2003 Saturn Vue

FIRST TIME DRIVING SATURN VUE ON FREE WAY, MOTOR STARTED RACING AND VUE HAD NO GEARS, LOST SPEED , HAD TO GET OFF ROAD AND HAVE VUE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP, THEY INSTALLED NEW TRANSMISSION CALIBRATION AND NEW TRANSMISSION FLUID AND ADDITIVE AND INFORMED ME FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT MY VUE HAD A VTI TRANSMISSION AND THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION MAY EXPERIENCE CERTAIN TRANSMISSION CONCERNS THAT MIGHT AFFECT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND MAY REQUIRE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. 2ND TIME I WAS DRIVING ON ROAD AND AGAIN MOTOR STARTED TO RACE AND GEARS WOULD NOT WORK, AGAIN I HAD TO GET OFF ROAD AND HAVE VUE TOWED TO DEALER, THEY REPLACED TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSOR INSIDE TRANSMISSION VALVE BODY COVER. 2ND TIME DRIVING ON ROAD. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEEDS, THE ENGINE REVS HIGH AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY STOPS. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND THE VEHICLE BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALER DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE SAME TRANSMISSION WOULD BE USED. ALTHOUGH, THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

2003 SATURN VUE HOOD RELEASE CABLE AND WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR WAS REPLACED. *TS THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS REPLACED (WARRANTY). WHILE REPAIRING THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE PROMPT SHAFT CENTER BEARING WAS BROKEN (WARRANTY). THERE WAS NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSAXLE. THE TECHNICIAN UPDATED THE TCM AND ADDED CVT ADDITIVE (WARRANTY). THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE OXYGEN SENSOR WAS FAULTY (WARRANTY). THE AIR BAG AND HORN WERE ALSO REPLACED. *NM

PURCHASED MY SATURN VUE USED IN MARCH 2005...AT THAT TIME I HAD 6K MILES LEFT ON THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY...IN JUNE 2005 TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP TO TAKE CARE OF ALL NORMAL ISSUES & GET A MAINT CHECKUP...AT THAT TIME THEY REPLACED THE RESISTOR- ENGINE COOLING FAN (DUE TO BLOWING HOT AIR WHEN AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON), HEAD LAMP ASSEMBLY COMPOSITE ON FRONT LEFT (CRACKED WHERE BOLTED TO FRAME), OBD SYSTEM UPGRADE (RECALL), REPLACEMENT OF REAR LATERAL LINK ASSEMBLY (RECALL), AND LAST THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE WAS REPLACED/ADJUSTED & LUBED DUE TO GOING BAD - AT THAT TIME THEY NEVER DISCLOSED TO ME THAT THE GEAR SHIFT CABLE HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED 3X'S SINCE JAN 2003. ON DEC 24TH @ 10:00AM...MY ENTIRE GEAR SHIFT ASSEMBLY FAILED AND LEFT ME STRANDED...THE CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT I PURCHASED IT FROM...DUE TO ME BEING 5,000 OVER MY WARRANTY...THEY WERE NOT GOING TO REPLACE IT...APPROX COST OF $450. I WENT DIRECTLY OVER TO MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP....FORT WAYNE, IN SATURN...A SERVICE CONSULTANT PULLED UP THE HISTORY OF MY VUE AND DISPLAYED TO ME THAT THE GEAR SHIFT HAD BEEN WORKED ON 4 OTHER TIMES...HIS SERVICE MANAGER STATED HE WOULD NOT TAKE CARE OF IT DUE TO THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED & IT WAS NOT HIS FAULT...I CALLED SATURN'S CORPORATE OFFICE INFORMED THEM OF THE ISSUE...THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY WOULD GET IT TAKEN CARE OF WITH NO QUESTIONS ASKED...WAITING TO SEE WHAT IS DONE...MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP....AS FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER @ FW, IN SATURN DEALERSHIP...I HAVE HEARD NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT HOW HE TREATS CUSTOMERS FROM FRIENDS THAT ARE ALSO SATURN OWNERS... 8JB

THE HORN IN MY 2003 SATURN VUE MALFUNCTIONED. WHEN TAKEN TO THE LOCAL SATURN DEALER FOR REPAIR, THEY REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS ($400) AND ULTIMATELY TOLD ME THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER MODULE THAT GOVERNED THE HORN ($700). THEY ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS MODULE GOVERNED THE AIRBAGS. HOWEVER, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT WAS NOT LIT BECAUSE THE COMPUTER MODULE HAD FAILED. A HORN PART SHORTED OUT AND RESULTED IN MY SON DRIVING A CAR WITH NO AIRBAGS AND NO WARNING OF THAT. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL CAME OFF THE VEHICLE AFTER ALL OF THE STUDS CAME OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE REAR SUSPENSION IN JANUARY, AND THEY FOUND ONE OF THE STUDS BROKE, AND REPAIRED IT. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THIS IS HAPPENED BECAUSE THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE NOT THE FACTORY TIRES AND NEEDED LONGER STUDS. THE WHEEL BEARING WAS DAMAGED, BUT THE DEALERSHIP HAS NOT GIVEN THE CONTACT A REPORT OF THE DAMAGES. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN AT THE SCENE. *AK UPDATED 12/07/05. *JB

