saturn vue Problems
saturn vue 2004 Complaints
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
water that collects in bolt hole wells in roof rack rails can promote corrosion. evaporation is the only way for the water to escape. manufacturer should provide a set of sealing plugs and corrosion inhibiting grease/gel to seal of these holes.*ak
Reported in: EWA BEACH HI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D54S
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
roof rack screw holes have no way to drain water. residual water sits in the screw holes of the rack and has started to rust the screws. rack screws have never been touched since the vehicle was purchased, but are rusting. bad design and should be fixed.*ak
Reported in: MECHANICSBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63404S
POWER TRAIN
random obd code p0571 cruise/brake switch malfunction since purchasing the vehicle on 6 dec 03. the switch has been replaced. the following has been checked switch alignment, connectors. numerous failures currently waiting since 29 jan on engineer to look at freeze frame data from the computer. *jb
Reported in: SAN DIEGO CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53434S
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
when driving at 35 mph another vehicle did not stop at a stop sign. this caused consumer's vehicle to t-bone the other vehicle on the passenger's side. passenger's side air bag did not deploy directly in the middle of the seat, but air bag deployed towards the left of the seat. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. *ak
Reported in: LAS VEGAS NV || Crash: Y || VIN #:
SUSPENSION:REAR
i was involved in a car accident on july 14, 2004 while in my 2004 saturn vue front wheel drive. i was hit on the rear passenger tire area and the back tire bent under the car and my saturn was tipped over and spun around with the drivers side down on the pavement. this was not a high speed accident. i was probably about 20miles per hour and the person that hit was probably between 25-35mph. my saturn vue sustained about $10,500 damage some of which was the rear suspension. i do not yet know of the final outcome with the insurance whether it will be repaired or totalled. i just happened to read the kansas city star today 7-27-04 abiyt tge government safety agency investigating the saturn vue and this fit the description completely.*ak
Reported in: OVERLAND PARK KS || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D44S
SUSPENSION:REAR
my son was driving my 2004 saturn vue on monday, july 26, he apparently hit a patch of gravel which caused him to lose control. when he attempted to regain control of the vehicle it went into the ditch on the opposite side of the road where the passenger side rear wheel collapsed and the vehicle overturned. there is extensive damage to the vehicle on the front end and passenger side, as well as to the shift casing inside the vue from when my son's knee slammed into it. the vehicle is still being estimated for insurance purposes (either to total it or repair it).*ak
Reported in: CATAWISSA MO || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D44S
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
on may 8, 2004, my son was driving my 2002 saturn vue. he was on a road that surrounds a mall. speed limit is 20 mph. he was turning left when he was hit on the driver's side by another suv. the car rolled over, he had to go out the back door in order to get out. a witness stated that the "other car" was going a reasonable speed. our saturn could not have been going more than 10 mph, yet, with the roll over, the car was completely damaged and the insurance totalled it. damages to the other car were not bad. both cars were driving slow, so the damage to the saturn should not have been extensive. it should not have been more than a minor fender bender. amazingly enough, my son only suffered some cuts on his arm and head. i read an article that the suspension failed on two saturn vues that that the nhtsa had received a consumer complaint about a smililar incident that led to a rollover. i'm wondering now if this happened in this situation.*ak
Reported in: ARLINGTON TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ63B02S
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
while turning consumer heard a loud grinding noise. dealership informed the consumer that the problem pertained to the rear axle. however, problem was not resolved. *ak
Reported in: DALE CITY VA || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION:REAR
vehicle was recalled, and there will be 45-60 days before the part will be available, they will send consumer a letter. manufacturer stated to consumer they did not have to do recall repairs on the . rear suspension seal. they were not forced to do this, and they would not do it on their own.*ak
Reported in: LYNDHURST NJ || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION:REAR
vehicle was recalled, and it will be 45-60 days before the part will be available, they will send her a letter. manufacturer stated to consumer that they did not have to do recall repairs on the . suspension seal. they were not forced to do this, and would not do it on their own.*ak
Reported in: LYNDHURST NJ || Crash: N || VIN #:
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE
i am often finding my saturn suv hydroplaning in the rain....not only my vue but my step brother's vue was totalled when he hydroplaned into a semi on the highway. an associate of his also totalled his vue by hydroplaning....i am concerned about this problem since i have too have had instances of hydroplaning. my vue is the main transporation of my children and i do not feal secure or safe driving them when the pavement is wet or it is raining.*ak
Reported in: FRANKLIN OH || Crash: N || VIN #:
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
i purchased a 2004 saturn view, new, august 21, 2004. on september 18, 2004 i drove through water on the road, ankle deep. the engine stopped, and it had to be towed. the car had 2,000 miles on it. the mechanic who was sent by saturn's 800 roadside assistance number looked at the car and said i probably burned out the alternator because it's on the bottom. he said the problem was to be rectified on the 2005 model. when i called the service department on 9/20 the service person (either jacob or brian) i spoke to said that the air intake, near the bottom had sucked road water into the engine and damaged the engine. it was probably because when i drove through the water it created a wave and the wave water was sucked into the air intake. they wouldn't know what was wrong until the engine was taken apart. he also said it would not be covered by the warranty because it is not a manufacturers defect (although i would beg to differ since what manufacturer puts an air intake where road water can be sucked into the engine) and he also said the l300 model also have their air intake at the bottom of the engine. i contacted saturn in tennessee (claim 1-13554677) and an area service manager named marcia told me that after they reviewed my situation they were not willing to do anything for me. what i have is an suv with an air intake that is in a position where every time there's water, i risk damaging my engine , and the last 3 years we've averaged 103 inches of snow each winter). i did ask saturn to get me out of this vehicle as it is not fit for performance as warranted for an suv, but they said no. this vehicle, by explanation from the mechanic and service person, was defectively designed which caused the air intake to suck water into the engine damaging it. i would appreciate your looking into this and hopefully being able to offer me a solution to my having to retain a defectively designed, unreliable vehicle. *ak
Reported in: LAKE ARIEL PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
complaint received via e-mail. " my car is once again in the shop for replacement of the rear wheel differential. this is the second time that the problem has arisen in a spam of 3 months. the dealership replaced the first one, and is working to replace it a second time. rear differential module replaced at 8,102 miles, then again at 12.136 miles.*jb
Reported in: SEATTLE WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
2004 saturn vue purchased in july. closed rear hatch after unloading groceries and entire back window shattered into the car on me. no evidence prior to the shattering of a crack or any object hitting the back window. it was fine when i loaded the groceries and shattered after i got back home.*ak
Reported in: NORTH READING MA || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
electrical intermittent failures. unable to lock or unlock using remote control, headlights, interior light, dash lights, radio (all electrical except engine accessories) fail randomly. on one occassion all interior & exterior lighting failed while driving at night on a dark highway. i was able to pull over safely but had no hazard lights (and presumably no brake lights) to warn other traffic. wiggling the interior fuse panel restored power. later checks of all relays and fuses revealed no contact or component failures in either in interior or under-hood electrical panels. further investigation found no noticeable electrical connector problems.*ak
Reported in: BURBANK CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63444S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
new vehicle with less than 2,500 miles-2004 vue. they want to "fix" replace/repair engine failure. we know that other systems can/will be affected by total breakdown on interstate-immediate engine blow-no power etc. we are not satisfied with the "offer" of repair and minimum "warranty" coverage as "additionally courtesy offer". *jb
Reported in: HINCKLEY OH || Crash: N || VIN #:
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
rear window shattered when closing passenger door drivers side no apparent damage to the rear window at all. 2004 saturn vue purchased in april 2004. *ak
Reported in: DELTONA FL || Crash: N || VIN #:
STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS
the glass on the rear liftgate shattered for no reason while parked in the garage. dealer and the manufacturer were not notified.*ak
Reported in: INDIANAPOLIS IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53454S
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
i recently had my 2004 saturn awd vue serviced at saturn of livingston, nj, and had two recalls performed. one was for the voluntary recall of a rear suspension link which was changed due to a nhtsa test failure. the other was the recall of the rear drive module (rdm), which was causing a moaning noise in all awd versions of this vehicle. after the rdm was changed i immediately noticed a change in the vehicles awd function characteristics. when on a slight incline in wet conditions a full throttle acceleration from a stop resulted in severe front wheel spin without engagement of the awd system. in fact i could hear a discernable clicking noise emminating from the rdm which sounded as though the awd faunctionality was in effect being neutralized. i have performed this maneuver several times with my vehicle in the past year (with the original rdm), and the awd system has been successful in eliminating front wheel spin and providing ample traction going up the incline. i believe the new version of the rdm being rolled out to the masses has only served to convert all the awd versions of this vehicle to fwd, and i believe saturn must be persuaded to re-engineer their rdm to restore the awd functionality.*ak
Reported in: WEST NEW YORK NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63444S
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
2004 saturn vue awd. saturn replaced the rear differential (rdm) with a redesigned part in november. the new part is designed to engage later than the original part. this part change causes a significant change in the vehicle's handling- increased torque steer, excessive front wheel spin and unpredictable rear differential engagement. the fwd model of the vue has traction control that limits the amount of torque steer and wheel spin. the awd model does not have this function and the crippling of the awd feature makes the vehicle unsafe.*ak
Reported in: ARLINGTON VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
undeclared significant change to awd performance due to rear drive module (rdm) warranty replacement. saturn replaced the rdm in my awd vue on 17 december as part of the lower control link recall campaign. the replaced rdm has modified engagement characteristics from the original rdm my vue was delivered with. (the rdm had a change from a 40-60 rpm difference to a 80-100 rpm difference engagement threshold.*ak the resulting change in awd performance has resulted in effective fwd conversion under normal driving conditions. partial throttle application results in complete loss of front wheel traction and late abrupt power transfer to rear wheels with significant torque steer. my discovery of this change came during a green-light freeway exit transition with a left turn. in turn exit power application, front wheels lost traction, the vue started to slip laterally. then awd engagement occurred abruptly with heavy front wheel torque steer. my vue made a partial incursion into adjacent traffic lane (unoccupied). i was at this point able to regain control. returned to saturn service center, advised them of the issues and was advised by them that this change was permanent and that my vehicle could not be returned to original operating parameters. it was at this point, via service center contact with saturn care that it was determined by my service center that the rdm had been changed internally to engage in this new range. my saturn service center had no previous knowledge of this change in the rdm and therefore not able to advise drivers of the significantly different handling characteristics of the new rdm.
Reported in: ISSAQUAH WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
SUSPENSION:REAR
while driving 60 mph and switching lanes rear wheel turned inward, causing the rear suspension to fail. as a result, the vehicle lost control and crashed into a guard rail. upon impact, airbags deployed. *ak
Reported in: COVENTRY RI || Crash: Y || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
04 saturn vue,(only)11,000 miles. problems starting and not cranking properly.problem progressivly got worse.dealer is now replacing the entire wireing harness in the dash.cust.serv.writer said "you have some bad electrical problems , some pins where not connecting properly to start your vehicle." this makes me very uncomfurtable with my new saturn vue.my dealer name is hearin gear of jackson ms.they have had my truck since jan 4th and it will hopefully be ready by the 10. they had to call in a special technition. thanks , crystal west. *ak
Reported in: CLINTON MS || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53434S
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
i have taken my 2004 saturn vue-manual transmission in for service regarding a thumping that i heard and felt come from the shifter location. i got the "everything is within normal parameters" line. then tonight when i went to down-shift from 5th gear to 4th gear, the shifter made a crunch sound and then it bounced into the neutral position. however, the transmission is still in 5th gear and is sitting in front of the saturn service center awaiting to be looked at tomorrow morning. this is not my first saturn but it will be my last after having as many problems as i have had with it in 1.25 years time.*jb
Reported in: STERLING VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D14S
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
vehicle is experiencing a problem with the driver side window. when the vehicle is being driven at highway speed, the window vibrates and makes a noise. owner took the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions, however, the problem still exist. provide further details. *nm
Reported in: BATTLE GROUND WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53484S
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
while the vehicle was parked, the driver side window shattered. . the cause was not determined. please provide more information. *jb
Reported in: OAK CREEK WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
WHEELS
consumer was unable to keep the vehicle on the road while driving, it swerved. this was due to the rubber on the rear wheels wearing out. the vehicle is currently at the dealership. *ak
Reported in: COLLEGE STATION TX || Crash: N || VIN #:
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
engine stalled at various speeds, which was dangerous while on the road. took vehicle to dealer for a check up, but the cause was undetermined.*ak vehicle accelerated too fast when pressing gas pedal to start auto after stalling. *bf *nm
Reported in: NEW HARTFORD NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5G20233D04S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
new 2004 saturn vue(2wd) with 3.5 liter v6, purchased in july 2004 1st symptom: poor fuel efficiency 16mpg city instead of 20mpg; worse during rain 22-24mpg hwy instead of 28mpg; 19mpg overall average -dealer response normal for first 5k miles, i'm now over 8k 2nd symptom: engine backfires after cold start; worse during rain -dealer response no trouble found, changed oil 3rd symptom: slow to start when parked on slight upward incline -haven't notified dealer yet 4th symptom: low coolant light came on but coolant level was ok -will be taking it in to dealer i'm concerned about taking it in for service after reading similar reports on this vehicle and numerous tales of poor resolution. please notify or post about any new bulletins or resolutions that may be helpful.*ak
Reported in: REDLANDS CA || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN
driver had the vehicle’s cruise turned on most of the trip, with a speedometer reading of 67-72mph. around tomah, wisconsin, the driver planned to exit/attempted to turn off the vehicle’s cruise. driver depressed the cruise button to turn off the cruise, the no response. the driver went to depress/engage the clutch, and found that the clutch was stuck and did not respond/waited a few seconds, tried the clutch again, this time getting a response. driver’s trip continued (with the cruise on) and traffic was congested. the driver had slowed the vehicle down using the cruise & remembers a speedometer reading of 60mph. tried to turn off the cruise button. the cruise failed to respond or shut off as she used her left foot to engage/push in the clutch with absolutely no response. driver immediately put her foot on the brake. no response. both the clutch and the brake pedal were locked/stuck and did not respond to the application of pressure applied by the driver’s feet. driver tried to use both feet on the brakes -no response. neither the clutch or brakes responded. driver swerved to the left and the vehicle spun across the highway as the driver applied pressure to the brakes and grasped the wheel. the vehicle traveled off the road and into the ground on the right side of the highway. the went through a ditch & recalls front end hitting an embankment and the vehicle then began a series of flips and rolls. after hitting the embankment with the front end of her car, the passenger or right hand side of the vehicle slammed into something (utility pole) and began an upside down flip that continued with at least three rolls. at the conclusion of the series of rolls, the driver landed upside down before the car flipped again and landed right sight up, with the front end facing the highway. airbags did not deploy.
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D34S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
dt: when the consumer applied the brakes, the transmission shifted into neutral. it happened without warning. it seemed it only does it when the motor is cold, like in the first half a mile driven. the dealer was unable to find what was wrong with it. manufacturer said they could not do anything until dealer could give them a computer code.*ak *jb updated 024/24/06.*jb
Reported in: GARDEN GROVE CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
dt: while driving the vehicle stalled and hesitated in the middle of the highway. the dealer looked at it, they have speeded up the computer, but could not pinpoint the problem. it happened every week or two. *ak the gas pedal would stick twice a week. *sc
Reported in: NEW HARTFORD NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D04S
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
i was driving my 2004 saturn vue red line when i was struck in the drivers/drivers door post at approx. 40-45 mph and the head curtain side airbags did not deploy. my vehicle was totaled,i was/am injured.talking to a saturn motor corp. rep. about this it was conveyed that this was normal as my vehicle was moving ,not stopped.this does not seem normal to me,as i thought they would deploy.not sure what to think about the explanation,wanted nhtsa to know.
Reported in: FORT WAYNE IN || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ63474S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK
2004 saturn vue underwent comprehensive vehicle test including braks at saturn of new brunswick on 6/4/05. on 6/24/05 while at full stop in traffic ( slight inline in road), vehicle started to roll while break engaged. immediate response was to press harder then pumped severeal times without results. my vehicle struck the vehicle in front in the rear at which time i put the vehicle in park and turned of the ignition. the distance of the roll was approx 8 feet at approx 3 mph. there were no injuries. the brakes were operational afterward but reported the failure and returned the vehicle to saturn of new brunswick. the finding on the service invoice states, "tech verified low pedal, found pedal travel to be too much. tech removed rear drums to clean and adjust rear brakes, reinstalled and found to be ok at this time. tech also checked front brakes and calipers, brakes ok".
Reported in: CARTERET NJ || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC:ROTOR
in the past year, i have already had to repair the rear suspension twice, the front suspension, my back seat latch, and my rotors. my vue is the worst vehicle i have ever purchased. when driving in any bad weather i have no traction and slip all over the road.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
SUSPENSION:FRONT
in the past year, i have already had to repair the rear suspension twice, the front suspension, my back seat latch, and my rotors. my vue is the worst vehicle i have ever purchased. when driving in any bad weather i have no traction and slip all over the road.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
STEERING:COLUMN
in the past year, i have already had to repair the rear suspension twice, the front suspension, my back seat latch, and my rotors. my vue is the worst vehicle i have ever purchased. when driving in any bad weather i have no traction and slip all over the road.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
SUSPENSION:REAR
in the past year, i have already had to repair the rear suspension twice, the front suspension, my back seat latch, and my rotors. my vue is the worst vehicle i have ever purchased. when driving in any bad weather i have no traction and slip all over the road.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
in the past year, i have already had to repair the rear suspension twice, the front suspension, my back seat latch, and my rotors. my vue is the worst vehicle i have ever purchased. when driving in any bad weather i have no traction and slip all over the road.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY
dt: in april 2005 the consumer noticed that there were squeaking noises coming from the vehicle when making a right turn. she took vehicle to the dealership to see what was wrong, and they told her the bushings had to be replaced. on 8-10-05 there was a problem in the tire area. the consumer thought that it was with the tires because they had been rotated recently. the dealer told her that the rocker arm/left front wheel was broken. the consumer had it replaced. also, told her that the transmission had to be rebuilt. the dealer told her that there was a problem with this type of transmission on the 4 cylinder saturn . after the consumer had purchased the vehicle saturn had sent her a letter about a problem with the transmission. it was something to do with tbi/vmi transmission, and they would cover this for up to 75,000 miles. it was not a recall. the shifter was very stiff. the transmission was loud when press on the gas pedal. the consumer took vehicle to dealer for repairs at least 6 times. the consumer felt that every time she took vehicle to dealer for repairs there were more problems. *ak
Reported in: POWELL OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D94S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
dt: the caller said that while driving at low speeds steering wheel is hard to turn. she says it makes a squealing noise. once the steering locked. she had to have the vehicle towed to dealer. she said it happened when she was turning into parking spots, driveways, and while turning corners. it started happening without warning, and it was an intermittent problem. dealer duplicated the problem with the steering. they replaced something called steering shaft intermediate. also, they replaced the ignition cylinder housing to fix the locking. they replaced it three times. manufacturer said they will continue to help the caller with the repairs. but she could not duplicate the problem and was concerned about the safety issue. *ak *jb
Reported in: SAN JOSE CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63424S
STEERING
dt: the caller said that while driving at low speeds steering wheel is hard to turn. she says it makes a squealing noise. once the steering locked. she had to have the vehicle towed to dealer. she said it happened when she was turning into parking spots, driveways, and while turning corners. it started happening without warning, and it was an intermittent problem. dealer duplicated the problem with the steering. they replaced something called steering shaft intermediate. also, they replaced the ignition cylinder housing to fix the locking. they replaced it three times. manufacturer said they will continue to help the caller with the repairs. but she could not duplicate the problem and was concerned about the safety issue. *ak *jb
Reported in: SAN JOSE CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63424S
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
dt: there was a problem with the windshield fogging up. this happens when the weather was very humid. between the layers of glass there were stains. when the consumer took the vehicle to be repaired, they told him there was nothing they could do. the consumer had to turn the heat on to get the stain out. the incident occurred on july 4, 2005. there had been no accidents as of yet. *ak (12/02/05) this problem would occur each day when it was hot and humid with or without the windows open. *sc
Reported in: ENGLISH TOWN NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63464S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
vehicle has a loss of speed. rpms increase. no speed. stop car, put in park, back in drive a couple of times. gets back up to speed. doors have to be manually locked or unlocked for approximately 100 miles . dealer cannot duplicate the problem. has been in the shop 4 times. *jb
Reported in: RENTON WA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43DX4S
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 vue multiple issues... first issue less then 100 miles on vehicle, depressed brakes car continued to creep at stop sign. diagnostics at saturn dealership: split in brake line, replaced under warranty. second issue: less then 300 miles on vehicle, quick stop caused rear seat safety harness to become disconnected from vehicle wall.. daughter was not restrained and slid forward in seat. saturn diagnostics: someone was not doing their job the day it was made... they tightened screw back into wall of car and have not had issues since... this was uncalled for and should have been caught during safety inspection. third issue: saw details on news about recall on this model of vue, contacted saturn dealership about it and was told that we would be getting information in the mail about repairs. fourth issue: about 20,000 on vue, went to store and was functional, came out and car would not start, over half a tank of gas in vehicle and gauge shows empty, bought gas can and put 5 more gallons of gas in car. still shows empty and car would not start, no word on reason for failure beaches it happened today (10/23/05). *nm
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63494S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
2004 vue multiple issues... first issue less then 100 miles on vehicle, depressed brakes car continued to creep at stop sign. diagnostics at saturn dealership: split in brake line, replaced under warranty. second issue: less then 300 miles on vehicle, quick stop caused rear seat safety harness to become disconnected from vehicle wall.. daughter was not restrained and slid forward in seat. saturn diagnostics: someone was not doing their job the day it was made... they tightened screw back into wall of car and have not had issues since... this was uncalled for and should have been caught during safety inspection. third issue: saw details on news about recall on this model of vue, contacted saturn dealership about it and was told that we would be getting information in the mail about repairs. fourth issue: about 20,000 on vue, went to store and was functional, came out and car would not start, over half a tank of gas in vehicle and gauge shows empty, bought gas can and put 5 more gallons of gas in car. still shows empty and car would not start, no word on reason for failure beaches it happened today (10/23/05). *nm
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63494S
SEAT BELTS:REAR
2004 vue multiple issues... first issue less then 100 miles on vehicle, depressed brakes car continued to creep at stop sign. diagnostics at saturn dealership: split in brake line, replaced under warranty. second issue: less then 300 miles on vehicle, quick stop caused rear seat safety harness to become disconnected from vehicle wall.. daughter was not restrained and slid forward in seat. saturn diagnostics: someone was not doing their job the day it was made... they tightened screw back into wall of car and have not had issues since... this was uncalled for and should have been caught during safety inspection. third issue: saw details on news about recall on this model of vue, contacted saturn dealership about it and was told that we would be getting information in the mail about repairs. fourth issue: about 20,000 on vue, went to store and was functional, came out and car would not start, over half a tank of gas in vehicle and gauge shows empty, bought gas can and put 5 more gallons of gas in car. still shows empty and car would not start, no word on reason for failure beaches it happened today (10/23/05). *nm
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63494S
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
2004 vue multiple issues... first issue less then 100 miles on vehicle, depressed brakes car continued to creep at stop sign. diagnostics at saturn dealership: split in brake line, replaced under warranty. second issue: less then 300 miles on vehicle, quick stop caused rear seat safety harness to become disconnected from vehicle wall.. daughter was not restrained and slid forward in seat. saturn diagnostics: someone was not doing their job the day it was made... they tightened screw back into wall of car and have not had issues since... this was uncalled for and should have been caught during safety inspection. third issue: saw details on news about recall on this model of vue, contacted saturn dealership about it and was told that we would be getting information in the mail about repairs. fourth issue: about 20,000 on vue, went to store and was functional, came out and car would not start, over half a tank of gas in vehicle and gauge shows empty, bought gas can and put 5 more gallons of gas in car. still shows empty and car would not start, no word on reason for failure beaches it happened today (10/23/05). *nm
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63494S
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
i have a question. on 2004 saturn vues, if the car is not on, will the air bags still deploy? i recently was involved in a hit and run accident. i was not in nor was i driving my car, and my insurance is now saying that the only way the air bags would have gone off is if the car was on and the seat belts were clicked in. can you please let me know if there are any other claims or if this could happen. thanks. *nm
Reported in: LANCASTER CA || Crash: Y || VIN #:
AIR BAGS
i was stopped at a stop sign behind another vehicle in my 2004 saturn vue when a suburban rear-ended me at approximately 40+ miles per hour. i then hit the suv that was stopped in front of me - and we both went approximately 100 feet forward from the stop sign. the impact totaled my truck to the point of the rear was crushed to the back seat and the front frame was broken in half with about a 1 inch gap. my issues with the safety are: the drivers side seat broke nearly all the way back into the rear seat to the right with the seat sliding back and forth. the air bags did not deploy - yes, i was originally rear-ended - however the impact to the front was extensive as well. the driver's seat belt did not engage causing me to hit my face and head against the steering wheel causing severe neck pain (a cervical sprain) and a broken nose requiring surgery to repair. *nm
Reported in: SPRING TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D44S
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
i was stopped at a stop sign behind another vehicle in my 2004 saturn vue when a suburban rear-ended me at approximately 40+ miles per hour. i then hit the suv that was stopped in front of me - and we both went approximately 100 feet forward from the stop sign. the impact totaled my truck to the point of the rear was crushed to the back seat and the front frame was broken in half with about a 1 inch gap. my issues with the safety are: the drivers side seat broke nearly all the way back into the rear seat to the right with the seat sliding back and forth. the air bags did not deploy - yes, i was originally rear-ended - however the impact to the front was extensive as well. the driver's seat belt did not engage causing me to hit my face and head against the steering wheel causing severe neck pain (a cervical sprain) and a broken nose requiring surgery to repair. *nm
Reported in: SPRING TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D44S
SEAT BELTS
i was stopped at a stop sign behind another vehicle in my 2004 saturn vue when a suburban rear-ended me at approximately 40+ miles per hour. i then hit the suv that was stopped in front of me - and we both went approximately 100 feet forward from the stop sign. the impact totaled my truck to the point of the rear was crushed to the back seat and the front frame was broken in half with about a 1 inch gap. my issues with the safety are: the drivers side seat broke nearly all the way back into the rear seat to the right with the seat sliding back and forth. the air bags did not deploy - yes, i was originally rear-ended - however the impact to the front was extensive as well. the driver's seat belt did not engage causing me to hit my face and head against the steering wheel causing severe neck pain (a cervical sprain) and a broken nose requiring surgery to repair. *nm
Reported in: SPRING TX || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D44S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
late at night in a major downtown parking deck, vehicle would not start. go to start vehicle, cranks but never turns over. shut vehicle off, go to restart and vehicle will start. it is an intermittent problem that occurs every few days. not to mention, since this problem started my remote to unlock and lock doors has started doing the same thing. sometimes it will lock but not unlock the doors. dealer can not duplicate problem and cleaned contacts on remote, which two tries later to get into vehicle, doors would not unlock. *jb
Reported in: ACWORTH GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53484S
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
while driving on interstate 84 at 70 mph i lost my clutch and nearly had a collision with a tractor-trailer. the seals in my slave cylinder leaked and i lost the hydraulic power in my clutch. 2004 saturn vue, manual shift, 44,600 miles on odometer. i would like to find out how many slave cylinders were replaced in 2002,2003, 2004, 2005. *nm
Reported in: MILFORD PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D54S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i have a 2004 saturn vue 4 cylinder with the tvi transmission. the car has 24,000 miles. i have had this car into the sturn dealer in greenville on three occasions to repair this transmission. often, but not always, when ypressing the accelerator the car does not respond.this caused a very near serious accident when i was in traffic and tried to make a left hand turn the car did not respond and thankfully the driver of the on coming transfer truck was able to avoid an accident with my car. the vue has now been towed back to the dealership. they now tell me there is nothing wrong with the car; enev though they have previously told me the transmission is bad. this dearlership has had two seperate owners since i purchased this car. i must have a car to preform my job duties, without appropriate transportation i will not be able to work. without my job i will not be able to purchase necessary medication that allows me to live. (insulin dependent diabetic). i am afraid of driving this car with out appropriate repairs. this car is a safety hazard and a danger to drive in its present condition. the saturn dealership has acted in an unprofessional manner in working with me. i have gotten no assistance with this problem and have been treated rudly and received very poor customer service. i want this reported to the manufacturer. i would like assistance is resolving this matter and insure the safety of not only myself but others on the roads. march of 2004 the saturn cooperation sent a letter to the owners of this particular make and model of car equipted with the vti transmission regarding the concerns about this transmission and that it "may" require repair or replacement. this letter states that saturn will provide extended coverage for up to 75 thousand miles or 5 years. this letter also informs the owner that while this is not a recall a saturn dearler must perforn repairs at no charge.
Reported in: GREENVILLE NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D04S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
saturn vue 4 cyl with vti trans . shudder felt & heard on light up hill grades. really bad with cruise on. shakes vehicle. 3 repairs made including replacing the trans.problem still occurs. other saturn owners have complaind also, thier trans failed completly leaving them stranded on the high way. *nm
Reported in: HAMILTON 00 || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
during an accident in which the front end of the vehicle was heavily damaged, the airbags did not deploy. there was no explanation from the dealership as to why the bags did not deploy. *jb
Reported in: FEDERAL HEIGHTS CO || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
chime sounds when starting vehicle and placing into reverse or drive. car sometimes stalls when chime is sounding. according to manufacturer, the chime indicates a problem with the engine. according to manufacturer, saturn, it is covered by tsb 1700388. this has been going on since august of 2005. increase in frequency and severity. dealer unable to fix problem even when following tsb. *nm
Reported in: FEDERAL HEIGHTS CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
continue to experience transmission problems with vehicle. transmission has been service on five different occasion for the same defect. *nm
Reported in: MONROE OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D54S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
my vue was purchased in 2004 and has been in for service several times. one of the issues i have is the front end shakes, sometimes it shakes so bad it scares me. i have brought it in for this to a dealer in denville and mount olive; both in nj, and the first time i was told nothing was wrong. last week i was told i need new front brakes and new tires. the truck is less than two years old, new brakes new tires ??? that doesn't make since. the guys at the service never took it for a spin, i'm approaching 36k miles and i'm scared once i pass the warranty time i will be out of luck. i'm not satisfied at all and want something done about this. my wife thinks the car is falling apart, it shakes and makes weird sounds. the first year i was raving about this car now i tell people to stay away from saturn. help me change my opinion on saturn by getting my car fixed ! *jb
Reported in: RANDOLPH NJ || Crash: Y || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
the instrument cluster needle go off or don't light up intermittently. (the gauge remain lit). the car has been taken to the dealer over 5 times without successfully fixing the problem. it's obviously a loose connection in a wire. without the needles we are unable to read speed, rpm, temp or gas. *jb
Reported in: COTTAGE GROVE WI || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
total failure of a variable speed transmission while on an interstate. a 2004 saturn vue with 32,652 miles on it. upon inspection by the dealer, the cause was attributed to a failure of the transmission 'belt' that destroyed the other internal components of the transmission. this should not have occurred in a vehicle so young. the transmission was replaced by the dealer under warranty. *nm
Reported in: STATE COLLEGE PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D64S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
failure of vti transmission. no previous problems - transmission had been serviced at regular intervals - 50,000 and 98,000 miles. car had approximately 102,000 miles on it engine light came on indicating loss of power and code diagnosis indicated p1882 - recommend replace case cover assembly and filter - estimated repair cost $4,300 with no guarantee that it would not occur again. had to trade car - bought a honda. *nm
Reported in: BOWIE MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D74S
WHEELS:CAP/COVER/HUB
2004 saturn vue was purchase 1/24/04. we noticed a very loud noise so we took it into the dealership. they said we needed to have a rear wheel bearing replaced. we have never had this repaired on an auto before. the car has 45169 miles which seems a small amount to need a bearing replaced. the repair cost us $400. in addition, our daytime running lights no longer work. they didn't work once while under warranty. saturn told us it was a bulb. they aren't working again (now out of warranty) and now we are told it isn't the bulb, but they will not repair under warranty. we also had to have the rotors resurfaced in 11/05. we are not happy with our first experience with a saturn vehicle. the saturn employees are great, but the vehicle isn't. i wish i'd never bought the car. we were all set to buy a saturn relay in the spring, but now are thinking buick, or maybe our first foreign car. thanks! *jb
Reported in: BATAVIA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D64S
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 saturn vue was purchase 1/24/04. we noticed a very loud noise so we took it into the dealership. they said we needed to have a rear wheel bearing replaced. we have never had this repaired on an auto before. the car has 45169 miles which seems a small amount to need a bearing replaced. the repair cost us $400. in addition, our daytime running lights no longer work. they didn't work once while under warranty. saturn told us it was a bulb. they aren't working again (now out of warranty) and now we are told it isn't the bulb, but they will not repair under warranty. we also had to have the rotors resurfaced in 11/05. we are not happy with our first experience with a saturn vehicle. the saturn employees are great, but the vehicle isn't. i wish i'd never bought the car. we were all set to buy a saturn relay in the spring, but now are thinking buick, or maybe our first foreign car. thanks! *jb
Reported in: BATAVIA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D64S
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 saturn vue: at 50,000 miles the rear bearing / hub assemblies on both sides, start to fail. they gradually start making a lot of noise and need to be replaced before they either fall apart, lock up a wheel or cause an accident. i believe this should be a recall item and fixed under warranty. *nm
Reported in: BRIGHTON MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
1) and 2) while traveling at high speeds (>60 mph) on the highway, with cruise engaged, periodically the cruise will fail to disengage. on several occasions (at least 5) while driving, and needing to slow down (e.g. to exit the highway, or for slow traffic ahead), the brake is pressed and there is resistance at the pedal and the cruise will not shut off/car attempts to accelerate, which on two occasions has led to a near-accident. on one occasion it also failed to shut off at the steering wheel for several attempts. 3)nothing was done to correct the failure as it could not be duplicated at the dealership and saturn refuses to replace the part under warranty unless they are able to demonstrate evidence of failure. i have been instructed i would have to replace the parts out of my own pocket but there is no guarantee it would resolve the malfunction since they can't figure out what is causing it. *nm
Reported in: EVANSTON IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
AIR BAGS
another car going wrong way on free way struck my vehicle and i ended up striking the median with the front of my car the air bags in my car did not deploy i was driving a 2004 saturn vue standard shift vehicle. *nm
Reported in: WESTERVILLE OH || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ23DX4S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
i have unfortunately owned my saturn 2004 vue for 2 years. the first 3 months of having it, after having to replace my 2003 vue for all the problems it had was in the shop the first 4 months of purchase. the power engine failure light would go on and i would lose all power to the car. they had no idea how to fix it. then the back windshield shattered. the gas mileage is horrible and the whole gas tank and odometer has had to be replaced. i would feel the car up with gas and the odometer would go to full and move back up to half full. the car is in the shop again for throttle and engine problems again. have had the real displeasure of working with a very rude lady at saturn by the name of marcia who clearly does not care about ones safety in their vehicle. according to saturn the newer vehicles have had these problems fixed. however, i must say having been a saturn owner for 12 years now my faith in their product is gone. *jb
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D94S
EQUIPMENT
i have unfortunately owned my saturn 2004 vue for 2 years. the first 3 months of having it, after having to replace my 2003 vue for all the problems it had was in the shop the first 4 months of purchase. the power engine failure light would go on and i would lose all power to the car. they had no idea how to fix it. then the back windshield shattered. the gas mileage is horrible and the whole gas tank and odometer has had to be replaced. i would feel the car up with gas and the odometer would go to full and move back up to half full. the car is in the shop again for throttle and engine problems again. have had the real displeasure of working with a very rude lady at saturn by the name of marcia who clearly does not care about ones safety in their vehicle. according to saturn the newer vehicles have had these problems fixed. however, i must say having been a saturn owner for 12 years now my faith in their product is gone. *jb
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D94S
VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR
i have unfortunately owned my saturn 2004 vue for 2 years. the first 3 months of having it, after having to replace my 2003 vue for all the problems it had was in the shop the first 4 months of purchase. the power engine failure light would go on and i would lose all power to the car. they had no idea how to fix it. then the back windshield shattered. the gas mileage is horrible and the whole gas tank and odometer has had to be replaced. i would feel the car up with gas and the odometer would go to full and move back up to half full. the car is in the shop again for throttle and engine problems again. have had the real displeasure of working with a very rude lady at saturn by the name of marcia who clearly does not care about ones safety in their vehicle. according to saturn the newer vehicles have had these problems fixed. however, i must say having been a saturn owner for 12 years now my faith in their product is gone. *jb
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D94S
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:FUEL GAUGE SYSTEM
i have unfortunately owned my saturn 2004 vue for 2 years. the first 3 months of having it, after having to replace my 2003 vue for all the problems it had was in the shop the first 4 months of purchase. the power engine failure light would go on and i would lose all power to the car. they had no idea how to fix it. then the back windshield shattered. the gas mileage is horrible and the whole gas tank and odometer has had to be replaced. i would feel the car up with gas and the odometer would go to full and move back up to half full. the car is in the shop again for throttle and engine problems again. have had the real displeasure of working with a very rude lady at saturn by the name of marcia who clearly does not care about ones safety in their vehicle. according to saturn the newer vehicles have had these problems fixed. however, i must say having been a saturn owner for 12 years now my faith in their product is gone. *jb
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D94S
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS:SWITCH
tl* - the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the hazard light switch wasn't working. when pressing the hazard button didn't release or come out. the contact stated that he had to replace this button on two occasions at his own expense. the current mileage was 28,720. the failure mileage was 25,209. *ak updated 2/27/2007 - *nm
Reported in: CLARKSTON MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63464S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL
july 2005 - while driving on the freeway my dash gauges began dropping to zero and all the dash lights came on (abs, tc, check engine, etc) and the alarm bells starts dinging. the car died and i was able to get off the side of the road. when i started the car again.. all was well for a few miles when bells starts going off and all dash warning lights again come on. car dies several times on freeway before able to get it home. taken to saturn dealer and they replaced a body control module.. all was well. october 2006 - another module went out - the power control module. march 24 2007 - went out to car around 11 am and started it only to notice tc warning light on. turned ignition off and restarted - light went out. got two block away from home and alarm bells begin dinging, all dash warning lights come on and gauges (fuel, temp) flatline. taken to saturn dealer and told that the body control module is out again. car has 64000 miles on it total and has three times had a module replaced. twice it has been the same one for over $500 each time.*jb
Reported in: RIPON CA || Crash: N || VIN #:
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:HOOD:LATCH
2004 saturn vue customer states that the transmission had to be replaced six months of ownership**cc the transmission slipped and the vehicle would not move when trying to move from a stopped position. the transmission has been replaced, however the consumer continued to experience problems. the hood latch was replaced.*jb
Reported in: WACO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D84S
POWER TRAIN
2004 saturn vue customer states that the transmission had to be replaced six months of ownership**cc the transmission slipped and the vehicle would not move when trying to move from a stopped position. the transmission has been replaced, however the consumer continued to experience problems. the hood latch was replaced.*jb
Reported in: WACO TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D84S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving 30 mph the instrument panel lights illuminated and the vehicle was hard to steer and stop. approximately one week later she experienced the same problem. while driving 40 mph she experienced the same problem. the dealer inspected the vehicle but was unable to duplicate the failure. the contact stated that the problem has occurred on numerous occasions. as of 06-05-07, the dealer has been unable to determine the cause. the failure mileage was 6,500 and the current mileage was 33,344.
Reported in: CINCINNATI OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53494S
AIR BAGS
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. on june 27, 2007, while driving approximately 60 to 70 mph, the gear cable failed. the contact called 911 and the dispatcher instructed her on how to stop the vehicle before a crash occurred. the vehicle has had many failures since it was purchased and was previously repaired under a recall for the suspension. one week ago, the horn sounded on its own at 2 am. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they found a defect in the horn and air bags. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 37,000.
Reported in: SILVER SPRING MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
POWER TRAIN
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. on june 27, 2007, while driving approximately 60 to 70 mph, the gear cable failed. the contact called 911 and the dispatcher instructed her on how to stop the vehicle before a crash occurred. the vehicle has had many failures since it was purchased and was previously repaired under a recall for the suspension. one week ago, the horn sounded on its own at 2 am. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they found a defect in the horn and air bags. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 37,000.
Reported in: SILVER SPRING MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
COMMUNICATIONS:HORN ASSEMBLY
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. on june 27, 2007, while driving approximately 60 to 70 mph, the gear cable failed. the contact called 911 and the dispatcher instructed her on how to stop the vehicle before a crash occurred. the vehicle has had many failures since it was purchased and was previously repaired under a recall for the suspension. one week ago, the horn sounded on its own at 2 am. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they found a defect in the horn and air bags. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 37,000.
Reported in: SILVER SPRING MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ignition switch unable to rotate to start vehicle on 2004 saturn vue. dealership charged 75 dollars to clean ignition switch, and says they get 3 or 4 complaints a week for the same thing. is this a saturn problem or a personal problem? i've had cars 14 years old and never experienced this before. now in two days, the dealer has had 7 saturn vues come in with the same complaint, from 2004 to 2007 models. *jb
Reported in: GOOSE CREEK SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53404S
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:AIR CONDITIONER
a/c system keeps going out. took vehicle to dealer 4/14/2006. dealer stated there was no leak & system just needed to be charged. stopped cooling again. took in to dealer 5/24/2007. dealer stated that there was no problem with the system - it just needed to be recharged again. i told them that a/c should not have to be charged annually, especially since vehicle was 2004 model. questioned them about the a/c compressor replacement nhtsa item #10010459 - said my car did not have any problems with a/c compressor. offered to split cost of recharge with me because they said it could not be turned in on warranty again. a/c quit cooling again 9/07/2007. *jb
Reported in: HUEYTOWN AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53444S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
a/c system keeps going out. took vehicle to dealer 4/14/2006. dealer stated there was no leak & system just needed to be charged. stopped cooling again. took in to dealer 5/24/2007. dealer stated that there was no problem with the system - it just needed to be recharged again. i told them that a/c should not have to be charged annually, especially since vehicle was 2004 model. questioned them about the a/c compressor replacement nhtsa item #10010459 - said my car did not have any problems with a/c compressor. offered to split cost of recharge with me because they said it could not be turned in on warranty again. a/c quit cooling again 9/07/2007. *jb
Reported in: HUEYTOWN AL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53444S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
we have a 2004 saturn vue awd and the transmission floats between overdrive and the lower gear constantly, when driving between 35 and 45 mph. there is a low grinding noise and a shudder in the car when it shifts to the lower gear, requiring your to downshift the car manually to avoid the problem at low speed. the car only has 53,000 miles on it and with all the complaints i've found online, i'm now afraid to let my wife take the vehicle on long trips. surely gm has to know about this? . updated 01-14-08. *kb the consumer stated the dealer has reluctantly offered to cover the cost of the parts only. updated 12/12/07. *jb
Reported in: TRAVERSE CITY MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63474S
TIRES:SIDEWALL
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the vehicle has goodyear eagle hp, size 255/35zr20 tires. while driving 4 mph, the contact heard air leaking from the front driver side tire. he then noticed that the tire was flat. the tire shop found cracks on the sidewalls of the tire and replaced the driver side tire. the contact stated that there were cracks on the other three tires as well. as of october 15, 2007, the tire shop had not replaced the tires. the failure mileage was 89,800 and current mileage was 99,900.
Reported in: WELLFORD SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D34S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
with only 40k miles on the vehicle, the clutch failed while driving at a speed of 35mph. i had to cut off cars and coast across two lanes to a side street. i couldn't get the clutch to engage. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic and the clutch system (slave cylinder, clutch plate) was replaced. vehicle is now drivable (can be put into gear), but check engine light hasn't gone off and cruise control no longer works. the mechanic says "no code" appears with code reader. there is also a strong odor of gasoline fumes each time the vehicle is started or is idling. a week previous to the clutch problem, there was a thumping noise under the hood and the vehicle wouldn't start. i had a flashing check engine light, which also produced "no code" with code reader. i ended up having to replace the ignition control module in order to start the engine.
Reported in: W BOUNTIFUL UT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D14S
POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
with only 40k miles on the vehicle, the clutch failed while driving at a speed of 35mph. i had to cut off cars and coast across two lanes to a side street. i couldn't get the clutch to engage. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic and the clutch system (slave cylinder, clutch plate) was replaced. vehicle is now drivable (can be put into gear), but check engine light hasn't gone off and cruise control no longer works. the mechanic says "no code" appears with code reader. there is also a strong odor of gasoline fumes each time the vehicle is started or is idling. a week previous to the clutch problem, there was a thumping noise under the hood and the vehicle wouldn't start. i had a flashing check engine light, which also produced "no code" with code reader. i ended up having to replace the ignition control module in order to start the engine.
Reported in: W BOUNTIFUL UT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D14S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
the heated seat warmer on our 2004 saturn vue shorted and burned a small dime sized hole in the seat back of the driver's seat.*cn
Reported in: COLUMBUS OH || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 saturn vue with 18,938 miles. the vehicle was sitting in my driveway when i heard a very loud bang. i thought someone threw a rock at my car. i failed to find reason for noise until i drove my car out of the driveway. when i pulled out, the rear end was very loose, swaying from side to side, and it felt like there was no control. returned to my driveway and found a washer laying on the ground. the loud noise i heard must have been a bolt(s) that sheared, while the car was just sitting. took vehicle to dealer where they determined that both bolts for the lateral links were broken and twisted. tech replaced both rear lateral links and set toe.
Reported in: DENVILLE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
saturn vue awd 2004 piston rod became bent , according to a mechanic that looked at the car, although there was plenty of oil in the cam case, the engine wil not run and needs to be replaced. i would like to know if there were any recalls on this model vehicle concerning the engine.
Reported in: FARMINGDALE NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D94S
POWER TRAIN
owner of 2004 saturn ati tranny 4 cyl vue, 3 transmissions failures, 35k, 79k, 130k. saturn replaced only one, paid for one and then gave the vehicle away to the purple heart group. is there a car class action lawsuit i can file with?
Reported in: PEARLAND TX || Crash: N || VIN #:
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
the front passenger seat back in my automobile became dislodged when the occupant tried to recline the seat. the occupant at the time was my son who weighs only 110 pounds. i am surprised and concerned by his ability to cause this much damage to the seat. i do not feel this seat would be safe in the event of an accident and because of its similarity to the driver seat, i am also concerned about that one.
Reported in: RICHMOND IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53434S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ignition key fell out of lock cylinder while was running. this is dangerous because if i ever need to shut down the engine and the key were to fall out i'd be in trouble. lock cylinder sticks and i can barely turn it to start sometimes. this car has only 40,000 miles!
Reported in: LIVONIA MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. ever since the vehicle was purchased, the contact has experienced difficulty turning the key in the ignition. she has called the dealer numerous times. occasionally, the vehicle will not start due to the failure. initially, the failure occurred intermittently, but now it occurs everyday. the contact scheduled an appointment with a mechanic for april 23, 2008. the purchase date was unknown. the current mileage was 70,000 and failure mileage was 20,000.
Reported in: TECHUMSCH MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
SUSPENSION:FRONT
1. brakes. i have had the front brakes and rotors replaced/cut down on this car on the average of about every 20k. i consider this abnormal wear and before you respond with driving conditions, and my other saturn sl needed brakes on the average of 60k with the same driving conditions. when i questioned soe they told me that it was my driving habits, but as of the recent events, i have begun to question their diagnosis of any problems related to my car. 2. transmission shifting/wobble/shimmy/vibration. i have complained since new that this transmission has shifted rough, and i was told working as designed. nobody has been able to find anything wrong yet this problem still exists. 3. tire wear related to recall. i had to request that my vehicle have the recall performed on it. yet, after doing research and watching my tires wear. sometimes in less that 15k something i would consider prematurely, even for performance tires, and reading several owner sites my wear is indicative of a service not being performed. 4. wheel bearing wear. i have had to have my front wheel bearings replaced 2x in the last 30k. the first occurrence was at 72k when the first replacement was made, and the 2nd was at 99k it was during the 72k service i complained my rotors warping(since i had 2 sets replaced/cut previously) and i was told it was just worn tires and they would not even consider the brake issue, until i purchased new tires. i purchased new tires and the wobbly sound was louder than now that there was new tires on the vehicle. so then recommended replacing the rotors, when i asked about brake pads they told me it was unnecessary. seemingly illogical, since you had to remove the brake pads anyway, and tired of arguing i did not push the issue, as i needed my car, and loaner availability seemed to dry up since i was out so far out of the factory warranty.
Reported in: GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1. brakes. i have had the front brakes and rotors replaced/cut down on this car on the average of about every 20k. i consider this abnormal wear and before you respond with driving conditions, and my other saturn sl needed brakes on the average of 60k with the same driving conditions. when i questioned soe they told me that it was my driving habits, but as of the recent events, i have begun to question their diagnosis of any problems related to my car. 2. transmission shifting/wobble/shimmy/vibration. i have complained since new that this transmission has shifted rough, and i was told working as designed. nobody has been able to find anything wrong yet this problem still exists. 3. tire wear related to recall. i had to request that my vehicle have the recall performed on it. yet, after doing research and watching my tires wear. sometimes in less that 15k something i would consider prematurely, even for performance tires, and reading several owner sites my wear is indicative of a service not being performed. 4. wheel bearing wear. i have had to have my front wheel bearings replaced 2x in the last 30k. the first occurrence was at 72k when the first replacement was made, and the 2nd was at 99k it was during the 72k service i complained my rotors warping(since i had 2 sets replaced/cut previously) and i was told it was just worn tires and they would not even consider the brake issue, until i purchased new tires. i purchased new tires and the wobbly sound was louder than now that there was new tires on the vehicle. so then recommended replacing the rotors, when i asked about brake pads they told me it was unnecessary. seemingly illogical, since you had to remove the brake pads anyway, and tired of arguing i did not push the issue, as i needed my car, and loaner availability seemed to dry up since i was out so far out of the factory warranty.
Reported in: GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
TIRES
1. brakes. i have had the front brakes and rotors replaced/cut down on this car on the average of about every 20k. i consider this abnormal wear and before you respond with driving conditions, and my other saturn sl needed brakes on the average of 60k with the same driving conditions. when i questioned soe they told me that it was my driving habits, but as of the recent events, i have begun to question their diagnosis of any problems related to my car. 2. transmission shifting/wobble/shimmy/vibration. i have complained since new that this transmission has shifted rough, and i was told working as designed. nobody has been able to find anything wrong yet this problem still exists. 3. tire wear related to recall. i had to request that my vehicle have the recall performed on it. yet, after doing research and watching my tires wear. sometimes in less that 15k something i would consider prematurely, even for performance tires, and reading several owner sites my wear is indicative of a service not being performed. 4. wheel bearing wear. i have had to have my front wheel bearings replaced 2x in the last 30k. the first occurrence was at 72k when the first replacement was made, and the 2nd was at 99k it was during the 72k service i complained my rotors warping(since i had 2 sets replaced/cut previously) and i was told it was just worn tires and they would not even consider the brake issue, until i purchased new tires. i purchased new tires and the wobbly sound was louder than now that there was new tires on the vehicle. so then recommended replacing the rotors, when i asked about brake pads they told me it was unnecessary. seemingly illogical, since you had to remove the brake pads anyway, and tired of arguing i did not push the issue, as i needed my car, and loaner availability seemed to dry up since i was out so far out of the factory warranty.
Reported in: GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
POWER TRAIN
1. brakes. i have had the front brakes and rotors replaced/cut down on this car on the average of about every 20k. i consider this abnormal wear and before you respond with driving conditions, and my other saturn sl needed brakes on the average of 60k with the same driving conditions. when i questioned soe they told me that it was my driving habits, but as of the recent events, i have begun to question their diagnosis of any problems related to my car. 2. transmission shifting/wobble/shimmy/vibration. i have complained since new that this transmission has shifted rough, and i was told working as designed. nobody has been able to find anything wrong yet this problem still exists. 3. tire wear related to recall. i had to request that my vehicle have the recall performed on it. yet, after doing research and watching my tires wear. sometimes in less that 15k something i would consider prematurely, even for performance tires, and reading several owner sites my wear is indicative of a service not being performed. 4. wheel bearing wear. i have had to have my front wheel bearings replaced 2x in the last 30k. the first occurrence was at 72k when the first replacement was made, and the 2nd was at 99k it was during the 72k service i complained my rotors warping(since i had 2 sets replaced/cut previously) and i was told it was just worn tires and they would not even consider the brake issue, until i purchased new tires. i purchased new tires and the wobbly sound was louder than now that there was new tires on the vehicle. so then recommended replacing the rotors, when i asked about brake pads they told me it was unnecessary. seemingly illogical, since you had to remove the brake pads anyway, and tired of arguing i did not push the issue, as i needed my car, and loaner availability seemed to dry up since i was out so far out of the factory warranty.
Reported in: GLENDALE HEIGHTS IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
our 2004 saturn fwd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration. it is akin to a transmission slippage although we've never lost traction to the road. the vehicle presently has between 50 and 55 thousand miles. the frequency of occurrence is difficult to predict but seems to be happening more often as we put on more miles. we have addressed the issue to our local saturn dealership and they have looked into the problem however have found nothing in the onboard diagnostics that would reveal any failures. they kept the car overnight and drove it numerous times but could not reproduce the problem. they have been as helpful as possible but to no avail. our concern is the issue, which certainly seems transmission related, may present itself at a bad time and could possibly cause loss of traction at a crucial time and leave us (my wife mainly drives the vehicle) in a vulnerable position. however, until the dealership witnesses the problem they have no obligation to do anything. can the nhtsa bring this to the attention of gm and saturn? again it is a 2004 saturn vue with the v6 fwd configuration.
Reported in: MANCHESTER MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53454S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the instrument panel gauges, especially the odometer, were inoperative and displayed inaccurate readings. she took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that it would cost $700 to inspect the vehicle and reset the odometer. she has not had the vehicle repaired because the remedy would only be temporary. the odometer currently displays that the vehicle has 70,000 miles, but it really has 45,000 miles. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 45,000.
Reported in: BELLINGHAM MA || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
my 2004 saturn fwd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. it has never lost traction to the road. the vehicle 75 thousand miles when this started. the frequency of occurrence is difficult to predict but seems to be happening as often as those specific conditions (mph/coasting) present - does not happen when accelerating quickly. i have addressed the issue with my local mechanic who has been service the vehicle for 2 years - local saturn dealership is too expensive and can never seem to correct problems satisfactorily. my concern with this the issue is could it possibly cause loss of traction and possibly lead to an accident or complete transmission failure. as this seems to be occurring in this model, can the nhtsa investigate?
Reported in: ELGIN IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53494S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL
problem 1: my 2004 saturn awd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. hooked up to a code reader, no codes appear; however, the torque converter is slipping as it displays a read out of over 8,000 rpm's when this occurs and the tachometer bounces back and forth with the shudder. frequency of occurrence is higher in hotter weather and when car has been driven for several minutes. slight whine also noticed by the transmission mechanic. problem 2: this problem was noticed on 03-28-08. vehicle was also purchased with defective horn. two + weeks after the car was purchased i was hit in the rear quarter panel by a careless teenager that did not look before he backed out of his parking space. i realized shortly after that my horn was not properly working. there was no way i could have sounded the horn to alert him that he was about to back into me if had wanted to. had it repaired recently in which the horn was found to be completely non-operational. once repaired, it was apparent that all was working well with the horn as it honks when the doors are locked. we did not realize that the car would do that at the time that we purchased it. that should have been a big clue to the dealership that it was not functioning properly. i've been told that selling a car without a properly functioning horn is a safety violation. i'm appalled that this was not caught by the dealership! more over, they stuck me with an expensive bill to replace something that should have been operational at the time of sale! problem 3: repaired on 05-22-08. also, both lower control arm bushings had to be replaced as they were found to have separated. major front end noises heard prior to this getting fixed and slop in the front end when driving. felt like car might loose control when cornering!
Reported in: GOODRICH MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
COMMUNICATIONS:HORN ASSEMBLY
problem 1: my 2004 saturn awd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. hooked up to a code reader, no codes appear; however, the torque converter is slipping as it displays a read out of over 8,000 rpm's when this occurs and the tachometer bounces back and forth with the shudder. frequency of occurrence is higher in hotter weather and when car has been driven for several minutes. slight whine also noticed by the transmission mechanic. problem 2: this problem was noticed on 03-28-08. vehicle was also purchased with defective horn. two + weeks after the car was purchased i was hit in the rear quarter panel by a careless teenager that did not look before he backed out of his parking space. i realized shortly after that my horn was not properly working. there was no way i could have sounded the horn to alert him that he was about to back into me if had wanted to. had it repaired recently in which the horn was found to be completely non-operational. once repaired, it was apparent that all was working well with the horn as it honks when the doors are locked. we did not realize that the car would do that at the time that we purchased it. that should have been a big clue to the dealership that it was not functioning properly. i've been told that selling a car without a properly functioning horn is a safety violation. i'm appalled that this was not caught by the dealership! more over, they stuck me with an expensive bill to replace something that should have been operational at the time of sale! problem 3: repaired on 05-22-08. also, both lower control arm bushings had to be replaced as they were found to have separated. major front end noises heard prior to this getting fixed and slop in the front end when driving. felt like car might loose control when cornering!
Reported in: GOODRICH MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
problem 1: my 2004 saturn awd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. hooked up to a code reader, no codes appear; however, the torque converter is slipping as it displays a read out of over 8,000 rpm's when this occurs and the tachometer bounces back and forth with the shudder. frequency of occurrence is higher in hotter weather and when car has been driven for several minutes. slight whine also noticed by the transmission mechanic. problem 2: this problem was noticed on 03-28-08. vehicle was also purchased with defective horn. two + weeks after the car was purchased i was hit in the rear quarter panel by a careless teenager that did not look before he backed out of his parking space. i realized shortly after that my horn was not properly working. there was no way i could have sounded the horn to alert him that he was about to back into me if had wanted to. had it repaired recently in which the horn was found to be completely non-operational. once repaired, it was apparent that all was working well with the horn as it honks when the doors are locked. we did not realize that the car would do that at the time that we purchased it. that should have been a big clue to the dealership that it was not functioning properly. i've been told that selling a car without a properly functioning horn is a safety violation. i'm appalled that this was not caught by the dealership! more over, they stuck me with an expensive bill to replace something that should have been operational at the time of sale! problem 3: repaired on 05-22-08. also, both lower control arm bushings had to be replaced as they were found to have separated. major front end noises heard prior to this getting fixed and slop in the front end when driving. felt like car might loose control when cornering!
Reported in: GOODRICH MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
SUSPENSION:FRONT
problem 1: my 2004 saturn awd v6 saturn vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. hooked up to a code reader, no codes appear; however, the torque converter is slipping as it displays a read out of over 8,000 rpm's when this occurs and the tachometer bounces back and forth with the shudder. frequency of occurrence is higher in hotter weather and when car has been driven for several minutes. slight whine also noticed by the transmission mechanic. problem 2: this problem was noticed on 03-28-08. vehicle was also purchased with defective horn. two + weeks after the car was purchased i was hit in the rear quarter panel by a careless teenager that did not look before he backed out of his parking space. i realized shortly after that my horn was not properly working. there was no way i could have sounded the horn to alert him that he was about to back into me if had wanted to. had it repaired recently in which the horn was found to be completely non-operational. once repaired, it was apparent that all was working well with the horn as it honks when the doors are locked. we did not realize that the car would do that at the time that we purchased it. that should have been a big clue to the dealership that it was not functioning properly. i've been told that selling a car without a properly functioning horn is a safety violation. i'm appalled that this was not caught by the dealership! more over, they stuck me with an expensive bill to replace something that should have been operational at the time of sale! problem 3: repaired on 05-22-08. also, both lower control arm bushings had to be replaced as they were found to have separated. major front end noises heard prior to this getting fixed and slop in the front end when driving. felt like car might loose control when cornering!
Reported in: GOODRICH MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
ignition locks and unable to start the car. read blog after blog and thousands of people have had (or have) this problem with their 2004 saturn vue. most also record that once replaced by saturn,for a huge price, the same thing happened again within 6-12 months.
Reported in: STAFFORD TX || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
on november 7, 2005 i purchased a used 2004 saturn vue from a local saturn dealer. on december 15, 2006 i took this vehicle to the local dealer in answer to a transmission recall notice i received in the mail. at this time, the following things were done to repair the defect: gasket-c/, cover asm, core-cove, sealer-tr, additive, plug-tran, fluid-a/t, converter, core-conv, fluid-a/t. these repairs constituted 1/2 of the transmission and were completed under warranty. 102,000 miles later, on 6/17/2008 i returned to the dealer because my vehicle was again showing signs of the same disorder. at this time we were informed that it would cost $6000 to replace a full transmission and that there was no warranty to cover this repair. we are quite upset that we are stuck with a design defective transmission with no recourse but to either pay for repairs which we have no money to pay, or keep the vehicle and pay $8000 in finance charges for a car that can't be used safely, or let the car go to the finance company in a repossession and wreck our credit for 7 years. we were offered a 50/50 deal from the dealership after we complained, however, we do not have $3000 either. we feel that this transmission defect should be repaired free of charge each and every time it breaks down or that we should be reimbursed $8000 to wipe out our debt on this defective vehicle and we'd be willing to call it square. our on-line research shows that this transmission (vti) has been a problem for everyone who purchased this model car. some have had to have their transmissions fixed over and over and over. we also learned that they do not make these transmissions anymore. we are very upset!!!
Reported in: BATESBURG SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i also have the same problem with a 2004 saturn vue v-6 fwd. i have shudder problems in the transmission at low speed between 20-35mph. i have 75,000 miles and have had this problem for a while.
Reported in: MACOMB MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
my ignition lock gives me problems, it is hard to turn. now i can remove my key in the on and started position. means the car is started and running and i can remove the key.
Reported in: MACOMB MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
car had a strange ticking noise ,dropped the car off at saturn dealer ship and was told that i needed to replace a timing chain,for a fee of 1,000 dollars ,i searched nhtsa and found a recall exactly like this one but for a 2001 only. my car is a 2004 and only has 34,000 miles.
Reported in: WEST BABYLON NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D34S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
a 2004 saturn vue is having ignition problem. we have yet to replace the ignition due to tricks to cause the ignition to release and start the vehicle. i fully expect this inconvenience to become a major problem at some point due to the poor quality materials used to produce the ignition switch. should this strand us, the towing fee will be $75 plus a minimum of $400 for the mechanic and parts. i have experienced this problem with another general motors product and had a custom part made to solve the problem. gm should be the one producing a quality replacement part and issuing a recall instead of gouging consumers especially with their sales plunge of late. they don't need another hit on their quality perception.
Reported in: FLOYDS KNOBS IN || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
there is a terrible whole vehicle shudder a low speeds and low rpm. it seems like the transmission goes into "lock - up torque converter" mode at too low rpms(about 1000 to 1200).this happens constantly at low speeds and is very distressing and distracting. you have to step down harder on the accelerator to kick the transmission into a lower gear which tends to make the car speed up. this is very distressing and distracting and must cause undo wear and tear on the drivetrain. there are many saturn vue (2004) owners nation wide with this problem. this and the wheel bearing and brake problems should be nation wide recalls. no wonder people are buying imports at an incredible rate.
Reported in: FRANKLIN WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ534X4S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
there is a terrible whole vehicle shudder a low speeds and low rpm. it seems like the transmission goes into "lock - up torque converter" mode at too low rpms(about 1000 to 1200).this happens constantly at low speeds and is very distressing and distracting. you have to step down harder on the accelerator to kick the transmission into a lower gear which tends to make the car speed up. this is very distressing and distracting and must cause undo wear and tear on the drivetrain. there are many saturn vue (2004) owners nation wide with this problem. this and the wheel bearing and brake problems should be nation wide recalls. no wonder people are buying imports at an incredible rate.
Reported in: FRANKLIN WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ534X4S
AIR BAGS
airbag light come on and stay on more often than not. the dealer can't track it down.
Reported in: WEST LAFAYETTE IN || Crash: N || VIN #:
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
the metal gas feed line within the engine compartment split and failed ejecting significant quantities of raw gasoline onto the engine and onto other components. smelled gas fumes inside of car when stopped for traffic. gas was pounding on engine within the engine compartment. had car towed to dealer for repair.
Reported in: TABERNACLE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D34S
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
fuel rail ruptured. gas fumes were overpowering. leaked gas as we drove to the dealership (could have started a fire).
Reported in: CENTERVILLE UT || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION:FRONT
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving various speeds, the alignment appears abnormal and causes the vehicle to steer in unintended directions. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the strut mounts in the front suspension failed. the technician added that because the vehicle exceeded its warranty, the contact would have to replace the strut mounts at the cost of $450. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure mileage was 20,000 and current mileage was 27,000. updated 04/21/09. *lj updated 04/21/09.*jb
Reported in: POLK CITY FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
repeated failure of ignition control module/coil pack on 2004 vue 2.2 ecotec motor caused damage to catalytic converter and o2 sensor january 6, 2009 then again march 31, 2009.
Reported in: BLUFFTON SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D04S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
repeated failure of ignition control module/coil pack on 2004 vue 2.2 ecotec motor caused damage to catalytic converter and o2 sensor january 6, 2009 then again march 31, 2009.
Reported in: BLUFFTON SC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D04S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
my transmission began slipping on my saturn vue at 76000. i took it into the dealership they said nothing was wrong. 6 days later i hit the gas it went to the floor and my car did not move, ut my rpm went up to 5000 +. saturn replace my transmission at half the cost. now 9000 miles later my transmission has begun to slip again. saturn said nothing was wrong a second time (4/3/09).
Reported in: ELIZABETH NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63474S
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving between 35-40 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a noise coming from outside of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and they stated that the failure was due to the driveshaft carrier bearing. the part for the repair was unavailable due to the massive back order. the technician recommended that the contact not drive the vehicle due to the safety hazard. the vehicle remains inoperative due to the lack of repair parts. the vin and mileages were unknown.
Reported in: CLAYTON NY || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN
i have a 2004 saturn vue 4 cylinder awd with a vti transmission. i don't have the vin on me, it is with the car at the lot right now. i have now had three transmissions just up and die on me. the first time it died, i lost reverse and got it to the dealer before drive went out. the second one went out on me at 3 am and i managed to milk it to safety. this last one i went to go from a stop sign, got going just enough to get me into traffic and it died. i avoided an accident, however i have read a lot of these stories online. this last transmission only has about 30,000 miles on it. the first was serviced at 50,000 and died at 60,000 and the second was serviced at 50,000 and died a week or 2 later.
Reported in: MEDFORD OR || Crash: N || VIN #:
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
please see comments below sent to gm-saturn service satisfaction online survey. gm expects me to pay for the repair which i believe it should be under recall. vehicle: saturn vue 2004 part: drl resistor which activates the day time running lights. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- these comments are geared toward gm and saturn policy makers. personnel at saturn of milwaukee acted as they are supposed to do. yes, he was courteous but not fair by charging $50.00 for an estimate of a common problem that should be taken care of as recall as it is performed in canada. this common problem is easily found all over the web which is the drl resistor in these types of vehicles. the more i notice other saturn vues on the road, i also notice the lack of day time running lights on. remember gm, you designed these with not the option of an on/off switch for these lights. bottom line, i am out of $50.00 and no day time running lights. i refuse to pay $100+ to correct gm's fault !!!!
Reported in: MILWAUKEE WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53464S
POWER TRAIN
a 2004 saturn vue with a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder motor with automatic transmission. after a replacement of the vti transmission under the class action lawsuit a severe rattle and vibration under the hood was detected. upon returning to the dealer for diagnoses, the problem was found to be the timing chain. the dealership says that it is impossible for the 2 problems to be related. i had no problem before the transmission. they are refusing to take care of the problem with the timing chain. i have found there is a recall on the l series car with the same engine for a defect in the timing chain. i have also found there have been many other timing chain issues with the vue that has the same motor. the dealership fails to recognize that there is a defect with this vehicle. the vehicle has 94,000 miles on it.
Reported in: FISHERS IN || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D14S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the vehicle cannot be shifted into gear properly. when placed into drive, the shifter does not stay in place. the first time the transmission failed, it was repaired at the contact's expense. the transmission failed again, but has not yet been repaired. on may 22, 2009, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it has not yet been diagnosed. the manufacturer is currently being sued by consumers due to the transmission failures. the consumers feel that they are not reliable. the contact is still waiting for a response from the dealer regarding the repair of her vehicle. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 167,000.
Reported in: EAST WINSER NJ || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle began making a loud noise. on three occasions, the dealer stated that the vehicle did not make enough noise for them to make an unspecified repair. the contact has been able to drive the vehicle despite the noise. the dealer refused to diagnose the computer to determine the cause of the failure. the noise sounded as if a component underneath the vehicle was making contact with the ground. the dealer stated that they could not find any failures during the test drive, but they heard the noise. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 100,000. updated 07/28/09 *bf the consumer stated the noise was coming from inside the transmission. the front rotors were replaced. updated 07/31/09.*jb
Reported in: WATERTOWN CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle began making a loud noise. on three occasions, the dealer stated that the vehicle did not make enough noise for them to make an unspecified repair. the contact has been able to drive the vehicle despite the noise. the dealer refused to diagnose the computer to determine the cause of the failure. the noise sounded as if a component underneath the vehicle was making contact with the ground. the dealer stated that they could not find any failures during the test drive, but they heard the noise. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 100,000. updated 07/28/09 *bf the consumer stated the noise was coming from inside the transmission. the front rotors were replaced. updated 07/31/09.*jb
Reported in: WATERTOWN CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving 35 mph, the vehicle began making a loud noise. on three occasions, the dealer stated that the vehicle did not make enough noise for them to make an unspecified repair. the contact has been able to drive the vehicle despite the noise. the dealer refused to diagnose the computer to determine the cause of the failure. the noise sounded as if a component underneath the vehicle was making contact with the ground. the dealer stated that they could not find any failures during the test drive, but they heard the noise. the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 100,000. updated 07/28/09 *bf the consumer stated the noise was coming from inside the transmission. the front rotors were replaced. updated 07/31/09.*jb
Reported in: WATERTOWN CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
i purchased a set of brake pads from "carquest auto parts" in bethlehem, pa on 6/23/09. upon the advice of one of the sales representatives, i decided to purchase the carquest brand brake pads listed on the invoice as, "red ceramic pad." i installed the pads on my 2004 saturn vue. upon completion, as always i took the car on a road test. i experienced some excessive buoyancy in the brake pedal, and continued the road test. i drove the car for a total of no more than five miles. (note that the rotors at this point were almost new, and had no unusual wear or damage.) as i stopped the vehicle during the test, plumes of brake dust emanated from both front tires. i inspected the pads only to discover that 90% of the pad surface had disintegrated in less than 5 miles. when i returned to the store to notify of a serious safety hazard and a defective brake product, they mocked me for "purchasing such garbage in the first place instead of using dealer parts." they showed no concern or surprise over what had happened, despite how close i came with death. i have retained the defective pads for your analysis and hopefully to implement a recall.
Reported in: BETHLEHEM PA || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN
my 2004 saturn v6 saturn vue has started a shudder/growling noise in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25, 30-35mph, 40 -45mph and now at 50-50mph. or when moderately acceleration or coasting. the vehicle had about 100k miles on it now but started around 70k. i purchased the car at 68,500k miles. the frequency of occurrence is difficult to predict but seems to be happening as often as those specific conditions (mph/coasting) present - does not happen when accelerating quickly. i have taken my car to numerous shops engine repair, transmission, and other well names repair places. all of them tell me my car is fine,but the last shop which did the transmission check on computer said the engine had over 1,000 miss fires. i called to saturn and there tech said " u don't have to explain no more" it is the torque converter and i have replaced many." if this is such a well occurring problem why isn't saturn paying for these repairs. my concern now is when it rains and the car stutters i lose all wheel traction going up heels and on turns. i feel like i have no control. i have read online and found may issues that are the same i believe saturn needs to fix these manufacturing issues and not leave them on the consumer. i spent $10,000 on my saturn and just finished college i do not have $4,5000 to spend on a car that is only worth $9,000 -$7,000 blue book.
Reported in: FAYETTEVILLE NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
my 2004 saturn vue that has 54600 miles on it and the automatic transmission is slipping when i drive at a constant speed in a range form 35 - 55 miles per hr. i had in for a diagnosis at a saturn dealership. they said it is the torque converter that is faulty and it will cost $2100 to replace it. this part has to be defected. i never had an automatic transmission problem in 40 years of driving cars.
Reported in: ROCHESTER NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
transmission in 2004 saturn vue has gone out twice now, the 2nd transmission after only 32,000 miles!
Reported in: OKLAHOMA CITY OK || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
STEERING
my steering column is gone out took it in to get it looked at. then the shop called saturn and they where told that they were having several problems with the steering column. now for about six months my seat belts don't work they keep snapping out of the holder the seat belt light flashes when you have your seat belt on. and also we are having problems with our passenger door getting stuck and not opening. we have two small children and a teenager. help us please.
Reported in: AUSTIN TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
SEAT BELTS
my steering column is gone out took it in to get it looked at. then the shop called saturn and they where told that they were having several problems with the steering column. now for about six months my seat belts don't work they keep snapping out of the holder the seat belt light flashes when you have your seat belt on. and also we are having problems with our passenger door getting stuck and not opening. we have two small children and a teenager. help us please.
Reported in: AUSTIN TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53414S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i have a 2004 saturn vue & the transmission just died. it is a vti transmission & saturn is aware that it has issues. i would think with so many people complaining about the same issue that a recall would have been done. now i am stuck with a car that will cost $5,000 to fix.
Reported in: SALISBURY MILLS NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
transmission was replaced at 30,000 miles while under warranty. now at 69,000 miles the transmission failed again. when it failed this time i looked online and found that gm had extended the tranny warranty to 5yrs/75,000 miles. i called saturn about it and they said my vin didn't qualify for the extension even though it was not 5 years until september this year. now in november of this year i got a letter saying that it now qualifies for the extension. now it's over the 5 year time period. i now have a lawyer who says that gm will give half of the money to fix it but i have to go to a saturn dealer but i have to pay to tow it. in the beginning the lawyer said i would get a heck of a lot more then just half the repair costs plus recover monies for a rental car. how am i going to get the other half plus the tow fees up front to pay. why isn't there a recall to eliminate this vti tranny. they will only replace it with the same kind but with a stronger drive chain. this is not the fix. they don't want to have to replace the engine in order to upgrade to a different tranny. someone please help all of us with this problem.
Reported in: HAWLEY PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D34S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
i would like to file a complaint on my 2004 saturn vue. i have done a lot of looking around on the internet and found that there has been a lot of timing chain failures on the saturns. i recently had mine go out on my vue at 90,000 miles and am in the process of getting it fixed which could cost me upwards of $2,000. is there any form of a recall o this and what are if any are my options for either saturn fixing it or reimbursing me any amount. could you please contact me with any information you have . thanks in advance for your help.
Reported in: ROBINSON TX || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
transmission failed with no warning on my 2004 saturn vue with 100,000 miles. the dealer tells me its my problem because they don't have to issue a recall unless they feel its a safety hazard. well i was in the middle of a busy highway going 65mph when the transmission just stopped. my rpm's revved really high but the car would not go forward anymore. i was almost hit 3 times trying to get off the highway with this faulty transmission and i am 6 months pregnant and had 2 toddlers int he back seat! i would say this is a serious safety hazard!
Reported in: OKLAHOMA CITY OK || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 saturn vue transmission failure estimated 150,000 cars have this failure faulty transmission wire installed in autos from 2002 thru 2005.
Reported in: BRADENTON FL || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
while driving my kids to school on the highway, my 2004 saturn vue started to slow down in traffic. my car completely stopped and would not go forward. all the cars behind me had to swerve around me quickly as not to hit us. a cop and another car stopped to physically push my car to the side of the road. the police officer then had to push my car to an auto repair shop off the highway. they told me that my transmission was gone. after the auto repair charged me for a diagnostic, i was told that my transmission has to be repaired and that gm has had issues with these engines.. i cant understand how toyota can issue a recall, but gm can't. will it take someone "important" to get killed in one of gm's cars before our government does anything for the common people? *tw
Reported in: UNIVERSITY HTS OH || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i was driving on speed of 55 mph and then the car suddenly stop abruptly . i took to the dealer, they said it is a vit transmission manufacturer problem on the saturn 2004 vue. this is very danger situation because the transmission stop without any warning.
Reported in: MIAMI FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM
i was driving on speed of 55 mph and then the car suddenly stop abruptly . i took to the dealer, they said it is a vit transmission manufacturer problem on the saturn 2004 vue. this is very danger situation because the transmission stop without any warning.
Reported in: MIAMI FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
POWER TRAIN
i have a 2004 saturn vue that came out of park with no keys in the ignition and my 4yr old son fell out of vehicle and was ran over. we are able to take the key out of the ignition without it being in the "off position" and put the vehicle in neutral, reverse, and drive without applying my foot on the brake. the vehicle has not been repaired and is parked on the advice of my attorneys. the key was removed from the accessory position with the shifter in park. being in the accessory position allowed the shifter to be moved from park without an application of the brake pedal. *smch
Reported in: ANTWERP OH || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ53474S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i bought a 2004 saturn vue 4 months ago. i also bought a extended warranty thro wyns. my transmission has now gone out. i have 100,260 miles on it. the warranty was for 100,000. saturn says i am out of the warranty coverage but wyns will cover the cost of the transmission minus my $100 co pay. they however will not cover it until saturn faxes them the bulletin on this transmission problem. saturn called me back and said that they will not fax this information to wyns and will not mail me the warranty information to me. saturn stated to me if i took it to another repair facility that they would loose out on the money of repairing my transmission. so now i cant get my extended warranty company to fix it because they have no proof that the warranty is no good at my mileage. i bought the vehicle at west 40 auto sales who did not tell me about any problems or bulletins on this vehicle.
Reported in: CAMBRIDGE OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns 2004 saturn vue. the driver stated that she received a letter dated november 2009 regarding the transmission being repaired within 5 years, at no cost. the driver stated that her 5 years has expired. the transmission has failed and the dealer is willing to pay 50% of the repair cost. the contact doesn't agree with the cost. the contact also stated that the transmission failed about 2 years ago. the failure mileage was 50,000. the current mileage was 70,000. updated 04/09/10. *lj the consumer stated the transmission should be repaired at 100%. updated 05/06/10.*jb updated 06/14/10.*jb
Reported in: PARMA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 saturn vue rear suspension causes wheel to collapse due to shearing of bolt under constant load. this problem spurred a voluntary gm recall in 2004. my vehicle had the recall work completed. in august, 2009, the wheel collapsed again while my wife and kids were in the car. i'm not sure how they drove it home with that condition without a rollover or accident. i had the repair made free of charge at the dealer after much arguing but am concerned that in 4-5 years, bolt fatigue will cause the situation to repeat once again. i have the sheared bolt head in my possession. i am writing due to concern that many many others will again soon, this year, experience the same wheel collapse after having their voluntary recall repairs made in 2004. it seem like a mandatory recall of the 2004 gm voluntary recall is in order. excerpt from caug 5, 2004 onsumer affairs article: general motors is voluntarily recalling the saturn vue to fix a problem with the rear suspension. in doing so, it may be hoping to avoid litigation that could result from accidents occurring while government safety agencies conduct their own investigations. the recall affects 246,433 vues in the 2002-2004 model years, including 231,123 in the united states and 15,310 in canada. it all started when a saturn vue owner wrote to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) to complain that the rear wheels of his car collapsed on a tight turn, causing the vehicle to roll over. the agency decided to conduct a test of its own, taking tight turns at 45 mph, and sure enough, the rear suspension collapsed and the car rolled over. the same thing happened when a two-wheel drive model of the vue was put through the same test. read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/vue_recall.html#ixzz0h1hxnun0.
Reported in: NORTH ROYALTON OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
SUSPENSION:REAR
2004 saturn vue rear suspension causes wheel to collapse due to shearing of bolt under constant load. this problem spurred a voluntary gm recall in 2004. my vehicle had the recall work completed. in august, 2009, the wheel collapsed again while my wife and kids were in the car. i'm not sure how they drove it home with that condition without a rollover or accident. i had the repair made free of charge after much argument but am concerned that in 4-5 years, bolt fatigue will cause the situation to repeat once again. i have the sheared bolt head in my possession . i am writing due to concern that many many others will again, soon, this year, experience the same wheel collapse after having their voluntary recall repairs made in 2004. it seems like a mandatory recall of the gm voluntary recall is in order. excerpt from consumer affairs article, august 5, 2004: general motors is voluntarily recalling the saturn vue to fix a problem with the rear suspension. in doing so, it may be hoping to avoid litigation that could result from accidents occurring while government safety agencies conduct their own investigations. the recall affects 246,433 vues in the 2002-2004 model years, including 231,123 in the united states and 15,310 in canada. it all started when a saturn vue owner wrote to the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) to complain that the rear wheels of his car collapsed on a tight turn, causing the vehicle to roll over. the agency decided to conduct a test of its own, taking tight turns at 45 mph, and sure enough, the rear suspension collapsed and the car rolled over. the same thing happened when a two-wheel drive model of the vue was put through the same test. read more: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/vue_recall.html#ixzz0h1hxnun0.
Reported in: NORTH ROYALTON OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
on many occasions my 2004 saturn vue v6 awd appears to shudder when the automatic transmission is shifting from a lower gear at speeds usually less than 40mph. when this happens it is unnerving to say the least. i have read accounts of similar problems from other saturn owners and have found that a service bulletin was issued 2/09/06. concerning torque converter shudder. i believe that a recall should be issued as my vehicle had only a bit over 50000 miles when the problem first occurred. i subsequently took it to the local saturn dealer and they could not find a problem although they had access to the service bulletin information. shortly thereafter my extended warranty ran out and although they advised me to bring the vehicle back should the problem reoccur it is not at all clear whether the repair will be made at no cost to me. i believe that gm should fix this problem for all vehicles on a case by case basis whether under warranty or not, especially for vehicles under 100k miles. any suggestions or assistance would be most helpful. ( the service bulletin number is 3713).
Reported in: NEW PALTZ NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ634X4S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
i own a 2004 saturn vue. the vti transmission that was originally put in it failed at a little over 57,000 miles and was replaced under warranty in august 2008 with another vti transmission. this month, march 2010, the 2nd vti transmission also failed (80,650 miles/about 23,000 miles after the repair) and is now no longer under warranty. gm will only cover 50%, although a previous class action lawsuit requires they pay more. it will now cost me $1638 plus taxes to repair it and put in the third transmission that will only hold a 12,000 mile warranty. the original vti transmission should not have been replaced with another faulty engine. if it had been replaced with what they claim to be a better transmission that they are currently replacing them with, then it would have been covered under my original warranty and the current cost never would have been placed on me. gm knows the vti transmission is bad and isn't using it anymore, yet is failing to correct the issue appropriately for current owners such as myself. with the amount of problems that this transmission has proven to have for its owners, gm should be forced to recall this transmission as it is a defect with the transmission and since it will go out when you're driving (passing through an intersection, turning, etc) it is very dangerous to individuals when driving it.
Reported in: OMAHA NE || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D84S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
for the last few years i have had issues with the power locks in my 2004 saturn view where the unlock button did not work on random occasions. it then seemed that if it had rained this is when the problem would occur. it has since become a chronic issue making it impossible for me to use my door locks for unlocking whether with the remote or the button. this morning the locks unlocked themselvse and continued to attempt unlocking for the entire hour long drive at random intervals. i have had other electrical issues as well with this vehicle and have gotten no where with inquires to saturn as to the issue. since purchase the rear wiper works when it feels like it and a couple of months ago my horn began to blare while parked in the driveway all by itself. the remedy for the horn was to remove the relay as the mechanic i deal with did not have the code to determine the actual issue. i can only imagine the cost i will incur to rectify these issues, especially in light of the fact that saturn no longer officially exists.
Reported in: SALEM MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D94S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i own a 2004 saturn vue with a variable transmission. it has 83,000 miles. i took it to the dealership to be looked at because of hearing all the transmission problems these cars have had. somehow while they were looking at it the transmission went and i couldn't drive my car over 20 mph. i was stuck there at the dealership and told i had to get a new transmission. saturn will only pay for half so now after paying over $20,000 for this car i have to pay another $3,000 to get a new transmission. i was told then that the new transmission might have the same problems this one has had. this is unacceptable that they don't stand by their products and will not cover the whole replacement of something they know to be faulty.
Reported in: MUSKEGON MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D44S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle "pushed back" and slowed down when she attempted to accelerate. she also noticed that the check engine light remained illuminated. she drove on to the emergency lane and had the vehicle towed to her home. she called the manufacturer and was informed of a current lawsuit regarding the vti transmission and was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the current mileage was 42,623. the failure mileage was approximately 42,615.
Reported in: LOS ANGELES CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D74S
COMMUNICATIONS:HORN ASSEMBLY
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the vehicle horn engaged without driver intent. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and was informed that the horn module had failed and burned a hole through the safety air bag. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 48,000. updated 06/25/10. *lj updated 09/07/10*jb
Reported in: DELLROY OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D44S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
driving at speeds between 30-45mph the rpm's rev up but the car slows down! on hills, it won't accelerate at all! even in low gear it won't move. rpm's jerk at high speeds as well. had diagnostic done 5-7-10 they said that the transmission is failing between 2nd & 3rd gear, it's not reading any codes and the fluid is discolored. estimating cost to fix is $3,000. truck has less than 100,000 miles on it!! problem occurs everyday -- transmission hasn't completely failed yet, but i fear is going to happen soon! i have no idea how i'm going to pay for this... i've only had this car 2 years. i think it is a safety concern when you're on the hwy and your car won't accelerate and people behind you are swerving to miss you and blowing at you.
Reported in: STOCKBRIDGE GA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53464S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) in november of 2009 i had received a letter from saturn in which it states that my car is a recall, due to a faulty transmission and performance problems. (three month prior to the recall letter i had experienced some difficulties with the car.) saturn/gmc do not want to pay the repair in full,$5,927.03, they want me to pay the half of it. neither do they help me to get a car of the same year or value. i wrote them a hand written letter and never received an answer from them. after three months i contacted them by phone, to ask what they are doing about the car,i was told that my case is dismissed?( i call that discrimination) i went to court and filed a small claims court against saturn. three weeks after they were served the paperwork i received a letter from them that i would have to dismiss this claim since they go through bankruptcy. i am a divorced mature female, and have a small residential,light commercial and janitorial cleaning business. i need the car on a daily basis, and have to drive sometimes far to get to my clients. and since the economy has turned bad for lots of small business owners, like me, i barely make ends meet. i do not have the money to pay for a replacement transmission, nor do i have the other half of what the new transmission would cost. and since i did not design the car neither manufacture the car, i don't see why i have to pay for it. a recall needs to be taken care off from the company who puts them on the market. the time for my car is running out, and for me as well. if i have a serious accident on the road due to a transmission failure and performance issue, or if the transmission catches fire that would be horrible. if i loose all my clients if the car breaks down i won't be able to pay my rent, and end up living on the streets with my animals. please can you help me to resolve this bad problem? i have run out of options. [xxx]
Reported in: GRASS VALLEY CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
2004 saturn vue. transmission gone, over 5 grand to fix due to there being problems with the vues, junk yards do not carry them. it was apparently a known defect yet they sold it to me. i still owe 110000 on the car and i cant drive nor do i have the cash to fix. with the dealerships gone i can't even take the piece of junk back to them. i found out that most shops do not work on these (3 of the 4 i called) due to the fact that even with a rebuilt one, you are still putting in a transmission that is faulty and they can't guarantee them. since i now need another vehicle, this heap will certainly be repossessed.
Reported in: MECHANICSBURG PA || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. she stated that in june 2009, while driving 45 mph the vehicle lunged forward and began losing power at a low speed. the contact was forced to shut the engine off and allow the vehicle to reset itself. she contacted the dealer and was informed that the vehicle had a faulty transmission and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure re-occured four times within a year and the vehicle had to be taken back to the dealer to be repaired. the failure mileage was 93,000 and current mileage was 104,000.
Reported in: KINGSPORT TN || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D64S
SUSPENSION:REAR
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving approximately 35 mph a loud noise was heard and the rear passenger side tire began to shake. the contact was able to drive the vehicle to his residence. upon examining the rear passenger side tire it was bent. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where both the rear toe links were being replaced because a bolt sheared off. the failure and current mileages were 116,000.
Reported in: NEW BEDFORD MA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63404S
SUSPENSION:REAR
while driving the vehicle, the driver heard a loud "pop" from rear of car. after pulling over the driver saw that the top of the right rear wheel was tipped in. the car was towed to a repair station. it was determined that the right rear lateral link assembly broke. the mounting bolt broke causing the mounting flange to brake off of the frame. this action also caused the frame to bend. it was necessary to replace the frame, links, control arms and shock absorber. total cost to me was $1,900.42. saturn said they were not responsible and would not pay for any expenses. a recall ( campaign #04067001 ) to replace the rear lateral links was performed on this vehicle on 5/21/2005. apparently, this recall work was not effective. the driver was not speeding, did not hit a pot hole or other object. there was no accident involved, and no one was injured. these are not parts that require periodic maintenance or upkeep. the parts on this car failed. the mechanic at the chevrolet dealer that performed the work said that all the bolts in that area were rusted and needed replaced. if this failure would have occurred on an interstate road going at a much faster rate of speed, i can't imagine the consequences. thank you for your help.
Reported in: FREEDOM PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS
while driving the vehicle, the driver heard a loud "pop" from rear of car. after pulling over the driver saw that the top of the right rear wheel was tipped in. the car was towed to a repair station. it was determined that the right rear lateral link assembly broke. the mounting bolt broke causing the mounting flange to brake off of the frame. this action also caused the frame to bend. it was necessary to replace the frame, links, control arms and shock absorber. total cost to me was $1,900.42. saturn said they were not responsible and would not pay for any expenses. a recall ( campaign #04067001 ) to replace the rear lateral links was performed on this vehicle on 5/21/2005. apparently, this recall work was not effective. the driver was not speeding, did not hit a pot hole or other object. there was no accident involved, and no one was injured. these are not parts that require periodic maintenance or upkeep. the parts on this car failed. the mechanic at the chevrolet dealer that performed the work said that all the bolts in that area were rusted and needed replaced. if this failure would have occurred on an interstate road going at a much faster rate of speed, i can't imagine the consequences. thank you for your help.
Reported in: FREEDOM PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
SEAT BELTS
2004 saturn vue, rear seat, middle, seatbelt doesn't stay latched. i was carpooling some kids and it appeared that the seat belt latched, but when we came to a quick stop, the seatbelt was not actually engaged. it was a false latch condition. now there is a recall on saturn outlooks due to similar condition.
Reported in: DENVILLE NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
COMMUNICATIONS:HORN ASSEMBLY
went to use horn to warn another vehicle that they were swaying into my lane and when did so horn kept going off and would not disengage. had to pull off road and was able to pull horn relay in order to get horn to stop before burning it out. due to location of horn switch (inside airbag) the approximate cost for what would appear to be an easy fix could cost upwards of $700. outrageous! now due to high cost vehicle will be without an important safety feature....a horn. recall should be issued.
Reported in: WEST WARWICK RI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D04S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
i own a 2004 saturn vue with 137,000 miles on it, the transmission has went out on it. i was told it would cost between $3,800 and $4,200 and they still could not guarantee to fix it. i notice the numerous complaints on the saturn vue and decided to voice mine also. mainly, because i notice that the 2004 saturn vue is still being sold by dealers when they know of the transmission problems with this vehicle. i am one of the ones that is having to let my vehicle be reposessed due to lack of funds to get the vehicle fixed. i brought my car new and never received any information on a recall. saturn (or dealers selling this vehicle) knowing of this problem should be made to recompense people for their expenses. i am having to depend on friends/family to get around. with all these complaints something should have been done about this by now!
Reported in: BURGAW NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D74S
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
i have a saturn vue 2004, blue. on saturday dec 11, merging onto i-495 east at exit 31, i accelerated sharply and steadily; 'pedal all the way down.' the cruise control was on but not engaged. i'm not sure whether it was tapped or not during the acceleration, but i did not intentionally engage it. regardless, when i removed my foot from the accelerator, i did not experience a relief of acceleration. it is my belief that the pedal stayed loose, relatively. i tried the brake - it slowed the acceleration but did not stop it. i tried the accelerator to loosen it. i applied the brake in a sustained fashion. i was currently going ~80 mph, faster than intended. at this time, i moved onto the shoulder, to the right, shifted into neutral and turned on the blinkers. the engine raced and the tachometer was high. i braked to about 40-50 mph. i noticed the cruise control system was on, and turned it off. the engine stopped racing and i was able to slow a bit more. once i was sure the vehicle was under control, i shifted into drive, deactivated the blinkers, regained speed, merged off the shoulder and continued to my destination. i have had no further problems.
Reported in: SILVER SPRING MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63464S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl*the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle stopped responding to the accelerator pedal. the driver applied pressure to the accelerator pedal but the vehicle would not accelerate further. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised to replace the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 127,000.
Reported in: ORLANDO FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
POWER TRAIN
2004 saturn vue. consumer states failure of transmission *tgw the consumer was driving the vehicle at the time of the failure. however, the vehicle belongs to her aunt. *jb
Reported in: OCEAN NJ || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D84S
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle ahead of him stopped abruptly and the contact crashed into the vehicle. the contacts air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained injuries to the upper body. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance other than advising that the crash would be on record. the vehicle was towed to a collision repair shop. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 91,350.
Reported in: LAWRENCEVILLE GA || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
POWER TRAIN
my vehicle has a shudder / vibration in the front end while speeding up between the speeds of 20-45mph. it occurs multiple times per day. i purchased the vehicle used so i cannot be for sure when it started but it has done it ever since i bought the vehicle.
Reported in: STERLING KS || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
POWER TRAIN
my 2004 saturn vue awd, equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission (engine/transmission supplied to gm by honda) has 44,550 original miles on the odometer when i recently experienced a transmission vibration or shaking motion (judder or shudder) while driving at speeds between 20 and 45 mph. gm has issued customer satisfaction program recall 10285 - v2386 in february 2001 for this exact same problem but it only covers 2005, 2006 and 2007 vues. the recall reprograms the powertrain control module to correct the problem. the exact same engine/transmission is used in the 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 vues yet gm has chosen to ignore 2004 vue owners with the problem. i have written to gm's customer & relationship services but their only reply is "your vin is not covered". someone needs to force gm to acknowledge the 2004 saturn vue with the honda supplied engine/auto transmission has this problem and make them reprogram the 2004 powertrain control module as they have done with the other model years.
Reported in: FREDERICKSBURG VA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63464S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
my 2004 saturn vue is on it's second transmission. after 50,000 miles the transmission went out and i had to get a new one. the mechanics did not see any reason why the transmission would go out. another 50,000 miles my car started making a noise almost like something was dragging on the ground. the mechanic did not see anything wrong and did not see a reason to inspect. about 20,000 miles later the noise got louder and my car would move but was not picking up speed as i press the gas. i had to park my car in a walmart parking lot and wait for a wrecker to come pick it up. the mechanic at the yard where the wrecker came from told me that the transmission went out and they could not see a reason why. my car is not under warranty anymore and i do not have 6000 dollars to get it repaired.
Reported in: VACHERIE LA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
incorrect gas gauge reading. 11 gal. tank is close to empty at the 1/2 mark. has been doing this since the day purchased, but until i saw the news about other gm vehicles last evening, i wasn't aware who to place a complaint with. at the 1/2 mark, takes 7-8 gal. of gas to top off. shocked at first gas purchase after buying car since gauge was reading 1/2 full; adjusted my gas purchases accordingly over the years, always keeping watchful eye on gauge.
Reported in: JACKSON MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23DX4S
SUSPENSION:REAR
we have a 2004 saturn vue, and while driving heard noise, but didn't notice anything right away. when parked, realized that the tires were bowed outward. brought it to a mechanic, and found out the rear suspension was sheared off.
Reported in: XENIA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 1GHDX03E82D
FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the fuel gauge was reading inaccurately. the dealer repaired the failure by replacing the fuel gauge but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 5,000 and the current mileage was 88,000. the vin was unavailable.
Reported in: GARNET VALLEY PA || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION
while driving the vehicle, the driver heard a loud "pop" from rear of car. after pulling over the driver saw that the top of the right rear wheel was tipped in. the car was towed to an authorized saturn repair facility. it was determined that the right rear lateral link assembly broke. the mounting bolt broke causing the mounting flange to brake off of the frame. this action also caused the frame to bend. it was necessary to replace the frame, links, control arms and shock absorber. total cost to me was $1,602.00 saturn said they were not responsible and would not pay for any expenses. the driver was traveling at 30 mph, did not hit a pot hole or other object. there was no accident involved, and no one was injured. these are not parts that require periodic maintenance or upkeep. the parts on this car failed. if this failure would have occurred on an interstate road going at a much faster rate of speed, i can't imagine the consequences. thank you.
Reported in: NEW BERLIN WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
when the car is idling, the ac stops altogether. when the car is in motion, it sometimes works and sometimes does not. when it does work, it does run at full capacity and will sometimes even blow hot air even though the ac is turned on. it is hit or miss when turning the vent settings as it doesn't always redirect the air flow. also, it is hit or miss for the ac to turn off when switched to the off position (hot or cold air may continue to blow).
Reported in: WEST CHESTER PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D64S
SUSPENSION:REAR
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact was driving approximately 5 mph when a loud bang was heard. the vehicle was maneuvered to the shoulder of the road, but the contact could not locate the failure. the contact continued to drive and noticed that the steering wheel was difficult to control. the vehicle was again maneuvered to the shoulder of the road where the contact noticed that the rear passenger wheel was detached from the frame. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure and current mileages were 85,000. updated 09/30/11*lj the consumer stated as his wife was coming to a stop, she heard a noise. she soon discovered the driver side rear lateral strut had come off the frame, due to the bolt head shearing off, which allowed the strut to break away from the frame causing the left rear tire/wheel to sit inward at an angle. the same occurrence happened on july 27, 2005, which was performed under a recall. updated 10/05/11
Reported in: ZANESVILLE OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63474S
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
as i just read, my running lights, one of the safety features leading me to buy the saturn (new in 2003), also have failed. i began to notice that the green light indicator would flicker when i started the vue, and then the light would disappear. realizing that i would likely get charged hundreds of dollars for repair, i'm living with the failure. it would be nice if there was a recall. *kb
Reported in: ADA MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D24S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
timing belt broke and caused vehicle to stall while driving down the road at 45mph, this in turn caused major valve damage to vehicle. poor engineer design/flawed. still paying payments and now owe large repair bill. it was 1,500 mi out of extended warranty i purchased at the dealer. i have only owned the vehicle barely 2 years and it has been in for many misc. repairs including both brake cylinders. *tt
Reported in: N. FORT MYERS FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
erratic occurrence of air conditioning blowing hot or warm sometimes at outside temp range 82-87 f. compressor has been replaced several times as well as recharged with freon. working well today and had it checked by an automotive business several times in addition to original repairs performed by saturn dealership before saturn went out of business. problem has been going on for several years now. this is a saturn vue redline 2004 with this issue. no one has fixed this gm or independent dealers. seems to be related to motor rpm with greater likelihood of malfunctioning at freeway speeds 60-65 mph and more likely to operate correctly when the engine is idling. also, sometimes the engine will not start immediately and acts if it gas flooded or gas starved. engine turns over but does not start. computer has been checked recently and there are no abnormal computer codes. on one occasion, engine ran as though it was two cycling and did not run normal until the ignition was shut off and turned on again.
Reported in: PASADENA CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
at slower speeds when cold the 2004 awd v6 saturn vue vehicle changed rpms (200-300rpm) with a steady pedal and load. the symptoms appeared to get better after driving for 15-20min. my repair shop first thought an eternal valve and then transmission software programming.
Reported in: PINCKNEY MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
POWER TRAIN
at slower speeds when cold the 2004 awd v6 saturn vue vehicle changed rpms (200-300rpm) with a steady pedal and load. the symptoms appeared to get better after driving for 15-20min. my repair shop first thought an eternal valve and then transmission software programming.
Reported in: PINCKNEY MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63434S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
the transmission is faulty, and costs more to repair than the price of the entire vehicle.
Reported in: PORT ORANGE FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
POWER TRAIN
the transmission is faulty, and costs more to repair than the price of the entire vehicle.
Reported in: PORT ORANGE FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D24S
POWER TRAIN
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact was driving 30 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the instrument panel lights illuminated after the failure occurred. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who performed a diagnosed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was located at the transmission, which would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and denied any assistance with repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 142,000.
Reported in: PORT ORANGE FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33DZ4S
SUSPENSION
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle exhibited a loud bang from the rear. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technicians advised that the rear suspension link was fractured and caused the frame rail to fracture as well. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
Reported in: MENASHA WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ534X4S
POWER TRAIN
to start with it started shuttering when it would shift in the lower gears . as time went on it got where it didn't want to shift out of first and second gear . however one morning i was on my way to a doctors appointment ,i stopped filled up with gas and get some coffee and as i returned for my destination i pulled out of the store and was waiting on it to shift and something popped and i had to get off the road because it lost all power .i have since been told that there is no transmissions to be found because there is so many problems with the same vehicle and the same part ! so how many complaints does it take for a recall to be investigated? i'm broke and cant afford to put any more money into a vehicle still paying for and on a fixed income.
