2004 Saturn Vue

NEW VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 2,500 MILES-2004 VUE. THEY WANT TO "FIX" REPLACE/REPAIR ENGINE FAILURE. WE KNOW THAT OTHER SYSTEMS CAN/WILL BE AFFECTED BY TOTAL BREAKDOWN ON INTERSTATE-IMMEDIATE ENGINE BLOW-NO POWER ETC. WE ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE "OFFER" OF REPAIR AND MINIMUM "WARRANTY" COVERAGE AS "ADDITIONALLY COURTESY OFFER". *JB

ELECTRICAL INTERMITTENT FAILURES. UNABLE TO LOCK OR UNLOCK USING REMOTE CONTROL, HEADLIGHTS, INTERIOR LIGHT, DASH LIGHTS, RADIO (ALL ELECTRICAL EXCEPT ENGINE ACCESSORIES) FAIL RANDOMLY. ON ONE OCCASSION ALL INTERIOR & EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A DARK HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY BUT HAD NO HAZARD LIGHTS (AND PRESUMABLY NO BRAKE LIGHTS) TO WARN OTHER TRAFFIC. WIGGLING THE INTERIOR FUSE PANEL RESTORED POWER. LATER CHECKS OF ALL RELAYS AND FUSES REVEALED NO CONTACT OR COMPONENT FAILURES IN EITHER IN INTERIOR OR UNDER-HOOD ELECTRICAL PANELS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND NO NOTICEABLE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR PROBLEMS.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. " MY CAR IS ONCE AGAIN IN THE SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR WHEEL DIFFERENTIAL. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE PROBLEM HAS ARISEN IN A SPAM OF 3 MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FIRST ONE, AND IS WORKING TO REPLACE IT A SECOND TIME. REAR DIFFERENTIAL MODULE REPLACED AT 8,102 MILES, THEN AGAIN AT 12.136 MILES.*JB

I PURCHASED A 2004 SATURN VIEW, NEW, AUGUST 21, 2004. ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2004 I DROVE THROUGH WATER ON THE ROAD, ANKLE DEEP. THE ENGINE STOPPED, AND IT HAD TO BE TOWED. THE CAR HAD 2,000 MILES ON IT. THE MECHANIC WHO WAS SENT BY SATURN'S 800 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE NUMBER LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAID I PROBABLY BURNED OUT THE ALTERNATOR BECAUSE IT'S ON THE BOTTOM. HE SAID THE PROBLEM WAS TO BE RECTIFIED ON THE 2005 MODEL. WHEN I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 9/20 THE SERVICE PERSON (EITHER JACOB OR BRIAN) I SPOKE TO SAID THAT THE AIR INTAKE, NEAR THE BOTTOM HAD SUCKED ROAD WATER INTO THE ENGINE AND DAMAGED THE ENGINE. IT WAS PROBABLY BECAUSE WHEN I DROVE THROUGH THE WATER IT CREATED A WAVE AND THE WAVE WATER WAS SUCKED INTO THE AIR INTAKE. THEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS WRONG UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TAKEN APART. HE ALSO SAID IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED BY THE WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS NOT A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT (ALTHOUGH I WOULD BEG TO DIFFER SINCE WHAT MANUFACTURER PUTS AN AIR INTAKE WHERE ROAD WATER CAN BE SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE) AND HE ALSO SAID THE L300 MODEL ALSO HAVE THEIR AIR INTAKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE. I CONTACTED SATURN IN TENNESSEE (CLAIM 1-13554677) AND AN AREA SERVICE MANAGER NAMED MARCIA TOLD ME THAT AFTER THEY REVIEWED MY SITUATION THEY WERE NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING FOR ME. WHAT I HAVE IS AN SUV WITH AN AIR INTAKE THAT IS IN A POSITION WHERE EVERY TIME THERE'S WATER, I RISK DAMAGING MY ENGINE , AND THE LAST 3 YEARS WE'VE AVERAGED 103 INCHES OF SNOW EACH WINTER). I DID ASK SATURN TO GET ME OUT OF THIS VEHICLE AS IT IS NOT FIT FOR PERFORMANCE AS WARRANTED FOR AN SUV, BUT THEY SAID NO. THIS VEHICLE, BY EXPLANATION FROM THE MECHANIC AND SERVICE PERSON, WAS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED WHICH CAUSED THE AIR INTAKE TO SUCK WATER INTO THE ENGINE DAMAGING IT. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR LOOKING INTO THIS AND HOPEFULLY BEING ABLE TO OFFER ME A SOLUTION TO MY HAVING TO RETAIN A DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED, UNRELIABLE VEHICLE. *AK

I AM OFTEN FINDING MY SATURN SUV HYDROPLANING IN THE RAIN....NOT ONLY MY VUE BUT MY STEP BROTHER'S VUE WAS TOTALLED WHEN HE HYDROPLANED INTO A SEMI ON THE HIGHWAY. AN ASSOCIATE OF HIS ALSO TOTALLED HIS VUE BY HYDROPLANING....I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM SINCE I HAVE TOO HAVE HAD INSTANCES OF HYDROPLANING. MY VUE IS THE MAIN TRANSPORATION OF MY CHILDREN AND I DO NOT FEAL SECURE OR SAFE DRIVING THEM WHEN THE PAVEMENT IS WET OR IT IS RAINING.*AK

ON MAY 8, 2004, MY SON WAS DRIVING MY 2002 SATURN VUE. HE WAS ON A ROAD THAT SURROUNDS A MALL. SPEED LIMIT IS 20 MPH. HE WAS TURNING LEFT WHEN HE WAS HIT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY ANOTHER SUV. THE CAR ROLLED OVER, HE HAD TO GO OUT THE BACK DOOR IN ORDER TO GET OUT. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE "OTHER CAR" WAS GOING A REASONABLE SPEED. OUR SATURN COULD NOT HAVE BEEN GOING MORE THAN 10 MPH, YET, WITH THE ROLL OVER, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY DAMAGED AND THE INSURANCE TOTALLED IT. DAMAGES TO THE OTHER CAR WERE NOT BAD. BOTH CARS WERE DRIVING SLOW, SO THE DAMAGE TO THE SATURN SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN EXTENSIVE. IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A MINOR FENDER BENDER. AMAZINGLY ENOUGH, MY SON ONLY SUFFERED SOME CUTS ON HIS ARM AND HEAD. I READ AN ARTICLE THAT THE SUSPENSION FAILED ON TWO SATURN VUES THAT THAT THE NHTSA HAD RECEIVED A CONSUMER COMPLAINT ABOUT A SMILILAR INCIDENT THAT LED TO A ROLLOVER. I'M WONDERING NOW IF THIS HAPPENED IN THIS SITUATION.*AK