2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

MY SON HAD MY 2003 VUE AT THE DEALER FOR SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT. DEALER ADVISED IT WAS A THERMOSTAT AND THEY NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART. MY SON WAS TOLD IT WAS OKAY TO DRIVE. THE NEXT DAY HE WENT TO GO TO A FRIENDS HOUSE AND IT MADE A GRINDING, WHINE NOISE. IT THEN WOULDN'T GO UP A HILL. FINALLY GOT IT HOME ( LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE) AND IT WOULDN'T GO INTO REVERSE. TOOK IT TO A PRIVATE TRANSMISSION SHOP AND THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAD "BLOWN APART". THE CAR ONLY HAD 59,000 MILES ON IT. HAD A USED TRANSMISSION INSTALLED FOR 2,500.00. A NEW ONE WOULD COST 5500 AND REBUILT 3500. PIECE OF JUNK... WHY DOESN'T SOME ONE MAKE THE DEALER RECALL THIS JUNKER? *TR

PURCHASED MY 2003 SATURN VUE LAST YEAR WITH 32,000 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT THE BEST EXTENDED WARRANTY AVAILABLE JUST IN CASE. WELL, I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO INSPECTION LAST MONTH AND FAILED FOR EMISSIONS. IT WASN'T THE GAS CAP. SATURN OF FREEHOLD, NJ RAN A DIAGNOSTICS TO FIND OUT THAT IT'S THE THERMOSTAT!. YOU WOULD THINK THIS WOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE WARRANTY? WELL, EVERYTHING ELSE IS COVERED EXCEPT THE THERMOSTAT...SIGH. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A FOUR YEAR OLD VEHICLE WITH NORMAL MILEAGE BLOW A THERMOSTAT? I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS COMMON AMONGST THE VUE'S AND IF MAYBE THERE MIGHT BE A RECALL COMING. WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE. *TR

YORK PA> SATURN HAS PATCHED UP MY 2003 VUE BY REPLACING VALVES, SENSORS ETC. WHICH THEY KNOW WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. AFTER REGULAR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, 2003 SATURN VUE HAS CONTINUOUSLY EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS FROM 10,000 POINT ON. VEHICLE WHILE JUST TRAVELING DOWN A ROAD AT 30-40 MPH), DOES NOT SHIFT PROPERLY INTO HIGHER GEAR , MAKES LOUD GRINDING NOISES WHILE TURNING AND ACCELERATING AND OTHERWISE FAILS TO OPERATE PROPERLY TRANSMISSION WAS LOOKED AT BY DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AVOIDING THE ISSUE OF TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. PROBLEMS CONTINUE AFTER SERVICING. HAVE READ EXTENSIVE REPORTS AND COMPLAINTS INVOLVING SATURN VUE VT1 TRANSMISSION. SATURN NEEDS TO HAVE A RECALL - IT'S CONSUMERS CAN'T AFFORD ALL OF THESE REPAIRS FOR WHAT IS CLEARLY A FAULTY TRANSMISSION THAT HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED! NEXT STEP IS CLASS ACTION SUIT BY OWNERS!!!!!!!!!! THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE UNHAPPY PEOPLE WHEN SALES GET TOUGH SATURN??? ALL I ASK IS FOR GM/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 2007-08 VUE !!! *TR

ON MY 2003 SATURN, THE CAR UNEXPECTEDLY WILL NOT GO INTO DRIVE AND I AM UNABLE TO GO ANYWHERE. AT OTHER TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, I LOSE ALL ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OR DRIVE ABOVE 20 MPH. EXTREMELY UNPREDICTABLE AND UNSAFE. ALTHOUGH I'VE BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE, SATURN CLAIMS THEY CANNOT RECREATE OR FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

