2004 SATURN VUE Complaints

THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN THE MORNING TO MOVE IT A SHORT DISTANCE. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE LATER IN THE MORNING, IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO START THE ENGINE. IT ATTEMPTED TO TURN OVER AND MADE SOME MUFFLED NOISES AND THEN WOULD ONLY CRANK WITH NO SIGN OF FIRING. UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A TIMING FAILURE WAS LIKELY. ONCE THE TIMING COVER WAS OPENED IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE PLASTIC CHAIN GUIDE HAD BROKEN INTO FOUR PIECES. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE INCLUDED A PARTIALLY SHEARED OILER NOZZLE, STRIPPED BOLT HOLES FOR BOTH LOWER AND UPPER ATTACHMENT POINTS FOR THE PLASTIC CHAIN GUIDE, BENT INTAKE VALVES ON EVERY CYLINDER AND DINGS ON THE INTAKE SIDE OF THE PISTONS. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO FITTED WITH THE OLD STYLE TENSIONER (FLAT BOLT HEAD STYLE) AND THE ORIGINAL TIMING CHAIN OILER. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS EVALUATED AGAINST A NEW CHAIN AND WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE STRETCHED THE LENGTH OF ONE LINK. THE HEAD WAS PULLED AND SENT FOR REPAIR WHERE THE VALVE DAMAGE WAS EXPOSED; IN ADDITION THREE VALVE GUIDES WERE CRACKED AND THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT ABRADED AREA ON ONE OF THE CAM RACES. THE HEAD WAS DETERMINED TO BE A LOSS AND A NEW HEAD WAS PURCHASED. THERE APPEARS TO BE MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PISTON TOPS, AND THEY ARE CURRENTLY BEING EVALUATED. SO FAR THIS INCIDENT HAS COST APPROXIMATELY $1000 IN PARTS AND DIY LABOR. IT HAS CAUSED ME TO MISS OVER TWO WEEKS OF WORK ($600-$800) AS AN INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR WHO RELIES ON THIS VEHICLE. GIVEN THE EXTENT OF SIMILAR EXPERIENCES INVOLVING THE ECOTEC 2.2 L ENGINE THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH, IT IS SURPRISING THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. *TR

I VISITED THE DEALER ON THAT DATE BECAUSE MY CAR HAS FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH (SOMETIMES KEY DON'T TURN AND THE KEY CAN GO OUT EASILY IN ANY POSITION) AND I HEAR THE NEWS FOR THE RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE WITH DATE 8/7/2014. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE RECALL IN GM WEB PAGE, EXACTLY HAPPEN TO ME EVERY TIME I CHECK FOR THIS RECALL AT GM WEB PAGE. I'M WORRY AN ACCIDENT WITH THE FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH WILL OCCUR AT ANY TIME. I HAVE THE PRINTED COPY FROM THE DEALER AT THAT TIME. *TR

AFTER I GOT OUT OF WORK I GOT IN THE CAR HAD SOME TROUBLE GETTING IT INTO REVERSE GOT IT OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND DROVE HOME. NOW THE CAR WONT GO INTO REVERSE ANY MORE, IT GOES IN TO DRIVE BUT NO REVERSE. *TR

KEY CAN BE REMOVED FROM IGNITION IRRESPECTIVE OF IGNITION POSITION. (INCLUDING WHILE IN "RUN" POSITION). VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL YET MY CONDITION EXISTS AND I AM PRIMARILY CONCERNED THAT AIRBAGS WILL DEPLOY PROPERLY IN A CRASH. FIRST INCIDENT APPROXIMATELY SIX YEARS AGO. THANK YOU. *TR

AT 7:10PM, AFTER DARK, I WAS DRIVING HOME THROUGH THE INTERSECTION OF SPRING HILL ROAD AND MARINER ROAD IN TISBURY, MASSACHUSETTS. WHEN I PULLED THE STEM ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STEERING COLUMN TO TURN ON MY HIGH BEAMS, THE LOW BEAMS AND RUNNING LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THE HIGH BEAMS DID NOT COME ON. I HAD NO ILLUMINATION WHATSOEVER. I HAVE CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS AND DICK BEARD CHEVROLET, THE DEALER WHICH PERFORMED A COMPLETE SERVICE ON NOVEMBER 13, 2014. NEITHER HAS RESPONDED. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT IT BEING IN THE OFF POSITION. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V490000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) AND BELIEVED THAT IT WAS DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. UPDATED 12/22/14*LJ THE CONSUMER INFORMED HIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, EVEN THOUGH HE EXPERIENCED THE SAME SYMPTOMS. UPDATED 01/07/15

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME IN MY 2004 SATURN VUE WHEN A BUCK JUMPED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. I STOMPED ON THE BRAKES, HOWEVER, I ENDED UP HITTING THE BUCK (DEER) THAT THEN RAN AWAY. MY ENTIRE FRONT IN WAS SMASHED IN, THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED, THE SEAT BELTS DIDN'T LOCK WHEN I STOMPED ON THE BREAKS. MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE BOTH IN THE FRONT SEATS AND WE BOTH WENT FORWARD MESSING UP BOTH OF OUR NECKS AND BACKS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE KEY RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS NOT SECURED IN THE IGNITION AND WAS ABLE TO BE REMOVED WHILE IN THE ON POSITION. THE CONTACT REFERENCED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V490000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED UNDER THE RECALL. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

INVOLVED IN A FRONT END COLLISON ON HIGHWAY AND AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. VEHICLE REPAIRED BUT APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYS ON. THERE IS ALSO A SCRAPING NOISE COMING OUT OF STEERING COULMN WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A WIDELY KNOWN PROBLEM. NO RECALL NOTICE EVER SENT OUT BY GM. *TR