2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

MY HORN STARTED BLOWING EARLY 1 MORNING AND I HAD TO DISCONNECT MY HORN THE SWITCH WENT OUT THE HORN SWITCH IS IN THE AIR BAG ASSEMBLY. THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 SATURN VUE. *TT

WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH HEARD A CLUNK BY THE BACK REAR PASSENGER TIRE, THE TOP OF THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WAS TILTED IN. APPEARED TO HAVE A BROKEN LATERAL ARM WHICH WAS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN GOING ANY RATE OF SPEED THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ISSUE. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. I CONTACTED SATURN WHO TOOK MY CLAIM AND ADMITTED THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE LATERAL ARM IN 2005. THIS SUPPOSELY WAS TAKEN IN TO A DEALERSHIP AND FIXED. I DIDN'T OWN THIS VEHICLE THEN. SATURN REFUSES TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ISSUE AND SAID IT VERY LIKELY COULDVE BEEN A FAULTLY PART BUT SINCE IT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF IN 2005 NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE. I FEEL I COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF, LOST CONTROL AND/OR HURT SOMEONE ELSE IF I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL. *TR

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VIEW. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WHEN THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THAT THE ENGINE OIL HOUSING WAS CRACKED. THE ENGINE OIL HOUSING FAILED DUE TO DEFECTIVE MATERIAL AND CORROSION. THE LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE ENGINE OIL HOUSING UNIT. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. KMJ

MY SATURN VUE 2003 EXPERIENCES SERIOUS HESITATION IN POWER WHEN TRAVELING OVER 45 MPH. THE DANGEROUS SPUTTERING GETS HARDER WHEN I NEED TO DRIVE MORE THAN 45 MPH SUCH AS WHEN I HAVE TO TRAVEL ON PARKWAYS OR EXPRESSWAYS. ON DECEMBER 3, 2011, I ENTERED EXIT 36 OF THE GRAND CENTRAL PARKWAY AND MAINTAINED A STEADY SPEED OF 55 MPH IN LIGHT TRAFFIC. AS THE TRAFFIC INCREASED TO EXIT 17, THE CAR BEGAN TO HESITATE AND APPEAR TO WANT TO COME TO A STOP. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN A DECREASED SPEED OF 45 MPH TO AVOID THE SPUTTERING AND HALTING. I GOT INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND EXITED THE PARKWAY AS MY CAR JOLTED THEN CAME TO A SUDDEN HALT. I TURNED THE CAR OFF, WAITED 15 MINUTES, PUT MY CAR IN DRIVE AND IT WOULD NOT DRIVE FORWARD. I PUT IT IN REVERSE AND MANEUVERED IT INTO AN OPEN SPACE ALONG THE CURB ON 78TH AVENUE. I TRIED AGAIN AND ONLY WITH HEAVY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL WAS THE CAR ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO STRAIGHTEN INTO A POSITION TO BE TOWED. I CALLED AAA AND WAS TOWED TO A SATURN AUTHORIZED SERVICE PROVIDER, NORTHSHORE CHEVROLET OF SMITHTOWN, WHERE IT SITS TO THIS DAY. THE BRAND NEW 2010 VT1 TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE STARTUP, A KNOCKING NOISE WAS EMITTED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,477 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,105.

ON THE 27TH OF AUGUST 2011 THE POWER TRAIN (VTI TRANSMISSION) QUIT WORKING. I WAS AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND HAD APPLIED MY BRAKES, WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE VTI TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I WAS LEFT STRANDED WITH ONLY REVERSE. SATURN HAD ISSUED A VTI TRANSMISSION LETTER SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE THAT STATED THEY KNEW THEIR WAS A DEFECT WITH THE VTI TRANSMISSION AND ALL TRANSMISSION WORK WOULD BE 100% COVERED. NOW THE NEW OWNER OF GM STATES HE DOESN'T HAVE TO HONOR THAT VTI TRANSMISSION LETTER. SINCE THAT INCIDENT THE VTI TRANSMISSION HAS GONE OUT THREE MORE TIMES. *TR

