2004 SATURN VUE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND SWITCHING LANES REAR WHEEL TURNED INWARD, CAUSING THE REAR SUSPENSION TO FAIL. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO A GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK

UNDECLARED SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO AWD PERFORMANCE DUE TO REAR DRIVE MODULE (RDM) WARRANTY REPLACEMENT. SATURN REPLACED THE RDM IN MY AWD VUE ON 17 DECEMBER AS PART OF THE LOWER CONTROL LINK RECALL CAMPAIGN. THE REPLACED RDM HAS MODIFIED ENGAGEMENT CHARACTERISTICS FROM THE ORIGINAL RDM MY VUE WAS DELIVERED WITH. (THE RDM HAD A CHANGE FROM A 40-60 RPM DIFFERENCE TO A 80-100 RPM DIFFERENCE ENGAGEMENT THRESHOLD.*AK THE RESULTING CHANGE IN AWD PERFORMANCE HAS RESULTED IN EFFECTIVE FWD CONVERSION UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. PARTIAL THROTTLE APPLICATION RESULTS IN COMPLETE LOSS OF FRONT WHEEL TRACTION AND LATE ABRUPT POWER TRANSFER TO REAR WHEELS WITH SIGNIFICANT TORQUE STEER. MY DISCOVERY OF THIS CHANGE CAME DURING A GREEN-LIGHT FREEWAY EXIT TRANSITION WITH A LEFT TURN. IN TURN EXIT POWER APPLICATION, FRONT WHEELS LOST TRACTION, THE VUE STARTED TO SLIP LATERALLY. THEN AWD ENGAGEMENT OCCURRED ABRUPTLY WITH HEAVY FRONT WHEEL TORQUE STEER. MY VUE MADE A PARTIAL INCURSION INTO ADJACENT TRAFFIC LANE (UNOCCUPIED). I WAS AT THIS POINT ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. RETURNED TO SATURN SERVICE CENTER, ADVISED THEM OF THE ISSUES AND WAS ADVISED BY THEM THAT THIS CHANGE WAS PERMANENT AND THAT MY VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RETURNED TO ORIGINAL OPERATING PARAMETERS. IT WAS AT THIS POINT, VIA SERVICE CENTER CONTACT WITH SATURN CARE THAT IT WAS DETERMINED BY MY SERVICE CENTER THAT THE RDM HAD BEEN CHANGED INTERNALLY TO ENGAGE IN THIS NEW RANGE. MY SATURN SERVICE CENTER HAD NO PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF THIS CHANGE IN THE RDM AND THEREFORE NOT ABLE TO ADVISE DRIVERS OF THE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW RDM.

2004 SATURN VUE AWD. SATURN REPLACED THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL (RDM) WITH A REDESIGNED PART IN NOVEMBER. THE NEW PART IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE LATER THAN THE ORIGINAL PART. THIS PART CHANGE CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE VEHICLE'S HANDLING- INCREASED TORQUE STEER, EXCESSIVE FRONT WHEEL SPIN AND UNPREDICTABLE REAR DIFFERENTIAL ENGAGEMENT. THE FWD MODEL OF THE VUE HAS TRACTION CONTROL THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF TORQUE STEER AND WHEEL SPIN. THE AWD MODEL DOES NOT HAVE THIS FUNCTION AND THE CRIPPLING OF THE AWD FEATURE MAKES THE VEHICLE UNSAFE.*AK

I RECENTLY HAD MY 2004 SATURN AWD VUE SERVICED AT SATURN OF LIVINGSTON, NJ, AND HAD TWO RECALLS PERFORMED. ONE WAS FOR THE VOLUNTARY RECALL OF A REAR SUSPENSION LINK WHICH WAS CHANGED DUE TO A NHTSA TEST FAILURE. THE OTHER WAS THE RECALL OF THE REAR DRIVE MODULE (RDM), WHICH WAS CAUSING A MOANING NOISE IN ALL AWD VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE. AFTER THE RDM WAS CHANGED I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED A CHANGE IN THE VEHICLES AWD FUNCTION CHARACTERISTICS. WHEN ON A SLIGHT INCLINE IN WET CONDITIONS A FULL THROTTLE ACCELERATION FROM A STOP RESULTED IN SEVERE FRONT WHEEL SPIN WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT OF THE AWD SYSTEM. IN FACT I COULD HEAR A DISCERNABLE CLICKING NOISE EMMINATING FROM THE RDM WHICH SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE AWD FAUNCTIONALITY WAS IN EFFECT BEING NEUTRALIZED. I HAVE PERFORMED THIS MANEUVER SEVERAL TIMES WITH MY VEHICLE IN THE PAST YEAR (WITH THE ORIGINAL RDM), AND THE AWD SYSTEM HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN ELIMINATING FRONT WHEEL SPIN AND PROVIDING AMPLE TRACTION GOING UP THE INCLINE. I BELIEVE THE NEW VERSION OF THE RDM BEING ROLLED OUT TO THE MASSES HAS ONLY SERVED TO CONVERT ALL THE AWD VERSIONS OF THIS VEHICLE TO FWD, AND I BELIEVE SATURN MUST BE PERSUADED TO RE-ENGINEER THEIR RDM TO RESTORE THE AWD FUNCTIONALITY.*AK

THE GLASS ON THE REAR LIFTGATE SHATTERED FOR NO REASON WHILE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED.*AK

REAR WINDOW SHATTERED WHEN CLOSING PASSENGER DOOR DRIVERS SIDE NO APPARENT DAMAGE TO THE REAR WINDOW AT ALL. 2004 SATURN VUE PURCHASED IN APRIL 2004. *AK

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

2004 SATURN VUE PURCHASED IN JULY. CLOSED REAR HATCH AFTER UNLOADING GROCERIES AND ENTIRE BACK WINDOW SHATTERED INTO THE CAR ON ME. NO EVIDENCE PRIOR TO THE SHATTERING OF A CRACK OR ANY OBJECT HITTING THE BACK WINDOW. IT WAS FINE WHEN I LOADED THE GROCERIES AND SHATTERED AFTER I GOT BACK HOME.*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