2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

I BOUGHT A USED 2003 SATURN VUE TWO MONTHS AGO, AND SINCE THEN IT HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH IT KNOW IS THE TRANSMISSION (AUTOMATIC VTI). WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY TWO DAYS AGO, THE CAR WAS ON CRUISE CONTROL AT 65 MPH, WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THE RPMS RED LINED AT 7000. AFTER THAT I DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL AND ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE THE CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER, BUT IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. ALSO WHEN STOPPING THE CAR, THE ENGINE STARTS TO RUMBLE AND SHAKE, THEN WHEN ACCELERATING AGAIN THE ENGINE REVS UP BUT NO MOVEMENT. AFTER ABOUT FIVE TO TEN SECONDS THE CAR CATCHES GEAR AND IT FEELS LIKE I'VE BEEN IN A REAR END COLLISION WHEN IT DOES. THREE DAYS AGO THE CAR DID THIS IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WHILE I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN (IT STOPPED AND JUST REVVED THE ENGINE), I WAS ALMOST HIT BY AN ONCOMING CAR BUT THEY MANAGED TO SWERVE OUT OF THE WAY TO AVOID A COLLISION. THE VUE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP AND I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD A NEW TRANSMISSION SO I AM STUCK WITH A DEAD VEHICLE WHICH I JUST PURCHASED TWO MONTHS AGO. *TR

MY 2003 SATURN VUE HAD THE TRANSMISSION DIE COMPLETELY AT 62,000 MILES AND 6 YEARS OLD. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A VACATION AND IT DIES 2 MINUTES BEFORE WE ENTERED THE INTERSTATE IN SEATTLE, WA. THERE WAS NO WARNING, OTHER THAN SATURN TELLING US 5 YEARS AGO THAT THE TRANSMISSION MAY LOSE POWER ON OCCASION BUT IT IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES AND DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS FAIL; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUES TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE MASTER CONTROL PANEL WAS FAILING. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE PART IS CURRENTLY ON BACKORDER WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER WILL BE NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING DRIVEN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,100. UPDATED 08/27/09 *BF UPDATED 08/31/09.*JB

I PURCHASED MY NEW 2003 SATURN VUE FROM YORK PA SATURN (SUTLIFF GROUP) AND THEY HAVE PATCHED UP MY 2003 VUE BY REPLACING VALVES, SENSORS ETC. ON THE VTI TRANSMISSION/TRANSAXLES 5 OR 6 DIFFERENT TIMES, WHICH THEY WELL KNOW WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I STILL EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION FAILURE DURING EXTENDED PERIODS OF DRIVING OR TIMES OF TRAFFIC STOP SITUATIONS. I HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FROM THE 10,000 MILE POINT ON UNTIL THIS TIME. DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY INTO HIGHER GEAR , STILL MAKES GRINDING NOISES WHILE TURNING AND ACCELERATING AND OTHERWISE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY. TRANSMISSION WAS LOOKED AT BY DEALER 5 TIMES AVOIDING THE ISSUE OF TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. SEVERAL CLOSE CALLS HAVE INVOKED ME TO START A MAJOR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE SATURN CORP. ! ALL I ASK IS FOR SATURN TO REPLACE MY FAULTY DRIVE TRAIN (ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION) FREE OF ALL LABOR AND PARTS WITH THE NEW TYPE DRIVE TRAIN THAT IS IN THE NEW 2008-09 VUE OR REPLACE WITH A NEW VEHICLE!!! ITS THAT SIMPLE SATURN! AND UNTIL THIS HAPPENS THIS TRANSMITTAL WILL CONTINUE ON TO WEBSITES, PUBLIC POSTS, FLYERS, IN FRONT OF SATURN DEALERS ETC. ETC... PS. I HAVE POSTED THIS WARNING ON EVERY NEW CAR BUYERS SITE JUST TO WARN PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF THE FAILED RESPONSIBILITY OF SATURN AND GM. ALSO I HAVE COPIED JUST ABOUT EVERY PERSON AND BUSINESS THAT HAS EXPOSURE TO INTERSECTIONS SHOPPING MALLS ETC. SO TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS, WORKING COLLEAGUES, ETC. GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT SATURN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE POWERTRAIN FUSE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER. THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THERE WERE NO AUTHORIZED DEALERS IN THE AREA FOR A SECOND OPINION. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 82,067.

MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING TODAY AND ABOUT AN HOUR LATER I STARTED TO LOOSE POWER AND WHEN I PRESSED THE GAS I HEARD A LOUD NOISE. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLY I DISCOVERED THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IGNITION: MODULE ON THE 2003 SATURN VUE AWD 6CYCL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE ENGINE STILL MANAGED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CALLED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY INOPERABLE AND HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

I HAD DRIVEN MY 2003 SATURN VUE TO WORK THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WITH NO PROBLEMS. UPON DRIVING IT THE NEXT MORNING, IN BUSY TRAFFIC, IT WOULD NOT TRANSFER OUT OF FIRST GEAR EASILY. I PRACTICALLY HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR TO EVEN GET IT UP TO 30 MPH. I HAVE NOT HAD THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED BUT HAVE HAD QUOTES IF IT IS THE TRANSMISSION AND IT IS TOTALLY RIDICULOUS THAT WE AS CONSUMERS HAVE TO PAY MORE FOR SOMEONE'S BAD JUDGMENT ON TRANSMISSIONS. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS WHERE THE COMPLAINTS ARE NUMEROUS ON THE SATURN TRANSMISSIONS AND NOW AS CONSUMERS WE ARE UP THE CREEK WITHOUT A PADDLE NOW THAT GM HAS FILED BANKRUPTCY. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD OF BEEN ADDRESSED BEFORE BANKRUPTCY BEFORE NOT ONLY ARE THE CONSUMER'S WALLETS EMPTY BUT THE RISK INCREASES FOR OUR SAFETY AS WELL AS OTHERS. *TR

AIR BAG AND SERVICE LIGHT ON. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THE AIR BAG MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST $750.00 TO REPAIR. TALKED TO LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS A LAW THAT MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO CORRECT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR UP TO 10 YEARS AFTER CAR IS MANUFACTURED AT NO CHARGE TO CONSUMER. CALLED DEALER THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS OF COURSE. STUCK WITH PROBLEM AND CONCERNED. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN VUE AND THE TRANSMISSION WENT ON MAY 5 WENT TO THE SHOP TO BE REPAIRED ON MAY 20 GOT VEHICLE BACK ON THE 23 AND ON MAY 25 THE TRANSMISSION WENT AGAIN TOOK IT BACK TO SATURN OF ALBANY N.Y. AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER PICKED IT UP ON MAY 27 GOT ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY FROM SATURN TRIED TO CROSS A 4 LANE INTERSECTION AND VEHICLE WOULD BARELY MOVE DUE TO TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AGAIN IT IS A GOOD THING THERE WAS VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC. *TR