SATURN 2003 VUE WITH VTI TRANSMISSION WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 10/02. AT 76,000 MILES WHEN ACCELERATING TO GET ON HIGHWAY, THE RPM'S WERE ROARING AND THE SPEEDOMETER WAS DROPPING. PULLED ON SHOULDER AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE CAR AT 30 MPH A FEW MILES TO THE SATURN CREVE COEUR DEALER, WHO MET US GETTING OUT OF THE CAR, AND TOLD US HE COULD NOT EVEN LOOK AT OUR CAR TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE! DROVE SIDES STREETS 30 MPH TO SOUTH COUNTY SATURN DEALER WHERE PURCHASED. AFTER TEST DRIVING THEY STATED THEY THOUGHT THE RANGE SWITCH WAS BAD. NO LONGER UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY IT WOULD COST $452 TO REPLACE. AFTER READ ABOUT OTHERS COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE, AND HAVING NEVER HEARD OF A RANGE SWITCH I AM LEARY OF SPENDING THE $452 ONLY TO HAVE THEM TELL ME THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. RECENTLY HAD PROBLEMS WITH IGNITION STICKING WHEN TURNING THE KEY. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS SOME SWITCH THEN TOO AND THE NEXT DAY IT DID THE SAME THING. THEN I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW IGNITION AFTER THEY HELD THE KEY AND GROUND IT DOWN! I DO NOT TRUST THEM. CAR HAS NOT HAD A PROBLEMS THE PAST FEW DAYS. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER SATURN! *TR

NOVEMBER SATURDAY 10TH, 2007, MY 2003 SATURN VUE MADE A GRINDING NOISE, I HEARD A POP THEN IT STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR BACKWARD. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND COASTED DOWN THE HILL TO PARK IT. I CALLED SATURN AND DESCRIBED THE SITUATION. THEY SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD IT TOWED TO SATURN OF RENTON. NOVEMBER 13TH THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED AND SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE TRANSMISSION BELT. I SAID OK, SO PUT A NEW BELT ON. THE SERVICE PERSON SAID, WELL THE "TRANSMISSION IS SHATTERED". I SAID "HOW ON EARTH DID THAT HAPPEN?!" HE TOLD ME THAT THE TRANSMISSION BELTS IN THE 2003 SATURN VUE'S ARE METAL, SO WHEN THEY BREAK, THEY SHATTER THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. I SAID, SO THERE IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION THEN. HE SAID, "YES, I SEE A LOT OF THESE". HE TOLD ME IT WOULD COST $5,500.00 PLUS TAX TO FIX IT. I CALLED THE SATURN COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. I OPENED A FORMAL CASE AND WAS ASSIGNED TO AN "ADVOCATE". THAT PERSON CALLED ME ON NOVEMBER 15TH AND SAID THAT BECAUSE IT IS A FLAW IN THE DESIGN OF THE TRANSMISSION, THEY WOULD HONOR THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHICH ONLY TAKES $1,000.00 OFF OF THE REPAIRS. I SAID THAT WASN'T GOOD ENOUGH, SATURN NEEDED TO PAY THE FULL COST TO GET IT FIXED. MY "ADVOCATE" SAID THAT WAS ALL SATURN WOULD DO, AND I HAD 30 DAYS TO DECIDE IF I WOULD ACCEPT. SATURN WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS FAILURE. THEY EVEN INSULTED YESTERDAY (DEC. 11TH) WHEN THEY SAID THEY WOULD GIVE ME ONLY $500.00 ON MY SATURN VUE AS THE TRADE-IN VALUE! THEY SAID BECAUSE OF THE $5,000.00 TRANSMISSION JOB THAT HAD TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO RESELL IT. I SAID "THAT TRANSMISSION JOB WAS CAUSED BY SOMETHING YOUR COMPANY DID, NOT ME...SO NOW SATURN IS SAYING, IN ESSENCE, 'WE SCREWED YOU OVER ONCE, AND NOW WE ARE GOING TO SCREW YOU OVER AGAIN'. IT ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN SATURN...I'D RATHER TAKE IT TO A JUNK YARD THAT GIVE IT BACK TO YOU PEOPLE!!!!! *TR

