2003 Saturn Vue

IGNITION SWITCH/CONTROL "LOCKS" WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE, AND THEN IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO UNLOCK, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE CAR .... VUE IS 4 YEARS OLD, WITH 33,000 MILES... VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS SINCE THE FIRST DAY I OWNED IT. COMPLAINED TO DEALERSHIP A YEAR AGO, DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE CHECK, AND WAS TOLD THAT I MUST BE YANKING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT INTO "LOCK" POSITION WHILE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR! SERIOULY, IF IT WAS THAT DIFFICULT TO TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WHILE STARTING IT, DO THEY THINK I WOULD DELIBERATELY DO THIS? IGNITION SWITCH/CONTROL COMPLETELY FAILED 8/7. HAD TO CALLED AAA TWICE FOR HELP; FIRST TIME THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER BANGED ON THE KEY WHILE IT WAS IN THE IGNITION AND IT UNLOCKED...SAID HE SEES THIS ALL OF THE TIME AND THAT THE CONTROL WAS PROBABLY GOING OUT. I CALLED DEALERSHIP AND MADE AN APPT. TO TAKE IT IN, TO BE CHECKED. SECOND TIME, SAME DAY @10 PM....AGAIN AAA DRIVER HAD TO BANG ON THE KEY, TO GET IT UNLOCKED...IMMEDIATELY DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND LEFT IT IN THEIR DRIVEWAY TO SERVICE IN THE MORNING. AWAITING CALL ON COST OF REPAIRS.. MORE THAN LIKELY OUT OF WARRANTY NOW. MY SATURN L300 SEDAN, DID THE SAME THING .....TRADED IT FOR THE VUE WHEN MY LEASE WAS UP. A CO-WORKER SAYS HIS ION DOES IT, AND HIS DAUGHTER'S OLDER MODEL L200 HAS ALWAYS DONE THIS .... *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE CAN BE DRIVEN, BUT HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THE GAUGES DID NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE PURCHASE DATE AND CORRECT VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 27,000. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED A/C, HORN, WINDSHIELD WIPERS, INTERNAL LIGHTS, AND ODOMETER ALL WERE INOPERABLE. THE CONSUMER STATED AUSTIN SATURN TRIED TO TIGHTEN THE FUSE BLOCK BOLTS, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY WORSE AFTERWARDS. THEY REPLACED THE BCM FOR HALF PRICE. UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

FAILED VTI TRANSMISSION..STARTED ON 12/03/03 WITH 9199 MILES. REDUCED POWER LIGHT, CAR WOULD NOT GO WHEN PLACED IN GEAR, FIX-CODE P0107, MAP SENSOR LOW CIRCUIT VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM ON 6/28/04 WITH N14807 MILES. WRENCH LIT, SATURN ALLEGEDLY NOT FOUND ON 12-02-04 WITH 20178 MILES NOT PROPERLY SHIFTING,WRENCH LIGHT,FIXED. DTC B2707 INTO SHIFT LOCK TRANSMISSION ON 6/30/05 WITH 27797 MILES SES LIGHT, NOT FOUND. ON 7/17/06 WITH 48664 MI.LES WONT SHIFT GEARS. FIX TOTAL REBUILD AS PER SATURN EXTENDED WARRANTY. ON 11/21/06 4WITH 8664 MILES NOT SHIFTING , STOPPED, THEN WENT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE, FIX ED AGAIN. ON 3/10/07 WITH 50107 MILES STOPPED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC THEN WENT. INTERMITENTLY SHOOK IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN AT OPERATING TEMPERATURES. AS PER SATURN NOT FOUND. ALSO, AIR BAG/HORN ISSUES, ON 1/31/06 WITH 38441 MILES AIR BAG LIGHT WAS ON. .SATURN ALLEDGED NOT FOUND ON 4/10/06, AND ON 41040 MILES AGAIN AIR BAG LI, AS PER SATURN DTCB1800472,,DTCB1001, REPLACED MODUAL ASSEMBLY.WAS CHARGED $578.40 .AFTER THAT HORN WAS GOING ON OWN , ASSUMED WAS PART OF ALARM SYSTEM . HORN BURNED OUT, AND SATURN WANTA ABOUT $1500 TO REPAIR WHEN THERE IWAS A AN ADMITTED DESIGN FLAW. ALARM SYSTEM WAS VERIFIED BY OUTSIDE SOURCE OPERATIONAL, NOT EVEN SURE IF AIR BAG WILL DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT.*AK

