NHTSA Complaint #11042529 — 2008 SATURN ASTRA

2008 SATURN ASTRA XR 2DR, 5 SPEED MANUAL, 98K MILES. P2138 CODE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS REPEATEDLY OCCURRED, RESULTING IN FIVE REPLACEMENT ACCELERATOR PEDALS TO DATE, WITH A SIXTH PEDAL REQUIRED. ACCELERATOR PEDALS HAVE FAILED IN AS LITTLE AS LESS THAN ONE WEEK OF OPERATION, OR AS LONG AS THREE YEARS OF OPERATION. ALL PEDAL ASSEMBLIES BEING REPLACED WERE OEM DEALER PARTS. WIRING HARNESS WAS INSPECTED FOR WATER INTRUSION PER TSB 07-06-04-019E, AND DETERMINED TO BE A NON-ISSUE. AS THIS IS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR, THE FIRST 1/3-1/2 OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL PRODUCES NO ACCELERATION, MAKING PROPER CLUTCH TO ENGINE RPM ENGAGEMENT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND UNSAFE. ADDTIONALLY, THE CAR MAY OR MAY NOT REMAIN IN REDUCED POWER MODE WHILE DRIVING, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN THE CAR GOING FROM PART THROTTLE TO WIDE OPEN THROTTLE CONDITIONS WITH NO ADDITIONAL DRIVER INPUT, CREATING MULTIPLE NEAR-COLLISIONS. VEHICLE BEHAVIOR DUE TO THIS ISSUE IS ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE, AND THEREFORE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ISSUE DOES NOT APPEAR TO CORRELATE WITH WEATHER, TEMPERATURE, TERRAIN, TIME OF OPERATION, OR ANY OTHER CAUSE.