2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH AND GREATER, THE TRANSMISSION MAKES STRANGE NOISES, HESITATES, JERKS, VIBRATES, HOPS, SLIPS, AND SLAMS INTO GEAR. THE TRANSMISSION SLAMS INTO GEAR UPON TAKE OFF. THE DEALER HAS REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION FOUR TIMES ON THE FOLLOWING DATES: 12/05/2007, 12/08/2007, 01/09/2008, AND 02/11/2008. THE TIRES WERE ALSO BALANCED DURING THE FOURTH REPAIR, BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT ANYTHING. ONE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD ONLY BEEN DRIVEN 50 MILES. THE NEXT TIME THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, THE DEALER HAD THE VEHICLE FOR TWENTY ONE DAYS. THE DEALER OFFERED HIM A $1,000 CERTIFICATE TO TRADE THE VEHICLE. CURRENTLY, THE VEHICLE IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED A FIFTH TIME. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 64,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

FLAGGED. [ FLAG MESSAGE - MARK AS UNREAD ] SUBJECT: RE: SATURN DEFECT DATE: MON, 25 FEB 2008 16:38:45 -0500 FROM: "PUB INQ WEB MAILBOX" <[email protected]> ADD MOBILE ALERT THE CORRECT AGENCY TO CONTACT WOULD BE THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, WWW.NHTSA.DOT.GOV. SUSAN STEVENSON INFORMATION SPECIALIST NTSB RECORDS MANAGEMENT DIVISION 490 L'ENFANT PLAZA EAST, SW WASHINGTON, DC 20594 800-877-6799 -----ORIGINAL MESSAGE----- FROM: [email protected] [MAILTO:[email protected]] SENT: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2008 3:20 PM TO: PUB INQ WEB MAILBOX SUBJECT: PUBLIC CORRESPONDENCE THE FOLLOWING REQUEST WAS RECEIVED FROM THE NTSB WEB SITENONE USA HIGHWAY MESSAGE: I AM TYING TO FIND OUT IF THE NTSB HAS INVESTIGATED THE VTI TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THAT SATURN IS IGNORING. THIS IS WELL DOCUMENTED THAT SATURN KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT RECALL THEM OR COME UP WITH A PERMANENT FIX. I AM ON MY THIRD TRANNY AND THESE ARE A REAL SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENCY AND QUICKNESS WITH NO WARNING THAT THEY ARE BREAKING. MINE HAS LEFT ME AND/OR MY WIFE STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD OR THE INTERSECTION TWICE NOW. IS IT NOT GOING TO BE INVESTIGATED UNTIL AFTER SOMEONE GETS KILLED OR SERIOUSLY HURT? HAS THE NTSB ALREADY DONE AN INVESTIGATION AND FOUND NOTHING? PLEASE LET ME KNOW THANK YOU *** THIS REQUEST FOR AN INFORMATION PRODUCT REQUIRES A RESPONSE *** *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD AND STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN WHEN PULLING OFF THE CAR STARTED TO JERK AND WOULD NOT GO WHEN IT DID GO AFTER ABOUT A SECOND AND I WAS ALREADY OUT IN THE ROAD THE CAR WAS STALLING AND ME AND MY THREE CHILDREN WAS ALMOST HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TOOK THE CAR INTO A SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WHICH A TRANSMISSION CANNOT BE FOUND TO FIT THIS CAR BUT ONE WHICH ALMOST 8000. AND NOW I AM READING ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS AND NOW AM SCARED TO TAKE A CHANCE TO FIX IT NOW THAT IT MAY NOT TAKE SINCE ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE RECALL THIS TYPE TRANSMISSION BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO SOMEONE AND THEIR CHILDREN. *TR

I OWN A 2003 SATURN VUE AWD CAR THAT HAS 79,500 MILES. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR SINCE PURCHASING IT BRAND NEW IN 2003. THE BIGGEST ISSUE INVOLVED THE POWER TRAIN. A SECONDARY BELT IN THE ENGINE BROKE WHILE THE CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. WHEN THE SECONDARY BELT BROKE IS TANGLED WITH THE TIMING BELT CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SKIP A TOOTH. 12 VALVES WERE BENT. I CONTACTED A SATURN DEALERSHIP REGARDING THE ISSUE WITH THE POWER TRAIN AND WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST 7000.00 TO REPAIR. I HAVE HAD THE ENGINE REPAIRED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. NO WARNING LIGHTS EVER APPEARED TO DENOTE ANY ISSUE WITH THE POWER TRAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ON ICE, TRAVELED DOWN A HILL, AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FRONT END AND SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89,000.

