NHTSA Complaint #10587706 — 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK

SUNROOF DEFECT - HAVE OWNED VEHICLE SINCE OCT. 2010. NOV. 2013 WAS OUR FIRST SUNROOF LEAK, THINKING IT WAS A WINDSHIELD ISSUE. HAD THAT CHECKED OUT (AND, OF COURSE, CHARGED FOR A SEALING BY ABRA AUTO BODY), BUT A FEW WEEKS LATER, DEALERSHIP RAN THRU GARAGE CAR WASH AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEM OF LEAKING THRU SUNROOF, PASSENGER FRONT SIDE! THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME WHOOSHING-WATER LIKE SOUNDS BEFORE THE FIRST FEW TIMES THE LEAK HAPPENED. THE DEALERSHIP CLAIMS TO HAVE CLEANED "DEBRIS" OUT OF THE TUBING MECHANISM. FIVE MONTHS LATER, THE LEAK IS BACK. NOT HAVING USED THE SUNROOF FOR MOST OF THAT TIME DUE TO WINTER, OF COURSE. FIRST REPAIR WHICH THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY DID NOT REPAIR, BUT RATHER FIXED, WAS TO CLEAN OUT GUTTER/TUBING. NOW, MAY 2014 THE SAME ISSUE AND AGAIN, THEY CLEANED OUT TUBING AND PUT SOME SILICONE ON THE RUBBER GASKET AREA. WE REFUSED TO PAY FOR LABOR THIS TIME ($90) FOR THE SAME DEFECTIVE PROBLEM WHEN THE SUNROOF HADN'T BEEN USED. THE MANAGER RELUCTANTLY AGREED. IN ADDITION, THE MANAGER QUIZZED US WHETHER THE VEHICLE SAT INSIDE (99% INSIDE GARAGE) OR OUTSIDE. THIS SHOULD NOT MATTER. ALSO, SUGGESTED TOO NOT TO RUN IT THRU POWER CAR WASHES. WE DON'T MIND NOW HAVING TO CHECK TO KEEP "DEBRIS" OUT OF THE SUNROOF TRACK, BUT HAVE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE WITH ANY OF OUR OTHER OLDER AND NEWER VEHICLES WITH SUNROOFS. WE HAVE ALREADY SUNK A LOT OF MONEY INTO THIS VEHICLE UNFORTUNATELY AND DON'T FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE TO YET AGAIN PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE DESIGN BY GM WHEN IT HAPPENS AGAIN WHICH IT WILL. I HAVE ALREADY SUBMITTED AN EMAIL TO SATURN ([email protected]), GM ([email protected]) AND WWW.SATURNFORUMOUTLOOK.NET. THE LATER IS HELPFUL IN THAT YOU ARE NOT ALONE WITH YOUR VEHICLE COMPLAINTS AND BATTLES. IN FACT, MANY AT THIS SITE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WELL OVER $500 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE TUBING. SHAME ON GM! *TR