WITHOUT WARNING, THE VUE SUDDENLY CAME TO A DEAD CRAWL WHILE ACCELERATING AND WAS ALMOST T-BONED. VUE PRACTICALLY DIED BUT THE ENGINE REVVED REAL HIGH. ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED POWER LIGHT WERE ON. GOT THE VUE TO CRAWL HOME ANOTHER MILE. LATER, I STARTED THE CAR AND THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS. TEST DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK WITH NO PROBLEM DROVE VUE TO O'REILLY AUTO PARTS AND USED CODE SCANNER. THE CODE SCANNER (AUTOXRAY CODE SCOUT 2500) DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES; ENGINE LIGHT OFF, P1882 = RATIO CONTROL PERFORMANCE, P0701 = TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM, RANGE/PERFORMANCE, P0700 = TRANSMISSION CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION. LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. SUDDENLY WHILE ACCELERATING AND WITHOUT WARNING I HAD NO POWER. ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED POWER LIGHT CAME ON. NO POWER AND WAS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC, ALMOST REAR ENDED. PICKED UP CODE SCANNER AGAIN AND TOOK TO VEHICLE. CONNECTED THE SCANNER AND READ THE SAME CODES AS ABOVE. THIS TIME TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY DISABLED. TOWED VUE TO SOUTH COUNTY SATURN IN ST LOUIS. THE DEALER CALLED NEXT DAY AND SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG AND THERE ARE NO CODES. DEALER SAID THEY MUST HAVE CODES IN ORDER TO REPAIR PROBLEM. (THERE ARE NO SPECIFIC CODES THAT WILL DISPLAY REGARDING THE PROBLEM. WHEN TRANSMISSION FAILS CODES ARE TOO BROAD AND DO NOT INDICATE SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THERE ARE NO SENSORS INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION THAT MONITOR THE ACTUAL PROBLEMS. I INSISTED THAT THEY TEST DRIVE THE CAR. RELUCTANTLY, THEY HAD A TECHNICIAN DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. LATER THEY SAID THEY PUT AN ADDITIVE IN THE TRANSMISSION AS PER THEIR TECHNICAL BULLETIN AND THEN THE TECHNICIAN BEGAN TAKING THE CAR HOME. THE PROBLEM IS THE ADDITIVE WILL TEMPORARILY FIX THE PROBLEM. OF COURSE THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT FAIL DURING THE WEEK LONG TEST DRIVE. THEY CALLED TODAY AND SAID WE HAVE TO PICK UP THE CAR AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FINE. NOW THE CAR IS A TICKING TIME BOMB WAITING FOR THE NEXT FAILURE. *TR

2003 SATURN VUE, AWD, V6,UPON PULLING OUT OF INTERSECTION, ACCELERATING, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NOT UP SHIFTING ON ACCELERATING. LOSS OF POWER. ENGINE ACCELS BUT VEHICLE MOVEMENT SLOWS. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE. DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE "DUMMIED UP". VEHICLE IS NOT USE TO A DIFFERENT DRIVER. CAN NOT PULL OUT OF INTERSECTION FAST. GOOD CAR FOR VERY VERY SLOW PERSON.. NOT "VTI" TRANSMISSION. DEALERSHIP HAS DUMMIED UP COMPUTER MANY TIMES. SEEMS TO HELP FOR A WHILE BUT AFTER A WHILE WE ARE JUST USE TO ACCELERATION SLOW TO LET THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BEFORE APPLYING ADDITIONAL GAS PEDAL. REAR DRIVE UNIT GRINDING ON TURNING. DEALER STATES THAT THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND HAS A "KIT" READY WITH ALL PARTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS IN THE REAR END UNIT. PRICE IS OVER $1000.00... I WAS NOT REIMBURSED FOR ANY COSTS. FAILURE ON REAR UNIT OCCURRED AT 70,000 MILES. VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW AND MY WIFE DROVE, TILL 75,000 MILES. NOW I AM DRIVING THE VUE AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY OUT OF SOME INTERSECTION. SPARK PLUG FAILED AT 50,000 MILES. THEY ARE TO LAST TO 100,000 MILES. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG, HAVE TO TEAR OFF THE TOP END OF INTAKE MANIFOLD TO GET TO IT. MANY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE LABOR ALSO. I USED MY PERSONAL CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO SAVE SOME MONEY. BAD DESIGN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHEN CHANGING GEARS, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT FLUID WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE BEGAN IN APRIL OF 2007. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME SINCE APRIL THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,346 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,346.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND LATER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED A SECOND TIME, BUT LATER BEGAN MAKING A CLICKING SOUND. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CONVERTER WAS RUBBING AGAINST ANOTHER COMPONENT. AFTER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE FOR THE THIRD TIME, SHE SMELLED EXHAUST FUMES INSIDE THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND PURCHASE DATE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 42,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.