2003 Saturn Vue

IN OCTOBER 2016 MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. AS HE TURNED A CORNER IN THE CITY HE HEARD A CRACK AND THE VEHICLE STEERED INTO A CURB. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS NOR OTHER VEHICLES NEAR BY. HE WAS ABLE TO GINGERLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME (1 MILE). DURING A TEST DRIVE, IT WAS APPARENT THE VEHICLE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION. INVESTIGATION INDICATED ALL BALL JOINTS, SWAY BARS AND EQUIVALENT WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. AFTER TAKING IT INTO A SUSPENSION SHOP THEY ADVISED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SUB FRAME RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE UNSTABLE STEERING. THEY NOTED THE PASSENGER SIDE IS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT ROAD WORTHY. LIKEWISE WITH THE AMOUNT OF RUST UNDER NEITHER REPLACING THE SUB FRAME WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. RESEARCHING THIS CONDITION ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. UP UNTIL THIS SUMMER I USED TO DRIVE THIS DOWN THE INTERSTATE DAILY. I'M THANKFUL I STOPPED AND LIKEWISE THAT MY SON WAS NOT ON AN OPEN ROAD. THE CONSUMERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND ALL MECHANIC SHOPS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING FOR THIS PREMATURE FRAME FAILURE. INJURY ACCIDENTS WILL BE A GUARANTEE AT HIGHER SPEEDS.

MY VEHICLE IS UNDER SAFETY RECALL FOR IGNITION AND REAR LATERAL LINKS. I ORDERED PARTS AT CROPPER'S CHEVROLET IN NOGALES, AZ ON 12/29/2014. THE PARTS ARE STILL NOT IN DESPITE MY FOLLOW UP CALLS. I AM HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE IGNITION AND THE KEY GETS STUCK. THEY SAID GM IS NOT SENDING THEM THE PARTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. WHILE I WAS TYPING THIS, THE PARTS DEPARTMENT OF CROPPER'S CALLED BACK AND SAID THEY DO HAVE THE PARTS AND MY APPOINTMENT IS SCHEDULED FOR 8 AM ON 2/26/2015. AMAZING WHAT CAN HAPPEN WHEN YOU FINALLY START TO COMPLAIN. *JS

AS I WAS DRIVING MY AND IT CAR BEGAN TO PULL TO THE RIGHT AND THE TIRES BEGAN TO SQUEAL. IN MY MIND I THOUGHT I THOUGHT I NEEDED BETTER TIRES AND A WHEEL ALIGNMENT. AS I WAS DRIVING TO GET THE TIRES AND ALIGNMENT I HEARD A CRACKING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR, THIS REALLY SCARED ME. AT THIS POINT THE PULL TO THE RIGHT WAS EVEN STRONGER. I ARRIVE TO A TIRE SHOP AND PUT TIRES ON THINKING THIS WOULD BE BETTER BUT IT WAS THE SAME SO I DROVE ACROSS THE STREET TO A MECHANIC TO GET A WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND THE MECHANIC CAME OUT AND WENT UNDERNEATH THE CAR WHEN HE CAME BACK UP HE STATED THAT "YOUR SUBFRAME AND CHASIS IS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH, PARK IT IMMEDIATELY FOR SAFETY REASONS, IN HIS 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A MECHANIC HE ONLY SAW HIS TWICE THE FIRST TIME WAS IN ANOTHER CAR THAT WAS RECALLED AND MINE THAT SHOULD BE ON RECALL WITH THE LEVEL OF DANGER, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I SEE YOU HAVE A BABY'S CAR SEAT IN YOUR BACKSEAT". HE ALSO SAID EVEN AN OLDER CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE A SUBFRAME CRACK LIKE THIS, AND THAT THE MOTOR CAN FALL OUT WHILE I'M DRIVING AND THE WHEELS WILL COLLAPSE. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO I CAN'T EVEN TRADE IT IN AND IT'S WORTH $5500 AND THE COST WOULD BE FANANIMAL TO FIX. I CAN'T GET TO WORK AND EVEN CHILD CAR THIS IS HORRIBLE. PLEASE HELP.THIS IS A DEFECTIVE CAR AND THE WORST I HAVE EVER HAD. *TR

