2004 Saturn Vue

DT: IN APRIL 2005 THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SQUEAKING NOISES COMING FROM THE VEHICLE WHEN MAKING A RIGHT TURN. SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG, AND THEY TOLD HER THE BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED. ON 8-10-05 THERE WAS A PROBLEM IN THE TIRE AREA. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT IT WAS WITH THE TIRES BECAUSE THEY HAD BEEN ROTATED RECENTLY. THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT THE ROCKER ARM/LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS BROKEN. THE CONSUMER HAD IT REPLACED. ALSO, TOLD HER THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT. THE DEALER TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF TRANSMISSION ON THE 4 CYLINDER SATURN . AFTER THE CONSUMER HAD PURCHASED THE VEHICLE SATURN HAD SENT HER A LETTER ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH TBI/VMI TRANSMISSION, AND THEY WOULD COVER THIS FOR UP TO 75,000 MILES. IT WAS NOT A RECALL. THE SHIFTER WAS VERY STIFF. THE TRANSMISSION WAS LOUD WHEN PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS AT LEAST 6 TIMES. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT EVERY TIME SHE TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS THERE WERE MORE PROBLEMS. *AK

DT: WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. IT HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. IT SEEMED IT ONLY DOES IT WHEN THE MOTOR IS COLD, LIKE IN THE FIRST HALF A MILE DRIVEN. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNTIL DEALER COULD GIVE THEM A COMPUTER CODE.*AK *JB UPDATED 024/24/06.*JB

2004 SATURN VUE UNDERWENT COMPREHENSIVE VEHICLE TEST INCLUDING BRAKS AT SATURN OF NEW BRUNSWICK ON 6/4/05. ON 6/24/05 WHILE AT FULL STOP IN TRAFFIC ( SLIGHT INLINE IN ROAD), VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL WHILE BREAK ENGAGED. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS TO PRESS HARDER THEN PUMPED SEVEREAL TIMES WITHOUT RESULTS. MY VEHICLE STRUCK THE VEHICLE IN FRONT IN THE REAR AT WHICH TIME I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED OF THE IGNITION. THE DISTANCE OF THE ROLL WAS APPROX 8 FEET AT APPROX 3 MPH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE BRAKES WERE OPERATIONAL AFTERWARD BUT REPORTED THE FAILURE AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO SATURN OF NEW BRUNSWICK. THE FINDING ON THE SERVICE INVOICE STATES, "TECH VERIFIED LOW PEDAL, FOUND PEDAL TRAVEL TO BE TOO MUCH. TECH REMOVED REAR DRUMS TO CLEAN AND ADJUST REAR BRAKES, REINSTALLED AND FOUND TO BE OK AT THIS TIME. TECH ALSO CHECKED FRONT BRAKES AND CALIPERS, BRAKES OK".

I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 SATURN VUE RED LINE WHEN I WAS STRUCK IN THE DRIVERS/DRIVERS DOOR POST AT APPROX. 40-45 MPH AND THE HEAD CURTAIN SIDE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MY VEHICLE WAS TOTALED,I WAS/AM INJURED.TALKING TO A SATURN MOTOR CORP. REP. ABOUT THIS IT WAS CONVEYED THAT THIS WAS NORMAL AS MY VEHICLE WAS MOVING ,NOT STOPPED.THIS DOES NOT SEEM NORMAL TO ME,AS I THOUGHT THEY WOULD DEPLOY.NOT SURE WHAT TO THINK ABOUT THE EXPLANATION,WANTED NHTSA TO KNOW.

DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLES CRUISE TURNED ON MOST OF THE TRIP, WITH A SPEEDOMETER READING OF 67-72MPH. AROUND TOMAH, WISCONSIN, THE DRIVER PLANNED TO EXIT/ATTEMPTED TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLES CRUISE. DRIVER DEPRESSED THE CRUISE BUTTON TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE, THE NO RESPONSE. THE DRIVER WENT TO DEPRESS/ENGAGE THE CLUTCH, AND FOUND THAT THE CLUTCH WAS STUCK AND DID NOT RESPOND/WAITED A FEW SECONDS, TRIED THE CLUTCH AGAIN, THIS TIME GETTING A RESPONSE. DRIVERS TRIP CONTINUED (WITH THE CRUISE ON) AND TRAFFIC WAS CONGESTED. THE DRIVER HAD SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN USING THE CRUISE & REMEMBERS A SPEEDOMETER READING OF 60MPH. TRIED TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE BUTTON. THE CRUISE FAILED TO RESPOND OR SHUT OFF AS SHE USED HER LEFT FOOT TO ENGAGE/PUSH IN THE CLUTCH WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RESPONSE. DRIVER IMMEDIATELY PUT HER FOOT ON THE BRAKE. NO RESPONSE. BOTH THE CLUTCH AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WERE LOCKED/STUCK AND DID NOT RESPOND TO THE APPLICATION OF PRESSURE APPLIED BY THE DRIVERS FEET. DRIVER TRIED TO USE BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES -NO RESPONSE. NEITHER THE CLUTCH OR BRAKES RESPONDED. DRIVER SWERVED TO THE LEFT AND THE VEHICLE SPUN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AS THE DRIVER APPLIED PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND GRASPED THE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED OFF THE ROAD AND INTO THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THE WENT THROUGH A DITCH & RECALLS FRONT END HITTING AN EMBANKMENT AND THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN A SERIES OF FLIPS AND ROLLS. AFTER HITTING THE EMBANKMENT WITH THE FRONT END OF HER CAR, THE PASSENGER OR RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO SOMETHING (UTILITY POLE) AND BEGAN AN UPSIDE DOWN FLIP THAT CONTINUED WITH AT LEAST THREE ROLLS. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SERIES OF ROLLS, THE DRIVER LANDED UPSIDE DOWN BEFORE THE CAR FLIPPED AGAIN AND LANDED RIGHT SIGHT UP, WITH THE FRONT END FACING THE HIGHWAY. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.

NEW 2004 SATURN VUE(2WD) WITH 3.5 LITER V6, PURCHASED IN JULY 2004 1ST SYMPTOM: POOR FUEL EFFICIENCY 16MPG CITY INSTEAD OF 20MPG; WORSE DURING RAIN 22-24MPG HWY INSTEAD OF 28MPG; 19MPG OVERALL AVERAGE -DEALER RESPONSE NORMAL FOR FIRST 5K MILES, I'M NOW OVER 8K 2ND SYMPTOM: ENGINE BACKFIRES AFTER COLD START; WORSE DURING RAIN -DEALER RESPONSE NO TROUBLE FOUND, CHANGED OIL 3RD SYMPTOM: SLOW TO START WHEN PARKED ON SLIGHT UPWARD INCLINE -HAVEN'T NOTIFIED DEALER YET 4TH SYMPTOM: LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON BUT COOLANT LEVEL WAS OK -WILL BE TAKING IT IN TO DEALER I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING IT IN FOR SERVICE AFTER READING SIMILAR REPORTS ON THIS VEHICLE AND NUMEROUS TALES OF POOR RESOLUTION. PLEASE NOTIFY OR POST ABOUT ANY NEW BULLETINS OR RESOLUTIONS THAT MAY BE HELPFUL.*AK