Using the parking brake would help in some cases.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expanding an investigation into accidents caused by the Saturn Aura sedan where its automatic transmission remained in gear even though the gear selector was in the “Park” position. In a regulatory filing this week NHTSA said that at least seven accidents have been reported.
When NHTSA began the safety defect probe last May only 2007 model year Saturn Aura sedans were implicated. Now the inquiry is expanded to 2008 models as well, covering more than 88,000 Saturns. The Aura is actually a re-badged Opel Vectra.
General Motors is now offering an extended warranty for the 2007 and certain 2008 Saturn Auras, since GM maintains that only the four-speed automatic transmission is potentially defective. Customers will have 10 years or 120,000 miles from the date the vehicle entered service to have free repairs. Owners who already have had repairs made, should keep their receipt for reimbursement., according to GM.
In reviewing consumer reports NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation – ODI – uncovered multiple failure modes that occur when the Saturn shifter cable allegedly fails and the automatic transmission shifter is affected.
One involves an engine no-start problem where the gear shifter is in the park position but the transmission is actually in drive or reverse gear.
A second failure involves non-powered vehicle movement where the driver turns the engine off and moves the shifter to park, but the transmission fails to engage the park gear; the vehicle may then roll away if the driver exits without setting the parking brake.
A third involves powered vehicle movements, where the driver moves the gearshift but the transmission fails to engage the intended gear, and the engine remains running. In this case a driver can shift to park but the transmission may remain in drive or reverse, resulting in vehicle movement when the driver does not expect it. The driver may also shift to reverse but the transmission remains in drive, resulting in the vehicle moving in a direction opposite to that the driver intended.
Another failure mode results in complete loss of shifting.
