2004 Saturn Vue

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ALIGNMENT APPEARS ABNORMAL AND CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STEER IN UNINTENDED DIRECTIONS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE STRUT MOUNTS IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION FAILED. THE TECHNICIAN ADDED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY, THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE STRUT MOUNTS AT THE COST OF $450. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 04/21/09. *LJ UPDATED 04/21/09.*JB

PROBLEM 1: MY 2004 SATURN AWD V6 SATURN VUE HAS DEVELOPED A "SHUDDER" IN THE DRIVE TRAIN THAT'S PREVALENT IN THE 20 -25 AND 30-35MPH RANGE UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION OR COASTING. HOOKED UP TO A CODE READER, NO CODES APPEAR; HOWEVER, THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS SLIPPING AS IT DISPLAYS A READ OUT OF OVER 8,000 RPM'S WHEN THIS OCCURS AND THE TACHOMETER BOUNCES BACK AND FORTH WITH THE SHUDDER. FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE IS HIGHER IN HOTTER WEATHER AND WHEN CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. SLIGHT WHINE ALSO NOTICED BY THE TRANSMISSION MECHANIC. PROBLEM 2: THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTICED ON 03-28-08. VEHICLE WAS ALSO PURCHASED WITH DEFECTIVE HORN. TWO + WEEKS AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED I WAS HIT IN THE REAR QUARTER PANEL BY A CARELESS TEENAGER THAT DID NOT LOOK BEFORE HE BACKED OUT OF HIS PARKING SPACE. I REALIZED SHORTLY AFTER THAT MY HORN WAS NOT PROPERLY WORKING. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE SOUNDED THE HORN TO ALERT HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO BACK INTO ME IF HAD WANTED TO. HAD IT REPAIRED RECENTLY IN WHICH THE HORN WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY NON-OPERATIONAL. ONCE REPAIRED, IT WAS APPARENT THAT ALL WAS WORKING WELL WITH THE HORN AS IT HONKS WHEN THE DOORS ARE LOCKED. WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE CAR WOULD DO THAT AT THE TIME THAT WE PURCHASED IT. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG CLUE TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT SELLING A CAR WITHOUT A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING HORN IS A SAFETY VIOLATION. I'M APPALLED THAT THIS WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE DEALERSHIP! MORE OVER, THEY STUCK ME WITH AN EXPENSIVE BILL TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF SALE! PROBLEM 3: REPAIRED ON 05-22-08. ALSO, BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS THEY WERE FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED. MAJOR FRONT END NOISES HEARD PRIOR TO THIS GETTING FIXED AND SLOP IN THE FRONT END WHEN DRIVING. FELT LIKE CAR MIGHT LOOSE CONTROL WHEN CORNERING! *TR

1. BRAKES. I HAVE HAD THE FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED/CUT DOWN ON THIS CAR ON THE AVERAGE OF ABOUT EVERY 20K. I CONSIDER THIS ABNORMAL WEAR AND BEFORE YOU RESPOND WITH DRIVING CONDITIONS, AND MY OTHER SATURN SL NEEDED BRAKES ON THE AVERAGE OF 60K WITH THE SAME DRIVING CONDITIONS. WHEN I QUESTIONED SOE THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS MY DRIVING HABITS, BUT AS OF THE RECENT EVENTS, I HAVE BEGUN TO QUESTION THEIR DIAGNOSIS OF ANY PROBLEMS RELATED TO MY CAR. 2. TRANSMISSION SHIFTING/WOBBLE/SHIMMY/VIBRATION. I HAVE COMPLAINED SINCE NEW THAT THIS TRANSMISSION HAS SHIFTED ROUGH, AND I WAS TOLD WORKING AS DESIGNED. NOBODY HAS BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG YET THIS PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. 3. TIRE WEAR RELATED TO RECALL. I HAD TO REQUEST THAT MY VEHICLE HAVE THE RECALL PERFORMED ON IT. YET, AFTER DOING RESEARCH AND WATCHING MY TIRES WEAR. SOMETIMES IN LESS THAT 15K SOMETHING I WOULD CONSIDER PREMATURELY, EVEN FOR PERFORMANCE TIRES, AND READING SEVERAL OWNER SITES MY WEAR IS INDICATIVE OF A SERVICE NOT BEING PERFORMED. 4. WHEEL BEARING WEAR. I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED 2X IN THE LAST 30K. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS AT 72K WHEN THE FIRST REPLACEMENT WAS MADE, AND THE 2ND WAS AT 99K IT WAS DURING THE 72K SERVICE I COMPLAINED MY ROTORS WARPING(SINCE I HAD 2 SETS REPLACED/CUT PREVIOUSLY) AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST WORN TIRES AND THEY WOULD NOT EVEN CONSIDER THE BRAKE ISSUE, UNTIL I PURCHASED NEW TIRES. I PURCHASED NEW TIRES AND THE WOBBLY SOUND WAS LOUDER THAN NOW THAT THERE WAS NEW TIRES ON THE VEHICLE. SO THEN RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ROTORS, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT BRAKE PADS THEY TOLD ME IT WAS UNNECESSARY. SEEMINGLY ILLOGICAL, SINCE YOU HAD TO REMOVE THE BRAKE PADS ANYWAY, AND TIRED OF ARGUING I DID NOT PUSH THE ISSUE, AS I NEEDED MY CAR, AND LOANER AVAILABILITY SEEMED TO DRY UP SINCE I WAS OUT SO FAR OUT OF THE FACTORY WARRANTY. *TR