THIS VEHICLE WAS 6 CYLINDER MODEL WITH AWD. IT HAS A STANDARD 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT (SLIPPED) COMPLETELY GOING UP A LOW RISE. AFTER STOPPING AND STARTING UP AGAIN, IT WORKED AGAIN FOR ANOTHER FEW HUNDRED YARDS AND THEN WENT OUT AGAIN JUST AS WE WENT INTO AN INTERSECTION. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND CALL FOR A TOW. A TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS REQUIRED AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS CAR BRAND NEW IN 2003 AND AM THE ONLY DRIVER. OTHER THAN THE NOW DEFUNCT TRANSMISSION, THE CAR IS IN EXCELLENT SHAPE, BOTH INSIDE AND OUT. WHILE DRIVING APPX. 70MPH ON THE FREEWAY, MY VUE LOST POWER DOWN TO 30MPH AND RPMS INCREASED TO OVER 5000. THE "CHECK ENGINE" AND "REDUCED POWER" WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. I MANAGED TO DRIVE THE CAR TO THE RECOMMENDED GM SERVICE CENTER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VTI TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED. SERVICE ADVISOR CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULDN'T PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. CAR IS STILL AT GM SERVICE CENTER AS THERE IS NO WAY TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION AND ASSURE ME THAT THE $5000 IT WILL COST ME WILL LAST SINCE THEY CAN NOT GET A NEW TRANSMISSION, ONLY REBUILD ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS FAILED. THIS CAR IS ONLY 8 YEARS OLD WITH 114K MILES AND BASED ON MY HISTORY WITH SATURN VEHICLES, MY EXPECTATION WAS THAT IT SHOULD HAVE LASTED AT LEAST ANOTHER 3 YEARS AND 50K MILES. ALSO, BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE READ ONLINE FROM OTHER VUE OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM, IT APPEARS THAT GM IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE LEVEL OF RESPONSE OR ASSISTANCE TO US. HOW CAN IT BE THAT SOMEONE WITH 120K MILES GETS THEIR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT AT NO CHARGE AND OTHERS WITH LESS MILEAGE CAN NOT? THERE IS NO CONSISTENCY, IT IS A CRAP SHOOT AS TO THE RESPONSE YOU WILL RECEIVE. I STILL HAVE THE LETTERS I RECEIVED FROM SATURN NOTIFYING ME THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS DESTINED TO FAIL. GM SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING RELIEF TO ALL OF US, EQUALLY, SINCE THEY KNEW THAT EVENTUALLY WE WOULD ALL BE AFFECTED. I AM INCLUDED IN THE CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT WITH LAKIN CHAPMAN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE FAILURES WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT TO ACCELERATE ACCOMPANIED WITH A LOUD, HUMMING NOISE. THE HORN SENSOR WAS MELTED, CAUSING THE HORN TO MALFUNCTION AND SOUND CONTINUOUSLY. THE FUEL TANK WAS ALSO FRACTURED, CAUSING A FUEL LEAK AND FUMES TO FILL THE VEHICLE CABIN. THE MUFFLER WAS ABNORMALLY LOUD AND THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD SEIZE WITHOUT WARNING AND MOST FREQUENTLY WHEN ATTEMPTING A LEFT TURN. IN ADDITION, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. THE HAZARD LIGHT ACTIVATION BUTTON ALSO FRACTURED THEREFORE; THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO UTILIZE THE HAZARD LIGHTS. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO ALL OF THE FAILURES EXPERIENCED IN THE VEHICLE BUT NEITHER PROVIDED ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

THE ENGINE LIGHT NEVER GOES OFF, THE IGNITION WANT TURN OR CRANK SOMETIMES, YOU CAN SMELL OIL WHEN THE CAR STOPS. *TR