2008 SATURN VUE Complaints

WHEN THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER BLOWS NOTHING BUT EXTREMELY HOT AIR. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOU DO WITH THE CONTROLS. THE FAN IS ON HIGH AND THE LIGHTS ON THE CONTROLS BLINK.

THE SATURN VUE I OWN IS A 4 CYLINDER AND THE HEATER CORE IS CRACKED JUST AS GM'S DOCUMENT ID[XXX] DESCRIBES. I STARTED TO SMELL ANTIFREEZE COMING FROM THE VENTS, ON ABOUT 9-3 WE HAVE GONE TO A RESTAURANT THAT NIGHT AND WHEN WE CAME OUT TO GO HOME, THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED UP, I TRIED TO USE THE DEFROST SETTING TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT, I HAD NO RAG TO WIPE THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD SO I WIPER IT WITH MY HAND TO GET SOME VISIBILITY, I WAS FORCED TO STOP SEVERAL TIMES ON THE WAY HOME TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD BY HAND. I CALLED SATURN GM CONCERNING THE ISSUE AND THEY HAD ME TAKE THE CAR TO A GM DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE HEATER CORE IS CRACKED. GM CLAIMS THEY HAVE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM TO FIX THIS ISSUE SO THE HEATER CORE WILL NOT CRACK BUT THEY CLAIM THAT MY CAR IS NOT IN THE PROGRAMS GROUP. THE PROGRAM REROUTES THE HEATER HOSES SO THAT INTERNAL PRESSURE BUILD UP IS REDUCED TO A SAFE LEVEL AND PREVENTS THE HEATER CORE FROM CRACKING THE PROGRAMS NUMBER IS #09206A. FROM WHAT I CAN FIND OUT THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2009 AND WAS TO END 1-2011 BUT IT HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED TO 1-31-2012. AS I SAID ABOVE THEY CLAIM THAT THE DEFECT IS FOR A GROUP OF VUES WITH SERIAL NUMBERS 8S500002 TO 8S645537 WHICH WOULD NOT INCLUDE MY CAR. IF YOU READ #09206A IT DESCRIBES WHAT HAS HAPPEN TO MY HEATER. THEY STATE IN THIS DOCUMENT " WE HAVE LEARNED THAT YOUR 2008 MODEL YEAR SATURN VUE, EQUIPPED WITH A 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A HEATER CORE THAT COULD EVENTUALLY FRACTURE DUE TO PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS WITHIN THE HEATER CORE. IF THE HEATER CORE FRACTURES, YOU WOULD NOTICE A STRONG COOLANT SMELL, VAPOR OR MIST COMING OUT OF THE HEATER VENTS, AND OR AN OILY FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD." THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY VUE CONFIRMED BY THE GM DEALER AND REPORTED TO GM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR

NO HEAT. GOT CAR 2500 MILES AGO NOW THAT ITS COLD OUTSIDE TRIED TO USE HEATER NO HEAT. INSTALLED NEW T-STAT. FLUSHED HEATER CORE. STILL NO HEAT. NEED HELP

WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER GOING, THE AIR CONDITIONER ALL OF A SUDDEN STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR AND AT THE HIGHEST FAN SPEED. AT FIRST WE COULD NOT TURN DOWN THE SPEED AND THEN AS WE PLAYED WITH THE DIALS WE WERE ABLE TO GET IT DOWN TO THE LOWEST SPEED. BECAUSE THE AIR FLOW IS ALWAYS MOVING IN THE VUE (ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS MANUAL) WERE WERE NOT ABLE TO SHUT THE FAN OFF COMPLETELY. EVEN TURNING THE AIR CONTROL UNIT TO MANUAL THE HEAT CONTINUED TO BLOW. THE TOP OF THE UNIT WAS GETTING EXTREMELY HOT TO THE TOUCH. WE WERE STOPPING FOR LUNCH WITH AND WHEN WE RETURNED AFTER THE MEAL THE UNIT HAD RESET ITSELF AND WE HAD NO MORE PROBLEMS ON THE RETURN TRIP FROM VA TO OH. ON 8/23/11 THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AND ONLY TURNING OFF THE ENGINE RESET THE UNIT. TOOK THE VUE IN FOR SERVICE AND THEY REPROGRAMMED THE AIR CONDITIONER, EVACED (?) THE UNIT AND RECHARGED WITH FREON. TWO WEEKS LATER, ON 9/6 /11 THE SAME THING OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN 6 HOURS. WILL BE CALLING THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED FUNCTIONING AND THE DRIVER BEGAN TO HEAR A CLUNKING NOISE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REALIZED THAT THE PLASTIC BUSHING WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE WIPERS TRANSMISSION WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,782 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,800.

A/C FAILS/WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. AT TIMES, THE VENTS BLOW A WHITE, VERY COLD "FOG" INTO THE VEHICLE. ONCE THIS OCCURS THE A/C WILL "FREEZE UP" AND NOT WORK PROPERLY. MY MECHANIC IS UNABLE TO DETERMINE/CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE JAN 2011. DURING THE EXTREME HEAT EXPERIENCED IN MO DURING THE SUMMER OF 2011; THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND UNSAFE FOR CHILDREN AS THE HEAT INDEX ROSE TO OVER 100 DEGREES AND SUSTAINED FOR WEEKS AT A TIME. I HAVE A 6 YR & 8 YR OLD (WHO HAS HEAT TRIGGERED ASTHMA). FOR THIS HEALTH REASON I MAINTAIN A NEWER VEHICLE THAT SHOULD PROVIDE ADEQUATE A/C. FOR A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE, MILEAGE, AND COST OF THIS VEHICLE, I EXPECT THE MANUFACTURER TO ENSURE THAT THIS IMPORTANT FEATURE IS CAPABLE OF RUNNING CORRECTLY FOR THE FIRST 100,000 MILES; OR RECALL & FIX THIS A/C ISSUE THAT I HAVE FOUND IS PLAGUING MANY SATURN VUE OWNERS. AS A SINGLE MOTHER, I DO NOT HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY OR INCOME TO BE WITHOUT MY VEHICLE WHILE IT IS SERVICED BY A DEALERSHIP AT DEALERSHIP COSTS. YET, IT IS NOW UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN TO TRAVEL ON EXTREMELY HOT DAYS IN THIS VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE STABILITY TRACK WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATE THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS LEAKING FLUIDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDSHIELD WIPER OVERLAPPED THE DRIVER SIDE WIPER. THE CONTACT PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT TO UNTANGLE THE WIPERS. THE PASSENGER SIDE WIPER HOWEVER, WAS NO LONGER OPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,842 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 50,862.

2008 SATURN VUE WITH A/C PROBLEMS. A/C WILL BLOW HOT AIR AFTER 10-15 MIN OF DRIVE TIME. WILL NOT COME BACK ON, AND A/C LIGHT FLASHES. A/C SOMETIMES RETURNS AFTER BEING PARKED FOR A FEW HOURS, BUT ONLY TO GO OUT AGAIN. HAS BEEN AT GM DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. 1ST TIME THEY FOUND NOTHING WRONG, 2ND TIME THEY DID A GAS TEST SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG. 3RD TIME I DROVE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHEN A/C WENT OUT, THEY SAW IT WAS NOT WORKING, AND REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT. A/C IS NOW OUT AGAIN 1 WEEK LATER. *TT

MY 2008 VUE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE STEERING. IT STARTED WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT FOR 10-30 SECONDS. NOW THERE IS A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND THAT IS OCCURRING WHEN THE WHEEL IS BEING TURNED. GM HAS REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND OTHER MULTIPLE ITEMS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS. *KB