NHTSA Complaint #10610302 — 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK

JUNE 25, 2014: ONE WEEK AFTER WE SPENT $1600.00 FOR AN UNRESOLVED ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE WE WERE SOMEWHAT HOPEFUL THAT NOTHING ELSE COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE. I WENT TO UNLOCK THE CAR WITH THE REMOTE AND IT DID NOT RESPOND. MY HUSBAND TRIED TO JUMP START IT AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. THE LATEST BATTERY WE PURCHASED WAS IN NOVEMBER 2013, SO THIS WAS CONCERNING TO US. AS WE LIFTED THE FLOOR MAT TO GET TO THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT WE FOUND MOLD. ONCE THE BATTERY COVER WAS MOVED AND THE BATTERY WAS REMOVED WE FOUND ABOUT 2 INCHES OF BROWN WATER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. IN ADDITION, THE BATTERY WHICH WE KEPT HAD MOLD ON IT AS WELL. WE WERE BLESSED TO HAVE BEEN AT HOME WHEN THIS OCCURRED BECAUSE THE CAR WAS WORKING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WITH NO ISSUES. HAD WE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A BIGGER ISSUE BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH US IN THE HOT, HOUSTON HEAT. THIS IS SAFETY CONCERN BECAUSE THERE IS NO REASON THAT WATER SHOULD BE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG THE WATER WAS THERE AND BECAUSE OF THIS I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS WHEN IT RAINS, EVEN A LITTLE BECAUSE THE BATTERY MAY DIE. I AM GLAD WE FOUND THIS OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVE PICTURES AS EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ISSUE. I HAVE MADE THIS ISSUE KNOWN TO SATURN CUSTOMER CARE. *TR