2002 Saturn Vue

INCIDENT = SECOND INSTANCE IN 54,438 MILES OF: TIMING CHAIN 'SLIPPED' DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THIS IS ON MY 2002 SATURN VUE, 4 CYL. ENGINE - FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. SATURN BLAMES ME FOR NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE EVERY 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE REQUIREMENT. (AND IS SATISFIED TO LOOK NO FURTHER FOR OTHER CAUSES.) I HAVE SEEN A REPORT, ON THIS SITE, OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO FREQUENT TIMING CHAIN FAILURES IN L-SERIES MODELS (HAVING THE SAME ENGINE). THE REPORT REFERENCES LACK OF OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN OPERATING AT LOW RPM. (THIS IS THE TYPE OF DRIVING I DO.) THE REPORT ALSO REFERENCES "ALL TIMING CHAIN SERVICE KITS NOW AVAILABLE WILL INCLUDE AN OILER NOZZEL, A NEW DESIGN THAT WILL INCREASE OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN UNDER LOW RPM OPERATING CONDITIONS". THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTEE AT 24,663 MILES. THE CURRENT INSTANCE OCCURRED AT 54,438 MI. , AND IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTEE. DAMAGE RESULTING = ENGINE DAMAGE FOR THE SECOND INSTANCE IS "BEYOND REPAIR", AND I AM TOLD THE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARANTEE, SATURN OFFERS TO PAY 50% OF THE COST OF A REBUILT ENGINE REPLACEMENT. BUT, I CANNOT AFFORD EVEN 50% AT THIS TIME. I HAVE OPENNED A CASE WITH SATURN TO GET MORE SUPPORT. THE CASE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING ACTION BY THE DISTRICT MANAGER WHO IS ON VACATION UNTIL THE FIRTST OF THE YEAR. *NM

(1) WAS TURNING RIGHT FROM DRIVEWAY ONTO STREET FROM WORK (2) WAS A LOUD METAL SNAPPING SOUND, THEN A GRINDING TYPE SOUND WHILE DRIVING HOME. THUMPS WHEN MAKING TURNS WHEN CHECKED AT HOME, DISCOVERED THAT FRONT STABILIZER BAR'S RIGHT LINK HAD SNAPPED LOOSE AT JUNCTION OF ROD AND BALL JOINT ON THE SUSPENSION STRUT. GRINDING WAS DUE TO LOOSE END OF THE LINK RUBBING INSIDE THE WHEEL. (3) LINK HAD TO BE REPLACED, WAS DIFFERENT DESIGN FROM ORIGINAL. ORIGINAL WAS 3 PIECES SCREWED TOGETHER, REPLACEMENT WAS CASST SINGLE PIECE. ORIGINAL IS AVAILABLE. FAILURE COULD HAVE LED TO THE BROKEN PIECE DISABLING BRAKES IF IT RUPTURED THE BRAKE HOUSE, OR DISABLING ABS HAD IT BROKEN WIRE LEADS WHICH ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY. PARTS REDESIGN POINTS TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE THAT OLD DESIGN IS DEFECTIVE. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR 2002 VUE MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND THEN BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. AS WE WERE PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN WOULD NOT RE-START. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TOWED THE VUE TO THEIR LOT AND INFORMED US , THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SKIPPED AND BLEW THE MOTOR. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NO MAINTENANCE AND DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO BE CHECKED UNTIL 100,000 MILES. MY VUE HAD 65,000 MILES. AFTER 3 WEEKS WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD REBUILD THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $3500- $3800 AND SATURN WOULD PAY HALF OF THAT COST. SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR, THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL IT COOLED OFF. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED A SENSOR FOR THE CAM SHAFT. THE SWITCH FOR THE BACK WIPER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND WE WERE TOLD BY SATURN TECH'S THAT THE MOTOR FOR THE BACK WIPER ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AGAIN AT OUR COST. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SATURN VUE TO WORK, THE REDUCED POWER AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND I HAD NO POWER. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE A STATE TROOPER SAT BEHIND ME WITH HIS LIGHTS ON SO THAT I WOULD NOT BE REAR-ENDED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR STATION WHERE IT COULD NOT BE FIXED, SO IT WAS TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALER. IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SINCE THE ENGINE WAS A "ZERO TOLERANCE" ENGINE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $2000. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT DO NOT HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES SO THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY (FOR WHICH I PAID $1700). HERITAGE (THE COMPANY WHICH I BOUGHT THE WARRANTY FROM WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR AT SATURN) SAYS THAT IF I PAY $435 TO HAVE THE ENGINE TORN DOWN, THEY WILL SEND AN AUDITOR TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OR NOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE THAT THEY WILL PUT IN HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN MAY BREAK ON THIS ENGINE AS WELL. *NM

DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN.. THIS HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES OVER THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS BUT USUALLY AFTER ATTEMPTING SEVERAL TIMES THE DOOR WOULD FINALLY OPEN, HOWEVER THIS TIME IT WOULD NOT OPEN.. I RETURNED TO MY HOME AND REFUSED TO DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL THE DEALER COULD LOOK AT IT AND SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IT TOOK 4 DAYS BEFORE I COULD GET AN APPOINTMENT. AFTER DRIVING 75 MILES TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP I WAS TOLD THAT THE DOOR PANEL HAD 2 BROKEN CLIPS THAT HELD THE SIDE PANEL ON AND THAT IT WOULD COST $450 TO REPLACE THE DOOR PANEL.. I FIND THIS TO BE AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR FIRE AND THE NEED TO EVACUATE THE AUTOMOBILE.. MY ISSUE HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AS OF YET BUT AFTER OWNING A TOTAL OF 3 SATURN CARS AND ALL THREE HAVING DEFECTIVE ISSUES THAT SATURN WILL PROBABLY DO NOTHING. I FIND IT ODD THAT SATURN OFFERED 2 YEARS AGO TO BUY BACK OUR SATURN VUE BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO USE IT FOR RESEARCH... WE DECLINED ALTHOUGH WE NOW REGRET NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH IT. SATURN DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND NEVER CLAIM LIABILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY PRODUCT. I WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER SATURN PRODUCT NOR WOULD I EVER RECOMMEND SATURN TO A FRIEND. *JB

I HAVE A FAILED TRANSMISSION, ON A 2002 SATURN VUE WITH 56K MILES ON IT. I BROUGHT IT IN THREE MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING THEY CLAIMED THEY CHANGED THE FLUID, DID A TUNE UP ETC., BUT THE RIDE REALLY DIDN'T CHANGE. WELL THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY WENT OUT, AND THEY'RE ORDERING PARTS TO "FIX" THE TRANSMISSION INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT. IN FACT THEY DON'T MAKE THE TRANSMISSION ANYMORE (WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE, WHO WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T WORK) BUT NOW IF MINE GOES OUT I HAVE TO EITHER HAVE PARTS REPLACED, OR GET ONE OUT OF A WRECKED ONE. *NM