2003 SATURN VUE Complaints

I HAVE 2 SATURNS, A 2001 SC2 AND A 2003 VUE. A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE BATTERY ON THE SC2 WENT DEAD -- THIS WAS THE 2ND BATTERY SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NEWLY PURCHASED. SO NOW THE SC2 IS ON ITS 3RD BATTERY SINCE TAKEN OFF THE SATURN SHOWROOM. THE VUE WAS ALSO PURCHASED NEW AND TODAY THE ENTIRE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS DEAD. THIS VEHICLE IS ALREADY ON ITS 2ND BATTERY SO (IT APPEARS) THAT WILL NEED REPLACEMENT AS WELL. THERE APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAULT WITH SATURN VEHICLES THAT THEY REFUSE TO ADMIT. OTHERWISE, WHY WOULD 2 SATURNS (DIFFERENT MODELS) GO THROUGH A TOTAL OF 5 (60-MONTH) BATTERIES IN LESS THAN 5 YEARS. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS COMPANY BE INVESTIGATED REGARDING THIS PROBLEM TO DETERMINE WHY THESE PROBLEMS EXIST. IN THE CASE OF MY SC2, SATURN (INITIALLY) REFUSED TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT STATING THAT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THEIR EXTENDED WARRANTY. IT WAS ONLY AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT HAD I PURCHASED DIRECTLY FROM AC DELCO THE WARRANTY WOULD BE HONORED AND THAT THEY -- IN THEIR CONTRACT WITH DELCO -- REFUSED THE WARRANTY SERVICES DELCO OFFERED. THEY APPARENTLY KNEW OF THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND WANTED TO FLEECE CUSTOMERS RATHER THAN PAY DELCO EXTRA FOR THE WARRANTY AGREEMENTS. *NM

WINDSHIELD WASHER SYSTEM DOES NOT ADEQUATELY DISPENSE FLUID TO CLEAN WINDSHIELD AND ALLOW FOR SAVE DRIVING. *NM

I HAVE KEPT TRACK MY GAS MILEAGE SINCE I BOUGHT MY VUE A YEAR AGO, AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SATISFIED WITH IT. I TOOK IT IN FOR AN ECONOMY TEST 3 MONTHS AGO AND WAS TOLD EVERYTHING WAS OKAY. SO, I LOGGED MY GAS MILEAGE FOR THE LAST 3 MONTHS AND BROUGHT IT IN FOR ANOTHER ECONOMY TEST. EVEN THOUGH I ONLY AVERAGED 20 MPG OVER THE 3 MONTHS (AND I DRIVE MOSTLY HIGHWAY MILES), THEY STILL SAY I AM GETTING ADEQUATE GAS MILEAGE (THEY SAID THEY GOT 26 MPG WITH 35 MILES COMBINED HIGHWAY AND CITY). I PLACED A COMPLAINT WITH SATURN CORPORATE AND RECEIVED ONE PHONE CALL STATING THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR ME. ALL I WAS TOLD WAS THAT WIND, COLD WEATHER, DRIVING HABITS AND THE VTI TRANSMISSION ALL PLAY A PART IN THE FUEL ECONOMY. THESE THINGS (WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE VTI TRANSMISSION SINCE IT IS NEW) HAVE NEVER CAUSED A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL ECONOMY IN ANY OTHER CAR I HAVE OWNED (INCLUDING ANOTHER SATURN). *JB

I WAS NOTIFIED AUG., 2004 OF RECALL ON 2003 SATURN VUE. CALLED DEALER FOR DETAILS AND WAS TOLD THE RECALL WAS A "COURTESY", NOT A SAFETY PROBLEM. IT WAS FOR A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE REAR SUSPENSION. HEARD NOTHING UNTIL JAN. 05. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND POINTED OUT A RECURRING NOISE IN THE REAR. I WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD THE WHEEL BEARING WAS WORN (ONLY HAVE 24,000 MI. ON CAR). I PICKED UP CAR THE NEXT DAY - RECALL WORK COMPLETED, WHEEL BEARING REPLACED, TIRES ROTATED. DRIVING HOME, I NOTICED A DEFINITE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. TOOK IT BACK, THE TECH WHO TEST DROVE IT WITH ME AGREED THERE WAS A VIBRATION, SIMILAR TO A VIBRATING CHAIR. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG, "MIGHT" BE DUE TO INCREASED TIRE PRESSURE FROM RECALL. TOLD ME I COULD LET SOME AIR OUT OF THE TIRES, BUT THEN IT WOULDN'T BE SAFE. I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR, MOST CENTERING ON THE STEERING. NOW I CAN'T DRIVE IT WITHOUT GETTING CARSICK! *NM

WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, WHERE HE STRUCK A CEMENT BARRIER ON THE ROAD. UPON IMPACT,THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. NO OTHER VEHICLES WAS INVOLVED, HOWEVER, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS TOTALED.*AK

2003 VUE, PURCHASED NEW 9/03- 4 CYCLINDER VTI TRANSMISSION FAILED ON 4 OCCASSIONS, CAR WOULD LOSE POWER WHILE DRIVING. OCCURED BETWEEN 6-04 AND 9-04 - VERY UNSAFE PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC. HAPPENED ON 4 OCCASSIONS, ONCE CAR LOST POWER TOTALLY - HAD TO BE TOWED. DEALER FIXED A DIFFERENT PROBLEM 3 DIFFERENT TIMES, PROBLEM REMAINED, TRADED CAR IN 9-04. *AK

AFTER 45 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY AND POWER STEERING FAILED. FAILURE OF THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM) AT 48,000 MILES. LOST THE POWER STEERING, INSTRUMENTS PANEL, AND SECURITY FEATURES. REPLACED THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. *JB

UPON ACCELERATION, THE VEHICLE WOULD SWERVE OFF OF THE ROAD. *SC THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS A FLAW IN THE 2003 MODEL BUT CORRECTED IN THE 2004 MODELS. *TC

I WAS INVOLVED IN A ROLLOVER INCIDENT WITH MY 2003 SATURN VUE WHILE TRAVELING ON THE NEW YORK STATE THRUWAY. I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH DUE TO RAIN AND WET ROADWAY. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLIDE TO THE LEFT (MAY HAVE HYDROPLANED). I ATTEMPTED TO STEER OUT OF THE SLIDE AND THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE SWUNG AROUND CLOCKWISE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AND LEFT THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE CAME TO REST ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IN THE AREA OFF THE RIGHT SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE INSURANCE APPRAISER THAT THE LEFT REAR SUSPENSION GAVE WAY AND THE LEFT REAR WHEEL AREA FOLDED UNDER. I HAD RECEIVED THE VOLUNTARY RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE REAR SUSPENSION BACK IN AUGUST. I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE SATURN DEALER SHORTLY THERE AFTER ADVISING ME TO CALL THE DEALERSHIP IN 3 WEEKS TO SCHEDULE THE WORK. I CALLED TO SCHEDULE THE WORK AS DIRECTED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE PARTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL JANUARY OF 2005, AND THAT I WOULD BE RECEIVING ANOTHER LETTER. I HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING FURTHER TO DATE.

THE PADDING ON THE HORN WAS SO THICK THAT IT WAS HARD TO BLOW, AND WHEN FINDING IT UNDER THE COVERING, THE CONSUMER HAD TO STRIKE IT WITH FORCE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER WOULD HAVE TO CHANGE THE DESIGN. *AK *TC BLOWING THE HORN REQUIRED AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE TO BE APPLIED AT A PRECISE LOCATION. *SC *JB