2003 SATURN VUE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TRANSMISSION ISSUES *TGW IN MARCH OF 2004, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SATURN STATING THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH VTI TRANSMISSIONS AND IT WOULD REQUIRE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED AT THAT TIME BY SATURN. HOWEVER, SINCE THEN THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN REPLACED FOUR TIMES. GM INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THEY WOULD CHARGE HIM HALF FOR REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, THE LINK BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A BOLT BROKE OFF THE REAR DRIVER SIDE WHEEL CAUSING THE SUB FRAME TO CRACK AND THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND STATED THAT THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AND THE SUB FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HEARD A CLUNK BY THE BACK REAR PASSENGER TIRE, THE TOP OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS TILTED IN. APPEARED TO HAVE A BROKEN LATERAL ARM WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN GOING ANY RATE OF SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I CONTACTED SATURN WHO TOOK MY CLAIM AND ADMITTED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE LATERAL ARM IN 2005. THIS SUPPOSELY WAS TAKEN IN TO A DEALERSHIP AND FIXED. I DIDN'T OWN THIS VEHICLE THEN. SATURN REFUSES TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE AND SAID IT VERY LIKELY COULDVE BEEN A FAULTLY PART BUT SINCE IT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN 2005 NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE. I FEEL I COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF, LOST CONTROL AND/OR HURT SOMEONE ELSE IF I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2002. SHE STATED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 6 MPH THROUGH A BRUSH-LESS CAR WASH, WATER ENTERED INTO THE SUN ROOF HOUSING. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, SHE ALSO SMELLED OIL BURNING AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE RIGHT INNER CV JOINT BOOT. THE HAZARDS LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AND WERE REPAIRED TWICE DUE TO REPEAT FAILURES. WHEN SHE ENGAGED THE HAZARD SWITCH, IT COLLAPSED INTO THE DASHBOARD CONSOLE. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THERMOSTAT FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED. ALL REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE PER THE WARRANTY. THE REAR LATERAL LINK ASSEMBLY RECALL NUMBER 04067001 2002-2004 VUE REAR SUSPENSION RECALL WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT CLOSE; HOWEVER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THE IMPROPER LEVEL OF FUEL THAT WAS IN THE FUEL TANK; ALTHOUGH, THE FUEL SENDING UNITS WERE REPLACED. ALL OF THE REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE HAVE FAILED MORE THAN ONCE. THE HORN WOULD ALSO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER FOUND A SHORTAGE IN THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACED THE OPERATING DESIGN SYSTEM WHICH FORCED THE MECHANIC TO REPROGRAM THE KEYS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED A SECOND TIME WHEN THE CONTACT SMELLED OIL BURNING. THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS FOR MOST OF THE OTHER FAILED COMPONENTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,002 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,501.

ON 5TH SET OF TIRES, UNEVEN WEAR, MAINLY RIGHT REAR. GETTING ONLY 12,000 MILES FOR 1ST 2 SETS, BOUGHT BETTER TIRES ELSEWHERE. TOLD OF NOISE AND VIBRATION. WAS TOLD WAS CAUSED BY WORN TIRES. WHEN TIRES WORE AGAIN, WENT TO DEALER TO REPLACE THE WORST, RIGHT REAR, AND TOLD OF UNEVEN WEAR, NOISE AND VIBRATION. WAS BLAMED WITH POOR MAINTENANCE, DEALER DID NOT TEST DRIVE. OFFERED ALIGNMENT, COULD NOT GET RIGHT REAR TO ALIGN. THEY SAID REPLACE KNUCKLE JOINT, BUT COULDN'T TELL ME IT WOULD FIX IT. TOLD THEM I COULDN'T AFFORD AT THAT TIME, DIDN'T TELL ME IT WAS COVERED BY WARRANTY. DIDN'T LIKE HOW I WAS TREATED, WENT ELSEWHERE FOR OTHER 3 TIRES. THEY ALSO SAID THE NOISE/VIBRATIONS FROM WORN TIRES. THEY ALIGNED NO PROBLEMS. REPLACED WHEEL BEARING MONTH LATER. EVERY 10 -12 MONTHS REPLACED TIRES AND ALIGN, ALL TOLD ME THE NOISE/VIBRATION FROM WORN TIRES (THE NOISE/VIBRATION WOULD GO AWAY WITH NEW TIRES). LAST ROUND, HAD TIRES, ALIGNMENT, NEW FRONT BRAKES, AND REAR BRAKES CLEANED. FOUND BROKEN REAR AXLE. REPLACED AXLE, NOISE/VIBRATION BACK, WITH NEW TIRES. THEY PULLED UP SERVICE BULLETIN FROM 2004, DEFECTIVE REAR DIFFERENTIAL SEAL LEAKING CAUSING THE CLUTCH DRUM TO GO. TOOK TO DEALER, THEY CONFIRMED REAR DIFFERENTIAL CLUTCH DRUM NEEDED REPLACED. THEY WOULD NOT PAY , AS NO WARRANTY, EVEN THOUGH THEY MISSED THE DIAGNOSIS IN 2006, UNDER WARRANTY. I ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE OLD AXLE (I HAVE ). THEY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE IT FELL APART, NOT BROKEN. BEEN TRYING TO REACH CORPORATE INVESTIGATOR OVER 3 WEEKS WITH NO LUCK. SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS I HAVE READ NUMEROUS REPORTS OF OTHERS WITH THESE SAME ISSUES. NOTES: MILEAGE WAS DOCUMENTED 3000 MILES OVER ACTUAL ON 2 OCCASIONS (DEALER), WAS GIVEN A COMPETITOR WARRANTY COMPANY'S PHONE NUMBER WHEN I ASKED FOR DEALERS WARRANTY COMPANY PHONE NUMBER, AND CORPORATE DOCUMENTED MY PHONE NUMBER WRONG (EVEN AREA CODE) AND THEN TRIED TO BLAME ME. CURRENT MILEAGE IS 83,962, DEALER HAS ME DOCUMENTED AT 85623 ON 06/23/08. *TR