2004 Saturn Vue

I RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION VIBRATION OR SHAKING MOTION (JUDDER OR SHUDDER) WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 20 AND 45 MPH. GM HAS ISSUED CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM RECALL 10285 - V2386 IN FEBRUARY 2001 FOR THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM BUT IT ONLY COVERS 2005, 2006 AND 2007 VUES. THE RECALL REPROGRAMS THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE EXACT SAME ENGINE/TRANSMISSION IS USED IN THE 2004, 2005, 2006, AND 2007 VUES YET GM HAS CHOSEN TO IGNORE 2004 VUE OWNERS WITH THE PROBLEM. THE 2004 SATURN VUE WITH THE HONDA SUPPLIED ENGINE/AUTO TRANSMISSION HAS THIS PROBLEM AND GM NEEDS TO REPROGRAM THE 2004 POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE AS THEY HAVE DONE WITH THE OTHER MODEL YEARS.

BEFORE WE PAID OUR 2ND PAYMENT OUR ABS SYSTEM FAILED. THE FRONT BREAKS WERE CRUNCHING. IT THEN THREW OUT OUR WHEEL BARRINGS, BALLJOINTS AND ROTORS. THEREFORE IT WOULDN'T PASS INSPECTION WHEN IT WAS DUE FOR IT. THE DEALERSHIP DID THE ORIGINAL INSPECTION THERE AND THEY NEVER CHANGED THE BREAKS. WHICH IS AN ILLEGAL PRACTICE. WITH ALL THESE PROBLEMS WE RARELY DROVE THE CAR. TILL ONE DAY, LESS THAN HAVING IT UNDER 1 YEAR, IT WOULD NO LONGER START.WE LOST OUT OVER$5,000 ON PAYMENTS AND OUR LARGE DOWN PAYMENT TOO. THEY HAVE BEEN CALLING US EVER SINCE WANTING US TO PAY FOR A CAR THAT WON'T START AND WON'T PASS INSPECTION.

TAMARA RECALL , THE KEY CAME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR WAS ON. WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CONFIRMED IT BUT WOULD NOT FIX IT OR SEND US ANYWHERE TO GET IT FIXED. OUR ABS WENT THE 3RD WEEK WE HAD THE CAR, THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO EVEN LOOK AT IT. THE OTHER RECALL MADE OUR TIRES ONLY HOLD AIR FOR A FEW DAYS AT A TIME.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS OR WHILE IDLING IN TRAFFIC, THE VEHICLE JERKED ROUGHLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 99,000.

WHILE DRIVING DOWN A CITY AVENUE DURING RUSH HOUR, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. NO WARNING, JUST FAILED. SEVERAL GOOD SAMARITANS PUSHED ME ACROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET ME OFF THE BUSY ROAD. IT DIED WHILE I WAS IN GEAR AND DRIVING. I DID FIND OUT THAT THIS MODEL WAS PART OF A RECALL AND I ENDED UP PAYING 2500 FOR A NEW TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THEY SAID THE RECALL HAD EXPIRED THAT I DID NOT TAKE IN ON TIME. 5 YEARS LATER, IT'S DOING THE SAME THING. A NEW TRANSMISSION COSTS AROUND 3000. WHAT PART DID THEY PAY? DID THEY EVEN REPLACE IT? 2 YEARS AFTER THAT THE ENGINE QUIT ON A HIGHWAY OFF RAMP WITH LESS THAN 100K MILES. I HAD TO REPLACE THAT. THEN 1 YEAR LATER, THE ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF 1200. WE GOT A TUNE UP AND OIL CHANGE AS WE WERE HEADED TO BRECKENRIDGE, THE TECH SAID WE WERE LUCKY BECAUSE THE BRAKES WOULD HAVE BEEN USELESS IN MOUNTAIN DRIVING. THAT WAS A SCARY THOUGHT FOR SURE.

I PULLED UP TO A STOP SIGN AND THE ENGINE DIED. WHEN I TURNED THE KEY, I COULD HEAR THE PISTONS IMPACTING THE VALVES. THE TIMING CHAIN SLIPPED AND BECAUSE THIS IS AN INTERFERENCE ENGINE, IT DESTROYED THE ENGINE. MY MECHANIC HAS OFFERED A REMANUFACTURED ENGINE WITH A WARRANTY FOR $3000+ OR A USED JUNKYARD ENGINE FOR $2000+. THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION BUT WILL MOST LIKELY NEED TO BE SCRAPPED BECAUSE IT'S NOT LOGICAL TO SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON A CAR THAT IS ONLY WORTH $1800. ALL OF THIS AFTER I'VE SPENT OVER $1000 REPLACING THE WHOLE SUSPENSION, SHIFT CABLES, BRAKES, AND CALIPERS. THIS ENGINE AND TIMING CHAIN SETUP HAS BEEN USED IN MANY GM VEHICLES AND HAS BEEN RECALLED IN THE SATURN LS. BUT NOT IN ANY OF THE OTHER MODELS WHICH USE THE SAME SETUP. IT'S RIDICULOUS AND THEY SHOULD HAVE ALL BEEN RECALLED.

I WAS GOING TO PARK INTO A PARKING SPACE OF A SHOPPING MALL AND WHEN I WAS GOING TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE VUE, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND SO DID THE IGNITION AND I COULDN'T STEER OR STOP IN TIME BEFORE IT HIT A CONCRETE BASE OF A POLE LIGHT FIXTURE (THAT MOST OF ALL SHOPPING MALLS HAVE THROUGHOUT THEIR LOTS). THE RIGHT, PASSENGER, SIDE TIRE WAS BENT SO BAD THAT IT COULDN'T BE DRIVEN AND HAD TO BE TOWED...IT SMASHED THE FENDER, GRILL, BOTTOM COVERING OF THE ENTIRE FRONT PLASTIC PART ALONG WITH TIRE ROD END, STRUT, STABILIZER BAR, ALIGNMENT, PAINT JOB AND COST...FORTUNATELY, WE HAVE COLLISION ON THIS VEHICLE AND ONLY HAD TO THE FIRST $1,000.00 FOR THE COMPLETE JOB.