2004 SATURN VUE WITH 18,938 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG. I THOUGHT SOMEONE THREW A ROCK AT MY CAR. I FAILED TO FIND REASON FOR NOISE UNTIL I DROVE MY CAR OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. WHEN I PULLED OUT, THE REAR END WAS VERY LOOSE, SWAYING FROM SIDE TO SIDE, AND IT FELT LIKE THERE WAS NO CONTROL. RETURNED TO MY DRIVEWAY AND FOUND A WASHER LAYING ON THE GROUND. THE LOUD NOISE I HEARD MUST HAVE BEEN A BOLT(S) THAT SHEARED, WHILE THE CAR WAS JUST SITTING. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT BOTH BOLTS FOR THE LATERAL LINKS WERE BROKEN AND TWISTED. TECH REPLACED BOTH REAR LATERAL LINKS AND SET TOE. *TR

2004 SATURN VUE WAS PURCHASE 1/24/04. WE NOTICED A VERY LOUD NOISE SO WE TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID WE NEEDED TO HAVE A REAR WHEEL BEARING REPLACED. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS REPAIRED ON AN AUTO BEFORE. THE CAR HAS 45169 MILES WHICH SEEMS A SMALL AMOUNT TO NEED A BEARING REPLACED. THE REPAIR COST US $400. IN ADDITION, OUR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. THEY DIDN'T WORK ONCE WHILE UNDER WARRANTY. SATURN TOLD US IT WAS A BULB. THEY AREN'T WORKING AGAIN (NOW OUT OF WARRANTY) AND NOW WE ARE TOLD IT ISN'T THE BULB, BUT THEY WILL NOT REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. WE ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS RESURFACED IN 11/05. WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH OUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A SATURN VEHICLE. THE SATURN EMPLOYEES ARE GREAT, BUT THE VEHICLE ISN'T. I WISH I'D NEVER BOUGHT THE CAR. WE WERE ALL SET TO BUY A SATURN RELAY IN THE SPRING, BUT NOW ARE THINKING BUICK, OR MAYBE OUR FIRST FOREIGN CAR. THANKS! *JB

2004 VUE MULTIPLE ISSUES... FIRST ISSUE LESS THEN 100 MILES ON VEHICLE, DEPRESSED BRAKES CAR CONTINUED TO CREEP AT STOP SIGN. DIAGNOSTICS AT SATURN DEALERSHIP: SPLIT IN BRAKE LINE, REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. SECOND ISSUE: LESS THEN 300 MILES ON VEHICLE, QUICK STOP CAUSED REAR SEAT SAFETY HARNESS TO BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM VEHICLE WALL.. DAUGHTER WAS NOT RESTRAINED AND SLID FORWARD IN SEAT. SATURN DIAGNOSTICS: SOMEONE WAS NOT DOING THEIR JOB THE DAY IT WAS MADE... THEY TIGHTENED SCREW BACK INTO WALL OF CAR AND HAVE NOT HAD ISSUES SINCE... THIS WAS UNCALLED FOR AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT DURING SAFETY INSPECTION. THIRD ISSUE: SAW DETAILS ON NEWS ABOUT RECALL ON THIS MODEL OF VUE, CONTACTED SATURN DEALERSHIP ABOUT IT AND WAS TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE GETTING INFORMATION IN THE MAIL ABOUT REPAIRS. FOURTH ISSUE: ABOUT 20,000 ON VUE, WENT TO STORE AND WAS FUNCTIONAL, CAME OUT AND CAR WOULD NOT START, OVER HALF A TANK OF GAS IN VEHICLE AND GAUGE SHOWS EMPTY, BOUGHT GAS CAN AND PUT 5 MORE GALLONS OF GAS IN CAR. STILL SHOWS EMPTY AND CAR WOULD NOT START, NO WORD ON REASON FOR FAILURE BEACHES IT HAPPENED TODAY (10/23/05). *NM