IT STARTED WITH HAVING STRANGE CLICKING IN THE TURN SIGNALS. THEN THE TEMP LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE NEEDLE WOULD BURY ITSELF INTO THE RED PORTION OF THE DIAL. WE NOTICED NO SMELL OR PROBLEMS WITH DRIVING THE CAR AND THE RADIATOR AND COOLANT RESEVIOR CHECKED OUT TO BE FINE. NEXT CAME THE OIL LIGHT ON AFTER WE HAD ALREADY HAD THE OIL CHANGED. THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON LONGER AFTER STARTING THE CAR. THEN AS SUDDENLY AS THINGS STARTED, EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL EXCEPT THE TURN SIGNALS. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT BEGAN. THIS TIME WITH THE HORN GETTING STUCK, THEN THE SERVICE LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON ALONG WITH THE OIL LIGHT. THEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED STAYING ON LONGER AND LONGER. BY THIS TIME IT IS WINTER AND I'M HEARING STRANGE SOUNDS FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. ONE DAY WE NOTICE THE HORN IS NO LONGER WORKING AND THE FRONT END SOUND LIKE IT'S GOING TO FALL OFF. WE'RE AFRAID TO USE THE HEATER DEFROSTER TOO MUCH FOR FEAR THE CAR MAY OVER HEAT. I TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND DIAGNOTIC. IT WAS NOT BOUGHT AT A SATURN DEALER. I AM TOLD THAT THE HOUSING FOR THE OIL FILTER IS BROKEN AND NEEDS REPLACING. I PAY FOR HALF OF THAT. I NEED NEW LINKS IN THE FRONT. THE HORN WORKS. THE TEMP GAUGE IS GOING INTO THE RED. AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE GAUGES. IT WAS SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO A SATURN DEALER. I WENT TO MY LOCAL SATURN DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE FRONT LINKS. THEY DIAGNOSED THE OTHER PROBLEMS AS: AIRBAG STEER WHEEL CONTACTS COLLAPSED - $800.00, SHORTED BCM- $449.00, HORN SHORTED- $101.00, FUSE BLOWN-$23.60, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. SPOKE WITH SATURN CORP, THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY $500.00 TOWARD REPAIR OF AIRBAG AS LONG AS WE GO TO THE SATURN DEALER. PRESENTLY WE'RE SEEKING MONETARY ASSISTANCE FROM THE SELLING DEALERSHIP WHICH HAS MOVED OVER 50 MILES AWAY. THIS CASE IS STILL PENDING.

THE HORN ON MY 2003 2WD SATURN VUE HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND IS NON-OPERATIONAL. ONE DAY, WHILE THE CAR WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF, THE HORN ACTIVATED BY ITSELF AND WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE HORN WOUND UP DYING COMPLETELY AND NOW THE HORN, RELAY, FUSES, AND WIRING ALL NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE HORN ACTIVATOR IS LOCATED INSIDE THE AIRBAG UNIT INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL UNIT. THE HORN ACTIVATOR IS COVERED BY A COPPER PROTECTIVE PLATE WHICH DEFORMS OVER TIME DUE TO THE DRIVER HAVING TO PRESS EXETREMELY HARD ON THE HORN BUTTONS TO ACTIVATE THE HORN. WHEN THE COPPER PLATE BECOMES DEFORMED, THE HORN ACTIVATES AND IS UNABLE TO BE DEACTIVATED UNLESS THE MAIN FUSE FOR THE HORN IS PULLED. IN MY CAR, THE FUSE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE LOCATED AND PULLED IN TIME, LEADING TO THE UNIT FAILURE. NOW I HAVE NO HORN AND THE DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE $750 TO REPLACE THE UNIT. FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON SATURN FORUMS ON THE WEB, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS MAKE/MODEL/YEAR DUE TO A DESIGN DEFECT IN THE HORN UNIT. DESPITE THE FACT THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE (SOME MORE THAN ONCE), GM HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL. *NM

WHEN STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND SITTING STILL FOR A FEW SECONDS, THERE IS A LOUD THUMPING SOUND (OCCURRING THREE OR FOUR TIMES) FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE (SOUNDS SIMILAR TO A LOOSE FUEL TANK BAFFLE). THE DEALER STATED THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH THEY TRIED A COUPLE OF IDEAS. WHILE I'VE FOUND THIS ON SEVERAL WEBSITES ONLINE, NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW THE CAUSE. EVERYONE SEEMS TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM. IT'S DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE AS IT SEEMS INTERMITTANT, BUT HAPPENS ON AVERAGE ONCE PER DAY. BEING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE EMINATING FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM, I THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD TAKE THIS ISSUE MORE SERIOUSLY, AND MORE THAN LIKELY THIS IS SOMETHING THEY CAN CORRECT BY REPLACING THE FUEL TANK, I FEEL THAT THEY JUST DON'T WANT THAT EXPENSE. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HORN SWITCH, AS IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IN A PANIC SITUATION, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO BE USED IN. LASTLY, I BELEIVE THAT NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE AWD SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES. I'VE DONE MY OWN TESTS AND I HAVE TO SAY I AM SURPRISED ABOUT HOW EASILY IT IS TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN LIGHT SNOW. WHEN THE REAR COMES ON, IF THE ENGINE IS REVVING HIGH, IT CAN SPIN THE VEHICLE AROUND LIKE A TOP.

2003 SATURN VUE FAILED TO START. *KB THE VEHICLE MADE SQUEAKING NOISES WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A RIGHT TURN, IN ADDITION TO VARIOUS OTHER RUMBLINGS. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS, BEARINGS AND TRANSMISSION. A SPECIAL WHEEL BEARING HAD TO BE ORDERED AS WELL AS A SPECIAL SIDE COVER AND HARDWARE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE COOLANT SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE REAR WIPERS WOULD STICK. THE GAS GAUGE WOULD ONLY READ 3/4 FULL. THE AIR CONDITION STOPPED WORKING AND THE HOT AND COLD KNOB DID NOT GO ALL THE TO COOL. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED WHICH WAS THE REASON THE VEHICLE WASN'T STARTING. THE TRANSFER CASE SEAL WAS REPLACED. *JB

COMPUTER FAILED ON 2003 SATURN VUE (4-CYL VTI VERSION) CAUSING GAUGES AND SYSTEM LIGHTS TO BLINK AND FLUCTUATE UNCONTROLLABLY. ADDITIONALLY, DOOR LOCKS WERE TURNED ON AND OFF REPEATEDLY. I HAD DIFFICULTY EXITING THE VEHICLE ONCE AT THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF THE LOCKS. INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING IN ON HIGHWAY AT 58 MPH. MILEAGE OF VEHICLE IS 52,600. DEALERSHIP REPLACED COMPUTER -- PROBLEM WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *NM