Two problems related to steering noise have been reported for the 2008 Saturn Outlook. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Saturn Outlook based on all problems reported for the 2008 Outlook.
The contact owns a 2008 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds attempting to make a turn, a loud abnormal squeaky noise emitted from the steering column and excessive force was required in order to turn the wheel. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Noticed while driving at any speed that slight movement of the steering wheel right or left caused a whining noise in the steering column area. Only a few days later I noticed the car bucking when shifting in the lower gears after accelerating from a stop. Two days after the lower gear shifting issues, I noticed the car stuttered and bucked when I shifted into reverse and attempted to back into my driveway. I brought the car in for service and was told the car threw a code - p0018 - which means "crank to cam intake", along with saying the rack and pinion is leaking and could be fixed at a cost of $1700. And the transmission is shot and they recommended bringing to a local transmission shop to get the best cost/service. I have no idea what that will cost. The car only has 54k miles on it. Our 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty expired in September 2013. This could have been a major safety issue. Now it appears the repairs will cost a third of what the car is currently worth. Those systems should not fail after such low mileage.