2004 SATURN VUE Complaints

I HAVE A SATURN VUE 2004, BLUE. ON SATURDAY DEC 11, MERGING ONTO I-495 EAST AT EXIT 31, I ACCELERATED SHARPLY AND STEADILY; 'PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN.' THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON BUT NOT ENGAGED. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER IT WAS TAPPED OR NOT DURING THE ACCELERATION, BUT I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY ENGAGE IT. REGARDLESS, WHEN I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR, I DID NOT EXPERIENCE A RELIEF OF ACCELERATION. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE PEDAL STAYED LOOSE, RELATIVELY. I TRIED THE BRAKE - IT SLOWED THE ACCELERATION BUT DID NOT STOP IT. I TRIED THE ACCELERATOR TO LOOSEN IT. I APPLIED THE BRAKE IN A SUSTAINED FASHION. I WAS CURRENTLY GOING ~80 MPH, FASTER THAN INTENDED. AT THIS TIME, I MOVED ONTO THE SHOULDER, TO THE RIGHT, SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED ON THE BLINKERS. THE ENGINE RACED AND THE TACHOMETER WAS HIGH. I BRAKED TO ABOUT 40-50 MPH. I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS ON, AND TURNED IT OFF. THE ENGINE STOPPED RACING AND I WAS ABLE TO SLOW A BIT MORE. ONCE I WAS SURE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER CONTROL, I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, DEACTIVATED THE BLINKERS, REGAINED SPEED, MERGED OFF THE SHOULDER AND CONTINUED TO MY DESTINATION. I HAVE HAD NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *TR

I OWN A 2004 SATURN VUE WITH 137,000 MILES ON IT, THE TRANSMISSION HAS WENT OUT ON IT. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST BETWEEN $3,800 AND $4,200 AND THEY STILL COULD NOT GUARANTEE TO FIX IT. I NOTICE THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE SATURN VUE AND DECIDED TO VOICE MINE ALSO. MAINLY, BECAUSE I NOTICE THAT THE 2004 SATURN VUE IS STILL BEING SOLD BY DEALERS WHEN THEY KNOW OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE. I AM ONE OF THE ONES THAT IS HAVING TO LET MY VEHICLE BE REPOSESSED DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED. I BROUGHT MY CAR NEW AND NEVER RECEIVED ANY INFORMATION ON A RECALL. SATURN (OR DEALERS SELLING THIS VEHICLE) KNOWING OF THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE MADE TO RECOMPENSE PEOPLE FOR THEIR EXPENSES. I AM HAVING TO DEPEND ON FRIENDS/FAMILY TO GET AROUND. WITH ALL THESE COMPLAINTS SOMETHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS BY NOW! *TR

WENT TO USE HORN TO WARN ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT THEY WERE SWAYING INTO MY LANE AND WHEN DID SO HORN KEPT GOING OFF AND WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. HAD TO PULL OFF ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO PULL HORN RELAY IN ORDER TO GET HORN TO STOP BEFORE BURNING IT OUT. DUE TO LOCATION OF HORN SWITCH (INSIDE AIRBAG) THE APPROXIMATE COST FOR WHAT WOULD APPEAR TO BE AN EASY FIX COULD COST UPWARDS OF $700. OUTRAGEOUS! NOW DUE TO HIGH COST VEHICLE WILL BE WITHOUT AN IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURE....A HORN. RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED. *TR

2004 SATURN VUE, REAR SEAT, MIDDLE, SEATBELT DOESN'T STAY LATCHED. I WAS CARPOOLING SOME KIDS AND IT APPEARED THAT THE SEAT BELT LATCHED, BUT WHEN WE CAME TO A QUICK STOP, THE SEATBELT WAS NOT ACTUALLY ENGAGED. IT WAS A FALSE LATCH CONDITION. NOW THERE IS A RECALL ON SATURN OUTLOOKS DUE TO SIMILAR CONDITION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE DRIVER HEARD A LOUD "POP" FROM REAR OF CAR. AFTER PULLING OVER THE DRIVER SAW THAT THE TOP OF THE RIGHT REAR WHEEL WAS TIPPED IN. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR STATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RIGHT REAR LATERAL LINK ASSEMBLY BROKE. THE MOUNTING BOLT BROKE CAUSING THE MOUNTING FLANGE TO BRAKE OFF OF THE FRAME. THIS ACTION ALSO CAUSED THE FRAME TO BEND. IT WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE FRAME, LINKS, CONTROL ARMS AND SHOCK ABSORBER. TOTAL COST TO ME WAS $1,900.42. SATURN SAID THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE AND WOULD NOT PAY FOR ANY EXPENSES. A RECALL ( CAMPAIGN #04067001 ) TO REPLACE THE REAR LATERAL LINKS WAS PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE ON 5/21/2005. APPARENTLY, THIS RECALL WORK WAS NOT EFFECTIVE. THE DRIVER WAS NOT SPEEDING, DID NOT HIT A POT HOLE OR OTHER OBJECT. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT INVOLVED, AND NO ONE WAS INJURED. THESE ARE NOT PARTS THAT REQUIRE PERIODIC MAINTENANCE OR UPKEEP. THE PARTS ON THIS CAR FAILED. THE MECHANIC AT THE CHEVROLET DEALER THAT PERFORMED THE WORK SAID THAT ALL THE BOLTS IN THAT AREA WERE RUSTED AND NEEDED REPLACED. IF THIS FAILURE WOULD HAVE OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE ROAD GOING AT A MUCH FASTER RATE OF SPEED, I CAN'T IMAGINE THE CONSEQUENCES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO HIS RESIDENCE. UPON EXAMINING THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE IT WAS BENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE BOTH THE REAR TOE LINKS WERE BEING REPLACED BECAUSE A BOLT SHEARED OFF. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 116,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. SHE STATED THAT IN JUNE 2009, WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND BEGAN LOSING POWER AT A LOW SPEED. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO RESET ITSELF. SHE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD A FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RE-OCCURED FOUR TIMES WITHIN A YEAR AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000.

