weighty feel is gone, replaced by nebulous slop. As I said after taking it home for the evening after Erin's initial report: "Something's just not right."

"Nebulous slop." I like that. A friend who drove my car after one of the many repairs described the steering as a "beat up 1980s arcade driving game."
 
Once this problem starts spreading to all the shiny new Malibus GM will probably have a nice recall on their hands.

This is an issue with many GMK vehicles-Impala, Malibu, Silverado, G6, Cobalt.
My Cobalt had the steering column and intermediate shaft replaced recently. Car still like to go to the left.
My mothers 2006 Impala had the steering column replaced but not the intermediate shaft-still popping through the steering wheel.
It amazes me that GM knows it has a problem with these parts-has known for years in fact, and still uses the same company that is supplying them with garbage.
GM just does not get it and I'm afraid never will.

^^On that note, yay Enclave! Nothing but smooth sailing.^^

Mike & MJD1123-
 
I am having the EXACT same problem on my 2007 Aura XR. I bought it with 8,000 miles on it, steering was perfect for the first 8 months I owned it. Then I started getting the clunk sound. Replaced the intermediate shaft...didn't fix it. Then they did the TSB on it...fixed it a little, but not completely. Then they replaced the whole rack. Now, the clunk is gone, but the steering now feels "sloppy", not tight and properly weighted like before.
 
MJD1123, your story sounds identical to mine, would love to hear if you have any advice on what I should do next.
 
Its a shame, I loved how this car drove when I bought it, now it feels completely different.

I sure hope the entire steering system has been completely reengineered on the new model coming out shortly. This definitely sounds widespread and not just Edmunds usual breaking parts on every single car that they touch. I'm also a bit worried about the dealership, as that doesn't sound like the great service experience Saturn built its reputation on.

My Aura keeps having problems. Had the clunk problem, the dealer took a week or so to get the part. Then, there was a noise from the steering and it still felt "funny". This last fix involved the replacement of a high pressure hose and me driving a basic Aveo for 2 days instead of my fully optioned Aura XR. I really hate the Aveo, really really hate the Aveo. Not a happy camper here with the Aura. I have also have had problems with reverse working reliably lately. I got this car in Jan 07 and have already started looking for a new car.

Hmm, now I'm wondering if I should even request service for the steering feedback issue in my XE. I don't want to go through a whole rigmarole of fixes and re-fixes, just to have it end up with less steering feel overall. Currently, I'd categorize the steering feedback issue in my car as a minor annoyance.
 
What do you all think -- should I just leave it alone until GM figures it out once and for all? Has anyone ever gone through a warranty repair and ended up wishing they'd just left well enough alone?

zillafire,
 
You make a good point with the type of rental cars provided by the GM warranty ($35/daily limit). I've had a Cobalt, Mazda 6, Optima and Sonata as rentals. The warranty doesn't even cover cars in the same class, it's just whatever the cheapest car at the rental place is at the time. It's funny though that Saturn doesn't require GM cars to be rented.
 
misterfusion,
 
Leave your steering alone. Also remember the XE's electric steering is different from the XR's hydraulic. Ironic login name you have there for posting about the Aura, ha.

MJD: At the risk of sounding like a complete noob when it comes to my own car, I've always thought that all Auras have hydraulic steering, because GM had gotten such negative reactions to their previous attempts at electronic steering. I think it has electronic throttle, though, but what do I know... :P
 
As for my name -- yeah, I was thinking of an accessory to a certain '85 DeLorean at the time. The Ford of the same name never even occurred to me until after I signed up!

My wife had her 2006 G6's ISS replaced recently and that has fixed the clunking noise for now. The car still pulls to the left though. The mechanic has tried to tell us its torque steer, but we get the pulling going over bumps and, at times, slowing down. So, the conclusion is that they were unable to detect it thus no fault found.
 
Has anyone figured out what the pulling is?

misterfusion,
 
Oops, I mixed up my Auras. The electric steering is the hybrid. That was the part they ordered in error instead of the hydraulic. Of course they didn't notice until I was given a Cobalt rental for the day and the mechanic already started to disassemble the steering system.

You were right the first time, mjd1123. The Aura XE I-4 and Green Line models both have electric power steering, and all V6 models (3.5 and 3.6) have hydraulic. So, you apparently have 2 choices: lifeless but reliable electric, or problematic hydraulic.
 
Actually, we have electric PS in our VUE and like it just fine. Amazingly accurate and perfectly weighted steering in the VUE would just demonstrate the limits of the chassis in general. For a compact SUV, it's just fine.

my understanding is that GM made some revisions to the electric power steering on the Malibu and Cobalt SS. The G6 got a lot of flak for steering feel when it came out and I guess that prompted the improvements.
 
With all these steering noise problems it's hard to see why they didn't prevent the Aura Xe from being recommended by CR. I haven't heard any clunk yet but we'll see what happens. One thing is for sure, if it's widespread it should affect Malibu's and G6's as well since they likely use the same steering system.

My 2000 Impala had/has a similar problem. They said this was a known problem and that GM had issued numerous TSBs. First was to lubricate the input shaft, then it was to replace it. Then they went back to lubricating it with a new grease. That is what was done to mine about 18 mos. ago. It was cured for quite a while, but lately the problem seems to be coming back after around 30k.

FYI: The electric steering on the 4cyl Malibu is actually quite nice.

94gp's post illustrates the issue that was occurring with the full-sized GM 800 series trucks perfectly, down to GM's solution.
 
tackepj, your post makes it sound like the hydraulic steering is unreliable. That's not the case- the steering system doesn't quit when this problem occurs, it just makes noise / feels a bit odd. Assist still works, and you can still operate the vehicle normally. The 04 Electric Power Steering systems in *all* Malibus didn't fare so well, in that the system sometimes disabled assist completely, until you restarted the car. Ours was replaced by the dealership less than a year into ownership.
 
That EPS system was also widely criticized by reviewers because of being oversensitive and lacking feel. I personally liked it, and especially appreciated the contribution to our 04's 35-38 mpg highway (ALL highway) fuel economy, even with the 3.5l pushrod V6. But GM chose to address the criticisms by reverting to the hydraulic system for all non four cylinder powertrains in that generation of Malibus. This is probably why the new cars continue to have hydraulic systems except with the four cylinders.

maybe this car should be taken to another dealership.

I'm with Mike. I actually prefered the Malibu's electric steering to its hydraulic set-up in the V6.