MY 2003 SATURN VUE W/VTI TRANS HAS HAD 4 EPISODES OF NEAR-STALLING, HESITATION UPON ACCELERATION IN 3-WEEK PERIOD IN OCTOBER. 1ST EPISODE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND WHEN GAS PEDAL PUSHED. FINALLY RESPONDED WITH A LURCHING FORWARD. TEMP IN 90'S OUTSIDE. SECOND EPISODE SITTING FOR 8 HOURS AT WORK. HEATER TURNED ON. WENT TO LEAVE PARKING LOT & STOPPED AT SIGN. WHEN ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED, THERE WAS BRIEF RESPONSE AND THEN A "NEAR-STALL"/HESITATION. HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN SUCCESSION BEFORE LEAVING PARKING LOT. THIRD EPISODE 3 DAYS LATER. VEHICLE WAS IN CONDO PARKING LOT FOR 2 HRS. I WENT OUT TO GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. DIDN'T PUT ON A/C OR HEAT. BACKED UP VEHICLE. WHEN STARTED TO DRIVE FORWARD, IT NEAR-STALLED/HESITATED BEFORE GETTING OUT ONTO ROAD. FOURTH EPISODE 7 DAYS LATER. LEFT WORK AFTER 8 HOURS INTO BUSY TRAFFIC. HAD 2 MORE INCIDENTS IN TRAFFIC. LEFT THIS STREET AND WENT TO POST OFFICE. PARKED OUTSIDE AND WENT IN FOR 5 MINUTES. BACKED VEHICLE UP AND NEAR-STALL HAPPENED AGAIN. WENT TO DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES AFTER THESE EPISODES. HOOKED UP TO COMPUTER AND NOTHING WAS FOUND, NOTHING DONE TO FIX IT. GM TOLD ME, "IF YOU'RE EVER IN THE AREA WHEN IT HAPPENS, STOP BY RIGHT AWAY." I DON'T LIVE CLOSE TO THEM. TOLD ME TO RUN OUT THE GAS TANK COMPLETELY UNTIL THE LOW FUEL LIGHT GOES ON AND FILL W/93 OCTANE AT BP AMOCO. STILL NO RESOLUTION FOR PROBLEM. SEVERE SAFETY CONCERN FOR ME AND THOSE AROUND ME. *NM

WHILE BRAKING THE VEHICLE VIBRATES SIGNIFICANTLY. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN HICKORY, NC LOOKED AT THE AUTOMOBILE AND TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SATURN PLACE WHERE THIS TIME THEY SAID THE ROTORS OF THE VEHICLE WERE WARPED. WHEN I HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC WITH MORE THAN FORTY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE TO "TURN" THE ROTORS AS SUGGESTED IT WAS FOUND THAT THE DIAGNOSIS OF WARPED ROTORS WAS CORRECT, BUT THE SOLUTION OF "TURNING" THE ROTORS WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I NOW AM PURCHASING NEW ROTORS FOR THE VEHICLE. PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE LESS THAN FIFTY THOUSAND MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THAT THERE WERE NO APPARENT REASONS AS TO WHY THIS SITUATION WOULD OCCUR.*JB

THE PROBLEM I ENCOUNTER WITH MY CAR IS TRANSMISSION RELATED. LAST YEAR, I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I ACCELERATED AS USUAL, THE ENGINE??S SPEED INCREASED AND THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. SUDDENLY, WITH A LOUD NOISE THE CAR JERKED FORWARD. THE CAR BEHIND ME ALMOST CRASHED INTO MY CAR, AND THE DRIVER SCREAMED AT ME AND WAIVING HIS HANDS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE SATURN DEALER ON JULY 30, 2004. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR A WEEK, AND REPAIRED OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM RECURRED, AND I BROUGHT THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN ON JUNE 30, 2005. THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THIS TIME. LAST JULY, THE 07, I BROUGHT MY CAR TO THE DEALER FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, AND REPROGRAMMED THE TCM. SEPTEMBERS, 2005, I STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN TO LEAVE THE COMPLEX WHERE I RESIDE, AND THE SAME PHENOMENON RECURRED: I ACCELERATED, BUT THE CAR DID NOT MOVE, THEN SUDDENLY JERKED FORWARD, AND AGAIN I ALMOST CRASHED IN THE CAR COMING FROM MY LEFT. I LOVE MY CAR, BUT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT NOW! THE FIRST TIME THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED, THE CAR WAS ABOUT 10,000 MILES. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM LAST JUNE AT 21,831 MILES, AND AGAIN LAST JULY, AT 22,164 MILES. *NM