2004 Saturn Vue

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES, ESPECIALLY THE ODOMETER, WERE INOPERATIVE AND DISPLAYED INACCURATE READINGS. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WOULD COST $700 TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND RESET THE ODOMETER. SHE HAS NOT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE REMEDY WOULD ONLY BE TEMPORARY. THE ODOMETER CURRENTLY DISPLAYS THAT THE VEHICLE HAS 70,000 MILES, BUT IT REALLY HAS 45,000 MILES. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. EVER SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. SHE HAS CALLED THE DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. OCCASIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START DUE TO THE FAILURE. INITIALLY, THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY, BUT NOW IT OCCURS EVERYDAY. THE CONTACT SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH A MECHANIC FOR APRIL 23, 2008. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

WITH ONLY 40K MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THE CLUTCH FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 35MPH. I HAD TO CUT OFF CARS AND COAST ACROSS TWO LANES TO A SIDE STREET. I COULDN'T GET THE CLUTCH TO ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC AND THE CLUTCH SYSTEM (SLAVE CYLINDER, CLUTCH PLATE) WAS REPLACED. VEHICLE IS NOW DRIVABLE (CAN BE PUT INTO GEAR), BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HASN'T GONE OFF AND CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKS. THE MECHANIC SAYS "NO CODE" APPEARS WITH CODE READER. THERE IS ALSO A STRONG ODOR OF GASOLINE FUMES EACH TIME THE VEHICLE IS STARTED OR IS IDLING. A WEEK PREVIOUS TO THE CLUTCH PROBLEM, THERE WAS A THUMPING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD AND THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. I HAD A FLASHING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, WHICH ALSO PRODUCED "NO CODE" WITH CODE READER. I ENDED UP HAVING TO REPLACE THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE IN ORDER TO START THE ENGINE. *TR

A/C SYSTEM KEEPS GOING OUT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER 4/14/2006. DEALER STATED THERE WAS NO LEAK & SYSTEM JUST NEEDED TO BE CHARGED. STOPPED COOLING AGAIN. TOOK IN TO DEALER 5/24/2007. DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM - IT JUST NEEDED TO BE RECHARGED AGAIN. I TOLD THEM THAT A/C SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE CHARGED ANNUALLY, ESPECIALLY SINCE VEHICLE WAS 2004 MODEL. QUESTIONED THEM ABOUT THE A/C COMPRESSOR REPLACEMENT NHTSA ITEM #10010459 - SAID MY CAR DID NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH A/C COMPRESSOR. OFFERED TO SPLIT COST OF RECHARGE WITH ME BECAUSE THEY SAID IT COULD NOT BE TURNED IN ON WARRANTY AGAIN. A/C QUIT COOLING AGAIN 9/07/2007. *JB

IGNITION SWITCH UNABLE TO ROTATE TO START VEHICLE ON 2004 SATURN VUE. DEALERSHIP CHARGED 75 DOLLARS TO CLEAN IGNITION SWITCH, AND SAYS THEY GET 3 OR 4 COMPLAINTS A WEEK FOR THE SAME THING. IS THIS A SATURN PROBLEM OR A PERSONAL PROBLEM? I'VE HAD CARS 14 YEARS OLD AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS BEFORE. NOW IN TWO DAYS, THE DEALER HAS HAD 7 SATURN VUES COME IN WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT, FROM 2004 TO 2007 MODELS. *JB