2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGIN TO HESITATE AND DECREASE IN SPEED WHEN THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY DRIVE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE; HOWEVER, THE RPMS INCREASED RAPIDLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AUTO REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO ANOTHER MECHANIC FOR A SECOND OPINION, WHO ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. THE VEHICLE REMAINED AT THE REPAIR SHOP UNTIL A DECISION IS MADE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 72000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN JANUARY 2006. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH IN REVERSE OUT OF HER DRIVEWAY AND THEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEAR INTO THE DRIVE POSITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST SATURN DEALER WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED DUE TO THE FAILURE. THE REPLACEMENT WAS COVERED UNDER HER FACTORY WARRANTY. TWO YEARS LATER, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER ADVISED HER THAT SHE WOULD NEED ANOTHER TRANSMISSION DUE TO FAILURES. SHE HAS HAD THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES WITHIN 4 YEARS. NO RECENT REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS DESCRIBING THAT PARTICULAR TYPE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGES WAS 52,606 AND THE CURRENT WAS 135,698.

IGNITION MODULE REPLACED , SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT STAY SOLID , ADVICE TO REPLACE CATALYTIC CONVERTER , AFTER 2 MONTHS ENGINE COIL FAILED , 2 CYLINDERS FAILED AND CAT CONVERTER TURNED CHERRY RED DUE TO EXCESS OF FUEL BURNED , FIRE HAZARD AND ROAD HAZARD . *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE WHICH WAS PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2002. SHE STATED THAT THERE WERE NUMEROUS FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 6 MPH THROUGH A BRUSH-LESS CAR WASH, WATER ENTERED INTO THE SUN ROOF HOUSING. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, SHE ALSO SMELLED OIL BURNING AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE RIGHT INNER CV JOINT BOOT. THE HAZARDS LIGHTS FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AND WERE REPAIRED TWICE DUE TO REPEAT FAILURES. WHEN SHE ENGAGED THE HAZARD SWITCH, IT COLLAPSED INTO THE DASHBOARD CONSOLE. THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THERMOSTAT FAILED AND IT WAS REPLACED. ALL REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE PER THE WARRANTY. THE REAR LATERAL LINK ASSEMBLY RECALL NUMBER 04067001 2002-2004 VUE REAR SUSPENSION RECALL WAS ALSO REPLACED. THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT CLOSE; HOWEVER, THE DRIVER'S SIDE SWITCH WAS REPLACED. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THE IMPROPER LEVEL OF FUEL THAT WAS IN THE FUEL TANK; ALTHOUGH, THE FUEL SENDING UNITS WERE REPLACED. ALL OF THE REPAIRS MADE TO THE VEHICLE HAVE FAILED MORE THAN ONCE. THE HORN WOULD ALSO OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY ON ITS OWN. THE DEALER FOUND A SHORTAGE IN THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND REPLACED THE OPERATING DESIGN SYSTEM WHICH FORCED THE MECHANIC TO REPROGRAM THE KEYS TO THE VEHICLE. THE VALVE COVER GASKET FAILED A SECOND TIME WHEN THE CONTACT SMELLED OIL BURNING. THERE WERE NO RELATED RECALLS FOR MOST OF THE OTHER FAILED COMPONENTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,002 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 70,501.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE, SHE COULD HEAR A LOUD WINDING NOISE; SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT IT SHIFTED VERY HARD IN SECOND GEAR, AS IF A "HORSE WERE KICKING THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE". SHE NOTICED THE ISSUE EVERY TIME SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ALSO SLIPPED IN GEAR ON THE HIGHWAY AND SHE PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED IT OFF. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE WAS FINE AND A YEAR FROM NOW, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BECOME A PROBLEM. SHE CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WAS A VTI FAILURE AND UNDER 5 YEARS, THEY WOULD PAY 100% OF THE REPAIR COSTS AND IF OVER 5 YEARS, THEY WOULD PAY 50% OF THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED TO-DATE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,662. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000.