THE VEHICLE WAS RIDING SMOOTHLY ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE AFTER 25 MILES OF HIGHWAY TRAVEL SUDDENLY DECREASED IN SPEED. AT THE SAME TIME THE TRANSMISSION RESPONDED WITH A LOAD CONTINUAL ROAR. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE AND I WAS ABLE TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT AND MAKE IT TO THE MEDIAN WITHOUT INJURY. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED THE REMAINING 30 MILES AT A TOTAL COST OF $120.00. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPAIR TECHNICIAN THAT IT WOULD TAKE $5,583.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION THAT WAS UNABLE TO BE REPAIRED. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP QUOTED THE REPAIR AT $6,000.00. I CURRENTLY OWE $7,800.00 ON THE PRICE OF THE VEHICLE PURCHASED 2 YEARS AGO. THE CAR IS UNDER THE 5 YEAR WARRANTY MARK BUT HAS 93,500 WHICH FALLS SHORT OF THE EXTENDED TRANSMISSION WARRANTY. I AM UNABLE TO AFFORD TO REPAIR IT AND WILL NOT SINCE I'VE HEARD STORIES OF OTHERS NEEDING TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION 2 YEARS LATER. I CAN'T SELL THE CAR FOR 2 REASONS. THE 1ST I DON'T WANT TO PASS THE PROBLEM ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. THE 2ND I STILL HAVE A NOTE ON THE LOAN AND THE HIGHEST OFFER THE SATURN DEALER WILL GIVE US IS $1,500 WITH OR WITHOUT A NEW TRANSMISSION. I AM NOT IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO HAVE 2 CAR NOTES WITH 1 CAR. I DO NOT NO WHAT ELSE TO DO. *TR

2003 SATURN VUE "VTI TRANS". PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, SOUNDS, SLIPPING, DISENGAGING. WENT INTO SATURN DEALER SEVERAL TIMES,EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THAT THE SOUNDS WERE NORMAL, COMMON TO ALL VTI'S, AND THE SLIPPING WAS TRACTION CONTROL. THEY DID NOT NOTE ANY OF MY COMPLAINTS INTO THEIR COMPUTER. WHEN I TALKED TO THEM NO ONE MENTIONED OR NOTIFIED ME OF ANY KNOWN PROBLEMS,NOR DID THEY NOTIFY ME THAT THE TRANS. WARRANTY FOR THE VUE HAD BEEN INCREASED TO 5YR/75,000MI. I WOULD HAVE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE!RECENTLY I FOUND OUT ABOUT SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS IN 2004, I WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF ANY. SINCE I COULD NOT AFFORD THE COSTS FOR REPAIR, I "LIMPED" ALONG WITH MY VUE,FOR AS LONG AS I COULD,SOMETIMES IN RATHER DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, UNTIL THE TRANS. FAILED. AFTER GETTING THE WORK DONE HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS SURE IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN SOON. THE PROBLEM STARTED UP AGAIN THAT VERY NIGHT!CHECK WEB SITES LIKE-HTTP://WWW.CARSURVEY.ORG AND HTTP://WWW.SATURNFANS.COM AND READ DESCRIPTIONS ABT. SATURN VUE "VTI" TRANS. DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEMS I HAD. THIS IS NOT JUST MY PROBLEM, THIS IS AN EPIDEMIC AND SATURN HAS KNOWN ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME AND THEY ARE NOT DOING ANYTHING. FRESNO SATURN DEALER NEVER "REGISTERED" US OR OUR PURCHASE WITH SATURN CORPORATE. SOME OF THEM HAVE NEARLY GOTTEN KILLED, INCLUDING ME AS POWER WAS LOST AS I WAS EXITING PARKING LOTS INTO TRAFFIC. THE MECHANICS, NOW THAT MY CAR IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, TOLD ME ABOUT KNOWN PROBLEMS WITH VTI TRANS. THEY TOLD ME BEFORE THEY EVEN LOOKED AT THE CAR,THAT I NEEDED A NEW TRANS. IT IS DEFECTIVE FROM MANUFACTURER. WHEN I WENT IN,I SAW 4-5 SATURN VUES(VTI'S) ALL IN LINED UP IN A ROW FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD ALL OF THOSE WERE IN FOR TRANS. PROBLEMS(SOME PEOPLE HAVE PUT UP TO 4 TRANS. IN THEIR 2002-2004 VTI VUES. APPARENTLY IT IS BEING REPLACED WITH THE SAME TYPE TRANS. I'VE READ THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE NEARLY BEEN KILLED,WHY HAS THERE BEEN NO SAFETY RECALLS!!! DOES SOMEBODY HAVE TO DIE BEFORE SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN. THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE INTERMITTENTLY AND STALLED ON THE FREEWAY SEVERAL TIMES. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE SERVICE LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN BACK AND FORTH FROM THE DEALER APPROXIMATELY FIVE TIMES. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,357 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHEN THE KEY WAS PLACED IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN UNTIL SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,300.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR FROM HIGH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND HE STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000. UPDATED 02-06-08. *KB THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER IS NOT AT FAULT BUT THE SATURN CORPORATION FOR NOT BEING INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE NEW TYPE OF TRANSMISSION. UPDATED 02/06/08 *TR