2004 SATURN VUE. TRANSMISSION GONE, OVER 5 GRAND TO FIX DUE TO THERE BEING PROBLEMS WITH THE VUES, JUNK YARDS DO NOT CARRY THEM. IT WAS APPARENTLY A KNOWN DEFECT YET THEY SOLD IT TO ME. I STILL OWE 110000 ON THE CAR AND I CANT DRIVE NOR DO I HAVE THE CASH TO FIX. WITH THE DEALERSHIPS GONE I CAN'T EVEN TAKE THE PIECE OF JUNK BACK TO THEM. I FOUND OUT THAT MOST SHOPS DO NOT WORK ON THESE (3 OF THE 4 I CALLED) DUE TO THE FACT THAT EVEN WITH A REBUILT ONE, YOU ARE STILL PUTTING IN A TRANSMISSION THAT IS FAULTY AND THEY CAN'T GUARANTEE THEM. SINCE I NOW NEED ANOTHER VEHICLE, THIS HEAP WILL CERTAINLY BE REPOSSESSED. *TR

INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) IN NOVEMBER OF 2009 I HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM SATURN IN WHICH IT STATES THAT MY CAR IS A RECALL, DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION AND PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS. (THREE MONTH PRIOR TO THE RECALL LETTER I HAD EXPERIENCED SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THE CAR.) SATURN/GMC DO NOT WANT TO PAY THE REPAIR IN FULL,$5,927.03, THEY WANT ME TO PAY THE HALF OF IT. NEITHER DO THEY HELP ME TO GET A CAR OF THE SAME YEAR OR VALUE. I WROTE THEM A HAND WRITTEN LETTER AND NEVER RECEIVED AN ANSWER FROM THEM. AFTER THREE MONTHS I CONTACTED THEM BY PHONE, TO ASK WHAT THEY ARE DOING ABOUT THE CAR,I WAS TOLD THAT MY CASE IS DISMISSED?( I CALL THAT DISCRIMINATION) I WENT TO COURT AND FILED A SMALL CLAIMS COURT AGAINST SATURN. THREE WEEKS AFTER THEY WERE SERVED THE PAPERWORK I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THEM THAT I WOULD HAVE TO DISMISS THIS CLAIM SINCE THEY GO THROUGH BANKRUPTCY. I AM A DIVORCED MATURE FEMALE, AND HAVE A SMALL RESIDENTIAL,LIGHT COMMERCIAL AND JANITORIAL CLEANING BUSINESS. I NEED THE CAR ON A DAILY BASIS, AND HAVE TO DRIVE SOMETIMES FAR TO GET TO MY CLIENTS. AND SINCE THE ECONOMY HAS TURNED BAD FOR LOTS OF SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, LIKE ME, I BARELY MAKE ENDS MEET. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR A REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION, NOR DO I HAVE THE OTHER HALF OF WHAT THE NEW TRANSMISSION WOULD COST. AND SINCE I DID NOT DESIGN THE CAR NEITHER MANUFACTURE THE CAR, I DON'T SEE WHY I HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OFF FROM THE COMPANY WHO PUTS THEM ON THE MARKET. THE TIME FOR MY CAR IS RUNNING OUT, AND FOR ME AS WELL. IF I HAVE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD DUE TO A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND PERFORMANCE ISSUE, OR IF THE TRANSMISSION CATCHES FIRE THAT WOULD BE HORRIBLE. IF I LOOSE ALL MY CLIENTS IF THE CAR BREAKS DOWN I WON'T BE ABLE TO PAY MY RENT, AND END UP LIVING ON THE STREETS WITH MY ANIMALS. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP ME TO RESOLVE THIS BAD PROBLEM? I HAVE RUN OUT OF OPTIONS. [XXX] *TR

DRIVING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 30-45MPH THE RPM'S REV UP BUT THE CAR SLOWS DOWN! ON HILLS, IT WON'T ACCELERATE AT ALL! EVEN IN LOW GEAR IT WON'T MOVE. RPM'S JERK AT HIGH SPEEDS AS WELL. HAD DIAGNOSTIC DONE 5-7-10 THEY SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING BETWEEN 2ND & 3RD GEAR, IT'S NOT READING ANY CODES AND THE FLUID IS DISCOLORED. ESTIMATING COST TO FIX IS $3,000. TRUCK HAS LESS THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT!! PROBLEM OCCURS EVERYDAY -- TRANSMISSION HASN'T COMPLETELY FAILED YET, BUT I FEAR IS GOING TO HAPPEN SOON! I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I'M GOING TO PAY FOR THIS... I'VE ONLY HAD THIS CAR 2 YEARS. I THINK IT IS A SAFETY CONCERN WHEN YOU'RE ON THE HWY AND YOUR CAR WON'T ACCELERATE AND PEOPLE BEHIND YOU ARE SWERVING TO MISS YOU AND BLOWING AT YOU. *TR