CAR MISFIRING AND PROBABLY NEEDED NEW PLUGS. WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED AN IGNITION COIL PACK, IGNITION CONTROL MODULE AND THAT IT WOULD MORE THAN $700.00. FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH OTHER VEHICLES THAT ARE MY SAME YEAR AND MAKE. 2003 SATURN VUE. CAMPAIGN NUMBER FOR THE COMPLAINT/RECALL IS 03V231000. *TR

NORMAL DRIVING WHEN MANUAL TRANSMISSION - WITHOUT WARNING - SHIFTER LINKAGE BECAME DISCONNECTED, LEAVING ME UNABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF THE CURRENT GEAR, RENDERING THE CAR UNDRIVABLE AND LEAVING ME STRANDED IN TRAFFIC ON A BUSY STREET. MECHANIC REPORTS THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON SATURNS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS BUT THAT NO SAFETY RECALLS HAVE EVER BEEN ISSUED. SATURN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AT NO COST TO OWNERS AND TO REIMBURSE PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AND HAD TO PAY TO GET IT FIXED. *TR

MY 2003 SATURN VUE DRIVERS SAT CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT, I SMELT A BURNING SMELL, STOPPED TO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD ALL LOOKED GOOD TO ME,I CONTINUED DRIVING AND THE CAR THEN BEGAN TO FILL UP WITH SMOKE NATURALLY I GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY AND REALIZED IT WAS THE SEAT I WAS SITTING IN. *TR

LEAK IN 2003 SATURN VUE GAS TANK. I OWN A 2003 SATURN VUE WHICH HAS BEEN DRIVEN ONLY ABOUT 52,000 EASY HIGHWAY MILES. IT HAS NEVER BEEN IN A CRASH, NEVER ABUSED OR OFF-ROADED, IT HAS NEVER BEEN TOWED AND HAS HAD ALL RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE. ABOUT 1 MONTH AGO, THERE WAS A SMELL OF GAS IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. WE TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, AND TO FILL IT UP AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED. WE DID THIS, AND THERE WAS A STRONG GAS SMELL IN AND OUT OF THE CAR WITH A SMALL GAS PUDDLE UNDER THE CAR. WE TOOK THIS BACK TO THE MECHANIC, AND THEY FOUND A CRACK IN THE TANK/FILLER NECK. I AM ATTEMPTING TO GET THIS FIXED. I CALLED GM, BUT THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF HELPING WITH THIS PROBLEM. THEY DID NOT SEEM INTERESTED IN THE FACT THAT THIS IS A LIGHTLY USED VEHICLE, AND THAT A PART FAILED. AS THIS IS NOT A PART THAT BEARS ANY WEIGHT, DOES NOT WEAR OR SEE ANY STRESS OTHER THAN THE GAS, THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON FOR A PLASTIC TANK TO FAIL, UNLESS IT WERE MADE OR DESIGNED POORLY. I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. IT IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT COULD EASILY LEAD TO A FIRE OR EXPLOSION. GAS TANKS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC SHOULD NOT FAIL WITHOUT CAUSE UNLESS POORLY DESIGNED OR MANUFACTURED. *TR

A FEW YEARS AGO I PURCHASED A USED 2003 VUE. CURRENTLY THERE IS APPROXIMATELY 120,000 MILES ON IT. ON 10/31/09 I DROVE MY 40 MILES TO WORK AND ALL WAS FINE. AT LUNCH BREAK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WHEN I PUT THE GAS ON THE VEHICLE WOULD HARDLY MOVE. AFTER DISCUSSING THE PROBLEM WITH MY HUSBAND, WE DECIDED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION PLACE, NOT A SATURN DEALER, BECAUSE OF COST. THE VEHICLE WAS ONLY RUNNING IN 3RD GEAR, ALL OTHER GEARS WERE NOT WORKING. WHEN THAT PROBLEM WAS FIXED, IT WAS FOUND THAT THE COMPUTER WAS NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. THE TRANSMISSION PLACE HAS BEEN VERY NICE AND EVEN PAID FOR A RENTAL CAR FOR ME, BUT WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, I WILL OWE THEM ABOUT $3000. WHY AM I READING ALL THESE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION AND NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN DONE? *TR