2003 Saturn Vue

I NOTICE THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK WHEN I STARTED MY CAR THE AIR BAG LIGHT AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON IN MY VEHICLE. I CALLED MY MECHANIC IMMEDIATELY AND HE TOLD ME THAT SEEMED BE BE A WIRING OR MECHANICAL ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE. HE STATED THAT SATURN DID HAVE A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE FOR THIS ISSUE AND I NEEDED TO GET A HOLD OF SOMEONE IMMEDIATELY. THAT IS WHY I AM FILING HIS COMPLAINT ASKING FOR IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE WITH THE CRITICAL ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. PLEASE IF SOMEONE CAN CONTACT IMMEDIATELY. *TR

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO SECOND GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT TO THE OTHER GEARS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION ALSO SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING AS WELL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE TO THE TRANSMISSION DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD TWO PRIOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENTS. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

WHILE RETURNING ON A TRIP AND USING THE TURN SIGNAL NORMALLY, THERE WERE SEVERAL INCIDENTS IN WHICH THE TURN SIGNAL SOUNDED LIKE IT WAS WORKING AT ABOUT TWICE THE NORMAL RATE, HOWEVER THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE TURN LIGHTS WERE COMING ON. ON ONE PARTICULAR INSTANCE, WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THE TURN SIGNAL GOT EXTREMELY WARM TO THE TOUCH AND SMOKE WAS OBSERVED COMING FROM THE SWITCH. THERE WERE SEVERAL SUBSEQUENT INCIDENTS DURING THIS TRIP AND ON SUBSEQUENT DAYS, BUT ONLY THE ONE IN WHICH THE SWITCH ACTUALLY SMOKED (WHICH IS WHY I INDICATED A FIRE ABOVE). WHEN I CALLED SATURN (GM DEALERSHIP) ABOUT THIS, THEY MENTIONED THAT A SIMILAR SWITCH WAS UNDER RECALL, BUT NOT THIS ONE. AFTER HAVING REPLACED THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH, I HAD ASKED IF SATURN WANTED THE DEFECTIVE UNIT. SURPRISINGLY, SATURN DIDN'T SEEM TOO CONCERNED AND ASKED ME TO CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP, IN TURN, TOLD ME THAT ALL THEY COULD DETERMINE IS THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SWITCH AND TO CONTACT SATURN CUSTOMER SERVICE. I AM QUITE CERTAIN THAT IF WE HADN'T CORRECTED THE ISSUE (WHICH IS DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE) THAT A MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION COULD'VE BEEN CAUSED, AND THAT THIS SWITCH DESIGN IS FAULTY AND MAY POSE A SAFETY (THERMAL) CONCERN. I HAVE KEPT THE OLD SWITCH AND WILL GLADLY PROVIDE IT TO NHTSA IF REQUESTED TO DO SO. I DIDN'T FEEL IT SAFE TO KEEP USING THE OLD SWITCH, AND WHILE THE COST WAS RATHER MINIMAL TO HAVE IT REPLACED, I'M SURPRISED THAT SATURN DIDN'T OFFER TO REIMBURSE ME AND AS I STATED PREVIOUSLY, DIDN'T REQUEST THE FAULTY PART TO BE RETURNED. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS SINCE REPLACING THE SWITCH, WHICH CERTAINLY CORRECTED IT. THE PART NUMBER LISTED ON THE OLD SWITCH IS SHOWN AS BEING AR339790736/22679804. IN ORDER TO NOT CAUSE THE SWITCH TO GO INTO THE MODE DESCRIBED ABOVE, IT WAS BEST TO NOT USE THE TURN SIGNAL ANY MORE THAN POSSIBLE. *TR

I WAS REAR ENDED ON MARCH 19TH IN SPRINGDALE ARKANSAS. I WAS PARKED AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN A CAR REAR ENDED ME. THE DRIVER DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE AND HIS NAME WAS [XXX] ADDRESS ON THE ACCIDENT REPORT WAS[XXX]. THE VEHICLE WAS A MITSUBISHI MIRAGE LICENSE PLATE 551 RKZ AND DRIVERS LICENSE NUMBER [XXX]. THE OFFICERS NAME WAS [XXX]. I RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM THE INSURANCE COMPANY PROGRESSIVE STATING THAT HE DID NOT HAVE INSURANCE. THE FOLLOWING DAY AFTER THE ACCIDENT ON THE WAY HOME MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, OIL LIGHT AND SEVERAL OTHER LIGHTS FLASHED. THERE WAS A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND BLACK SMOKE CAME POURING OUT AND EVERYTHING SHUT DOWN. I HAVE SINCE NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL FOR THIS SAME THING BUT WAS TOLD IT IS NOT FOR MY SPECIFIC VIN NUMBER. I AM ARGUING WITH THE INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO REPAIR THE ENGINE PART WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT DUE TO THE ACCIDENT. I THINK THE IMPACT FROM THE WRECK KNOCKED THE OIL FILLER CAP OFF BECAUSE WHEN THE GEICO ADJUSTERS HAD THE CAR THEY COULD NOT FIND IT. I FOUND THE OIL FILLER CAP DOWN IN THE FRONT BETWEEN THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE AND FRONT OF THE CAR. OIL WAS ALL OVER THE ENGINE AND SEIZED FROM WHAT THE GEICO ADJUSTERS SAID. I AM PLACING A COMPLAINT WITH THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER ON GEICO FOR NOT PICKING ME UP FOR ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE, TAKING TO LONG TO REPAIR THE BUMPER, NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY ARE DOING TAKING SO LONG TO BE ABLE TO REPAIR THE CAR. THEY TRIED CHARGING ME A $500 DEDUCTIBLE WHEN I HAD UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED MOTORISTS AND SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES WITH THEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR