2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

SQUEAK NOISE INTERMITTENT WHEN FIRST OBTAINED VEHICLE. ADJUSTMENTS MADE PERIODICALLY UNDER WARRANTY ( TO DASHBOARD ETC.) NOISE SEEMED TO GO AWAY BUT ALWAYS CAME BACK. NOISE BECAME LOUDER, AND MORE LIKE A CREAKING NOISE, WHEN AT LOW SPEEDS OR OVER BUMPS WHEN BRAKE IS NOT BEING PRESSED. TOOK VUE IN WHILE UNDER 49,700 MILES, VISUAL INSPECTION FOUND FRONT STABILIZER LINKS TO BE NOISY. I DECLINED THEM REPAIRING IT AS THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE FRO FREE OR DISCOUNT, EVEN WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE, AND NOISE HAS BEEN PRESENT. I STOPPED TAKING IT TO THE DEALER AFTER WARRANTY WAS UP AS THEY HAVE A REPUTATION IN TOWN TO NOT WORK WITH THE CUSTOMER. LATERAL LINKS WERE ALREADY REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, I FEEL THE STABILIZER LINKS SHOULD BE REPLACED FREE ALSO, WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. I WILL TAKE IT TO A MECHANIC AND HAVE IT DOWN, FOR MY OWN SAFETY, BUT I FEEL I DESERVE REIMBURSEMENT FOR THAT AS WELL AS THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES I JUST HAD PUT ON AND FRONT WHEEL BEARING! I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE ALL 4 TIRES ON CAR DUE TO WEAR, AND CAR HAD LESS THAN 4500 MILES ON IT. *NM

CV JOINTS WERE REPLACED AT 22000 NOW AGAINAT 37000 I NEED TO REPLACE THEM. FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT 22000 AND AGAIN AT 33000 TIMING BELT AT 20000 NEEDED REPLACEMENT I REPLACED THE MAIN COMPUTER CONTROLLER IN AUG 2006. THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF CRAP AND I WILL NEVER BUY A SATURN AGAIN I BOUGHT THIS BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT IN JAN 2003 AND HAVE HAD MAJOR THINGS GO WRONG. I ALSO NEED TO NOW REPLACE THE TIRES ( DULLERS) AT 37000 BECAUSE I AM HYDROPLANNG ALL OVER THE PLACE.I HAD A LOUD SOUND FROM MY PASSENGER WINDOW THAT TOOK 2 YEARS TO DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR AND THE REAR END WAS RECALLED AND THE COOLING FAN REPLACED AT 24000. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 SATURN VUE @51,000 MILES BOTH FRONT AND BACK WHEEL BEARINGS NEED REPLACING. I HAVE REPLACED THE FRONT AT MY EXPENSE ($550.77) THE BACK ONE ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS CAN BE DANGEROUS NOT ONLY TO MYSELF, ANY PASSENGERS IN MY VEHICLE OR OTHER MOTORISTS. *JB

I WENT OUT TO START MY CAR. IT MADE A SOUND LIKE IT WAS A DIESEL TRUCK ENGINE. I HAD IT TOWED TO SATURN IN NORWOOD MA ON RT 1. IT WAS MY TIMING CHAIN. IT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I AM JUST REPORTING THIS NOW BECAUSE I SAW YOU WERE INVESTIGATING THE BELTS ON OTHER SATURN'S. I READ THAT IT HADN'T EFFECTED THE VUE BUT I WANTED YOU TO KNOW IT DOES. I AM LOOKING UP PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR BECAUSE I HAVE HAD SO MANY. THE INCIDENT DATE IS ESTIMATED. I PICK MY VUE UP(AGAIN) TODAY FROM THE DEALER I WILL GET A PRINT OUT OF THE EXACT DATE THIS OCCURRED. *JB

WHEN STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND SITTING STILL FOR A FEW SECONDS, THERE IS A LOUD THUMPING SOUND (OCCURRING THREE OR FOUR TIMES) FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE (SOUNDS SIMILAR TO A LOOSE FUEL TANK BAFFLE). THE DEALER STATED THEY WEREN'T AWARE OF ANY FIX FOR THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH THEY TRIED A COUPLE OF IDEAS. WHILE I'VE FOUND THIS ON SEVERAL WEBSITES ONLINE, NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW THE CAUSE. EVERYONE SEEMS TO LIVE WITH THE PROBLEM. IT'S DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE AS IT SEEMS INTERMITTANT, BUT HAPPENS ON AVERAGE ONCE PER DAY. BEING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE EMINATING FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM, I THINK THAT SATURN SHOULD TAKE THIS ISSUE MORE SERIOUSLY, AND MORE THAN LIKELY THIS IS SOMETHING THEY CAN CORRECT BY REPLACING THE FUEL TANK, I FEEL THAT THEY JUST DON'T WANT THAT EXPENSE. ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HORN SWITCH, AS IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO OPERATE IN A PANIC SITUATION, WHICH IS WHAT IT IS DESIGNED TO BE USED IN. LASTLY, I BELEIVE THAT NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE THE AWD SYSTEM ON THESE VEHICLES. I'VE DONE MY OWN TESTS AND I HAVE TO SAY I AM SURPRISED ABOUT HOW EASILY IT IS TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IN LIGHT SNOW. WHEN THE REAR COMES ON, IF THE ENGINE IS REVVING HIGH, IT CAN SPIN THE VEHICLE AROUND LIKE A TOP.

2003 SATURN VUE FAILED TO START. *KB THE VEHICLE MADE SQUEAKING NOISES WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A RIGHT TURN, IN ADDITION TO VARIOUS OTHER RUMBLINGS. THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ROTORS, BEARINGS AND TRANSMISSION. A SPECIAL WHEEL BEARING HAD TO BE ORDERED AS WELL AS A SPECIAL SIDE COVER AND HARDWARE FOR THE TRANSMISSION. THE COOLANT SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE. THE REAR WIPERS WOULD STICK. THE GAS GAUGE WOULD ONLY READ 3/4 FULL. THE AIR CONDITION STOPPED WORKING AND THE HOT AND COLD KNOB DID NOT GO ALL THE TO COOL. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED WHICH WAS THE REASON THE VEHICLE WASN'T STARTING. THE TRANSFER CASE SEAL WAS REPLACED. *JB

SATURN HAS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH TRANSMISSIONS THAT THEY ARE REFUSING TO RECOGNIZE. MY WIFE'S VUE SUDDENLY LOST POWER TODAY IN TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND ALMOST GOT IN TO A WRECK. I AM TIRED OF THEM FAILING TO TAKE NOTICE OF THIS; THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ARE ALL OVER THE INTERNET. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE HAS BEEN ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE SUSPENSION WAS UNSTABLE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWAY AND TRANSMISSION CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO PULL TO ONE SIDE. THE SALES DEALER HAS INSPECTED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES AND DETERMINED THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THE 30-DAY LIMIT ON A LEMON HAD EXPIRED.

THE VTI TRANSMISSION IN MY 2003 SATURN VUE HAS FAILED REPEATEDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, USUALLY ON HIGHWAYS AT HIGH SPEEDS. SUDDENLY, THE TRANSMISSION WILL DISENGAGE AND THE CAR CANNOT BE DRIVEN. SATURN HAS NOW FIXED THE PROBLEM FIVE TIMES IN 38,000 MILES AND MOST RECENTLY ADMITTED THAT IT DID NOT KNOW WHY THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AND DID NOT KNOW IF THE REPAIRS IT MADE WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. THE INCIDENT DATE NOTED BELOW IS THE MOST RECENT DATE THIS OCCURRED. WHEN THESE INCIDENTS OCCUR, SOMETIMES THE TRANSMISSION WILL RESET AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTING IT. BUT OTHER TIMES, THE VEHICLE HAS REQUIRED TOWING TO THE DEALERSHIP. WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE ONGOING SAFETY AND RELIABILITY OF THIS CAR, AS THE CONSEQUENCES OF ONE OF THESE UNANNOUNCED FAILURES COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. SO FAR, WE HAVE BEEN LUCKY THAT NO INJURY OR ACCIDENT HAS OCCURRED. *NM

WITH LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE, I HAVE REPLACED THE ROTORS AND THE REAR WIPER MOTOR. THE LATEST FAILURE LEFT ME STRANDED AND NEEDED TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE SLAVE CYLINDER FOR THE HYDRAULIC CLUTCH FLUID WENT WITH A TOTAL COST OF 1100.00 OUT OF FACTORY AND EXTENDED WARRANTY OF COURSE. COMPANY CLAIMS THIS IS A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE. *JB