Reported in: RUTHERFORDTON NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
POWER TRAIN
started having transmission problems about a month ago. i went online to find that the transmission i have is a known problem for saturn. i called saturn and they informed me that nothing could be done for me. i then called gm and they informed me that they would pay half of the trans cost or give me 5000 for new gm vehicle. that's not an option cause this car is paid off and don't want car payments at this time. my issue is if saturn or gm knows about this problem why aren't they doing anything about it and what do i need to do to get this solved and get a new transmission in my vehicle. my vehicle only has 78*** miles on it i should not have to be worrying about this so soon. thank you for your time and help.
Reported in: WINTER SPRINGS FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D74S
AIR BAGS
upon entering my 2004 saturn vue and closing the driver door, both side curtain airbags deployed. the vehicle was not in motion, had not experienced any impact, and no one else was in the vehicle at the time of the incident.
Reported in: BINGHAMTON NY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated while driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the manufacturer of the transmission was no longer in business. the vehicle manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. the failure and the current mileage was 115,000. updated 07/06/12 *bf the consumer also stated she returned to the dealer several times, to fix the fuel gauge problem. the check engine light illuminated, which turned out to be a faulty 02 sensor. updated 10/02/12
Reported in: EAST WINDSOR CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D14S
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated while driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the manufacturer of the transmission was no longer in business. the vehicle manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. the failure and the current mileage was 115,000. updated 07/06/12 *bf the consumer also stated she returned to the dealer several times, to fix the fuel gauge problem. the check engine light illuminated, which turned out to be a faulty 02 sensor. updated 10/02/12
Reported in: EAST WINDSOR CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D14S
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated while driving 60 mph the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the dealer stated that the transmission would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact stated that the manufacturer of the transmission was no longer in business. the vehicle manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. the failure and the current mileage was 115,000. updated 07/06/12 *bf the consumer also stated she returned to the dealer several times, to fix the fuel gauge problem. the check engine light illuminated, which turned out to be a faulty 02 sensor. updated 10/02/12
Reported in: EAST WINDSOR CT || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D14S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
after driving to work i parked my 2004 saturn vue and reached for the keys to turn off the engine. when i touched the key it fell out of the ignition switch with the engine still running. when i investigated further, i found i was able to insert and remove the key repeatedly and without force while the engine was running and the ignition switch was in the run position. i shot a video of this which is viewable at http://youtu.be/rvemlyqxpp8&feature=youtu.be.
Reported in: RICHMOND IL || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN
check engine light went on and at the same time a visible loss in acceleration was noticed at all times when taken off. also a whining noise was heard coming from the engine compartment idling and when moving. taken in to the dealership, a slipping transmission was diagnosed and it was replaced for another (different number) original gm transmission part number, cooler flushed, tcm calibrated. a charge for $ 5324 was paid for the replacement, no extended warranty was available any longer, although forced to buy when the vehicle was purchased.
Reported in: ROCHESTER HILLS MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D64S
POWER TRAIN
we bought a 2004 saturn vue in2007. in 2010 we started having trouble with the transmission. we were told that there was a class action suit because we had a vti transmission. we paid 50/50 to have the transmission changed. now 40 000 miles later the transmission is gone again. gm knew this was a faulty transmission. the only compensation we were offered is $4,000 toward a new gm car!
Reported in: WESTBROOK ME || Crash: N || VIN #: SGZCZ43D24S
POWER TRAIN
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle would not accelerate and began slipping out of gear. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. the mechanic stated that the transmission was slipping and would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 114,000.
Reported in: GARNET VALLEY PA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63454S
POWER TRAIN
2004 saturn vue. consumer writes in regards to transmission failure. *smd
Reported in: IOWA CITY IA || Crash: N || VIN #:
ENGINE
the transmission for my saturn vue (2004) was replaced in 2010 when my vehicle had 77637 miles. the transmission was replaced in 2010 after receiving a letter from saturn notifying of issue with intelligence (vti) transmission and my vehicle experiencing issues. my now second transmission is having the same problems the first transmission had. the mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle has said that it is not normal for a vehicle to have the same transmission issue and i know my family and friends have not experience this type of issue with their vehicles. this leads me to believe that this is not normal and that the issue with the intelligence (vti) transmission has not been resolved. i am asking for gmc to cover the cost to replace the new defected transmission for my vehicle. i would like for this issue to be escalated. my experience with gmc product and customer services i receive from jay has left me very disappointed and dissatisfied with gmc. i would like to know if there is anyone who can help me fight this issue with gmc.
Reported in: AZUSA CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D04S
POWER TRAIN
the transmission for my saturn vue (2004) was replaced in 2010 when my vehicle had 77637 miles. the transmission was replaced in 2010 after receiving a letter from saturn notifying of issue with intelligence (vti) transmission and my vehicle experiencing issues. my now second transmission is having the same problems the first transmission had. the mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle has said that it is not normal for a vehicle to have the same transmission issue and i know my family and friends have not experience this type of issue with their vehicles. this leads me to believe that this is not normal and that the issue with the intelligence (vti) transmission has not been resolved. i am asking for gmc to cover the cost to replace the new defected transmission for my vehicle. i would like for this issue to be escalated. my experience with gmc product and customer services i receive from jay has left me very disappointed and dissatisfied with gmc. i would like to know if there is anyone who can help me fight this issue with gmc.
Reported in: AZUSA CA || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D04S
POWER TRAIN
transmission totally destroyed as per towing company. as many claimants before this is a well known problem of this year car. i think a class action settlement was reached with general motors.
Reported in: COCOA BEACH FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D44S
POWER TRAIN
my car is having transmission problems again wont kick into drive until car has been running atleast 30 min then when i was driving on the highway about 40 is what i got to the car just stopped accelerating and was coming to a stop which could have caused a big accident if it would have been during high traffic times and when driving in town i come to a full stop and the car wont kick into drive again until i put it in low and move up manually. then it is having a serious problem with the axel or something i was driving at 35 hit a small bump in the road and the car reared off to the right and i had no control of the steering for a few seconds and then it was like it locked back in when i started moving the steering wheel side to side and the t/c light is always on now and i was told there is a switch to turn it on or off and that could have something to do with the steering problem but i have found no such switch. please help me and tell me what i can do about these issues as gm will not do anything they should recall this yrs model completely and pay the owners for a new vehicle since this is there fault.
Reported in: JOPLIN MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL
my car is having transmission problems again wont kick into drive until car has been running atleast 30 min then when i was driving on the highway about 40 is what i got to the car just stopped accelerating and was coming to a stop which could have caused a big accident if it would have been during high traffic times and when driving in town i come to a full stop and the car wont kick into drive again until i put it in low and move up manually. then it is having a serious problem with the axel or something i was driving at 35 hit a small bump in the road and the car reared off to the right and i had no control of the steering for a few seconds and then it was like it locked back in when i started moving the steering wheel side to side and the t/c light is always on now and i was told there is a switch to turn it on or off and that could have something to do with the steering problem but i have found no such switch. please help me and tell me what i can do about these issues as gm will not do anything they should recall this yrs model completely and pay the owners for a new vehicle since this is there fault.
Reported in: JOPLIN MO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
i have a 2004 saturn vue with an ignition switch that allows the key to be removed at any time, in any position, whether the engine is running or not. with the engine running, the key can be removed, creating the potential to not be able to shut off the engine. with the recent recalls and injuries involving other saturn vehicles made at the same time, i believe this situation needs to be investigated...updated 06/09/14 *bf updated 06/10/2014 *js
Reported in: RICHMOND IL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53434S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ignition key lock has been replaced/repaired 5 times. once under warranty. when it fails i can remove the key, while driving, but when i turn off the car, i cannot turn it once the key is inserted again. this makes it impossible to re-start the vehicle. i was sure my car would be on the list of recent recalls, but it is not. can you help us? i have many of the bills to help my case. ..updated 04-16-14 *bf
Reported in: TAMPA FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53464S
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue, the contact stated that the door locks independently engaged and disengaged while traveling at various speeds. the contact also stated that the vehicle erroneously accelerated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 81,654 available. updated 05/28/14*lj the consumer stated the vehicle would lock the door upon removing the key from the ignition. updated 06/03/2014 *js
Reported in: LAS VEGAS NV || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
STRUCTURE:BODY
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue, the contact stated that the door locks independently engaged and disengaged while traveling at various speeds. the contact also stated that the vehicle erroneously accelerated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 81,654 available. updated 05/28/14*lj the consumer stated the vehicle would lock the door upon removing the key from the ignition. updated 06/03/2014 *js
Reported in: LAS VEGAS NV || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D84S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that he was able to remove the key from the ignition while the vehicle was not in park. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.
Reported in: GARDEN CITY MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53494S
STEERING
when driving at various speeds the electric power assist quits making you loose power steering while at the same time the ip gages jump. the steering gets hard to turn which can make you wreck. this is same problem the saturn ions have.
Reported in: GERMANTOWN OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D23S
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was smoke coming from the steering wheel housing without warning. the failure occurred on two occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wiper switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage were 107,353. updated 07/16/14 ma
Reported in: STERLING HEIGHTS MI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53464S
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. while driving various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly decelerate and fail to respond when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the trans axle was defective. the trans axle was repaired, but the defect recurred. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 6,500.
Reported in: VIENNA OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ43D54S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
when removing the ignition key from the ignition switch cylinder, the key gets stuck about half way out, and is very difficult to remove. after pushing, pulling, and manipulating the key it eventually is released. this has happened multiple times and at times it seems like the key may not come out of the ignition.
Reported in: CANTON MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
when removing the ignition key from the ignition switch cylinder, the key gets stuck about half way out, and is very difficult to remove. after pushing, pulling, and manipulating the key it eventually is released. this has happened multiple times and at times it seems like the key may not come out of the ignition.
Reported in: CANTON MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the key would easily move from off to on, skipping the accessory position. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that the vehicle was working as the designed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 52,000. pm updated 8/11/14*cn updated 08/21/2014 *js
Reported in: POLK CITY FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the key would easily move from off to on, skipping the accessory position. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician stated that the vehicle was working as the designed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 52,000. pm updated 8/11/14*cn updated 08/21/2014 *js
Reported in: POLK CITY FL || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
POWER TRAIN
sitting at a stop sign the transmission stopped working.
Reported in: EDEN NC || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D84S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
i have contacted gm several times to be passed on, hoping i will go away. i have had several problems with my saturn a new transmission was installed at 8,500 miles. after the warranty i had to replace the main brain. i called approximately 2 months ago to tell them about the ignition switch. my key will pull right out while the car is running and my air bag light comes on. they want me to pay to see what is going on. i know this model isn't in the recall, but i have spoken to r barkivitoch who's wife has one and a friend of mine his brothers does the same thing. they don't want to admit that there is a problem with the ignition. it also stalls and has that was why they replaced the main brain. i feel like my vehicle is a death trap and i am stuck in it and hoping i don't get killed while driving it. i want an investigation into this make and model. i don't want to become one the statistics because gm won't admit that there is problem like they have with all the other recalled vehicles.
Reported in: SALISBURY MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
AIR BAGS
i have contacted gm several times to be passed on, hoping i will go away. i have had several problems with my saturn a new transmission was installed at 8,500 miles. after the warranty i had to replace the main brain. i called approximately 2 months ago to tell them about the ignition switch. my key will pull right out while the car is running and my air bag light comes on. they want me to pay to see what is going on. i know this model isn't in the recall, but i have spoken to r barkivitoch who's wife has one and a friend of mine his brothers does the same thing. they don't want to admit that there is a problem with the ignition. it also stalls and has that was why they replaced the main brain. i feel like my vehicle is a death trap and i am stuck in it and hoping i don't get killed while driving it. i want an investigation into this make and model. i don't want to become one the statistics because gm won't admit that there is problem like they have with all the other recalled vehicles.
Reported in: SALISBURY MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D64S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
tl* the contact owns a 2005 saturn vue. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the key came out of the ignition switch independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and no repairs were made to the vehicle. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 159,062.
Reported in: BALLINGER TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D95S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
traveling at 65mph the key & key fob fell out of the ignition. i was able to slow down but had lost power steering, power brakes, and the airbags would not have deployed. i was able to get to the shoulder of the road.
Reported in: BOULDER CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
AIR BAGS
traveling at 65mph the key & key fob fell out of the ignition. i was able to slow down but had lost power steering, power brakes, and the airbags would not have deployed. i was able to get to the shoulder of the road.
Reported in: BOULDER CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
STEERING
traveling at 65mph the key & key fob fell out of the ignition. i was able to slow down but had lost power steering, power brakes, and the airbags would not have deployed. i was able to get to the shoulder of the road.
Reported in: BOULDER CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63414S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the key failed to turn. the dealer stated that the ignition lock cylinder fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 34,595.
Reported in: LEXINGTON KY || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53484S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
i tried to restart my engine. although it turned over, it wouldn't start. so i took my car to a certified mechanic, and he concluded that there has been a shortage in the system, which caused a fuse to be blown. he replaced the fuse, and my car still didn't start. after that, he used his diagnostic machine, and saw that i needed a new ignition switch, which is why it didn't start.
Reported in: BEAUMONT TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53494S
POWER TRAIN
vehicle was going thru an intersection and the transmission quit. car would not move.
Reported in: GIRARD OH || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D84S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
vehicle was going thru an intersection and the transmission quit. car would not move.
Reported in: GIRARD OH || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D84S
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. after the key was removed from the ignition, the headlights remained illuminated and smoke appeared near the steering column. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 104,000.
Reported in: ATMORE AL || Crash: N || VIN #:
STEERING:COLUMN
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. after the key was removed from the ignition, the headlights remained illuminated and smoke appeared near the steering column. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 104,000.
Reported in: ATMORE AL || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the key could be removed from the ignition switch while driving. the contact also stated that when the key was removed from the ignition, the power steering and the brakes failed. in addition, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the failure occurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 140,000.
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the key could be removed from the ignition switch while driving. the contact also stated that when the key was removed from the ignition, the power steering and the brakes failed. in addition, the vehicle stalled. the contact stated that the failure occurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 140,000.
Reported in: AURORA CO || Crash: N || VIN #:
POWER TRAIN
1st insident was driving down busy bulivard and the vehicle quit and costed to a stop there was no steering. we had to get a ride home and pay towing. 2nd insident we were driving down a hill in alabama just finished the last curve and the vehicle stopped no steering no ability to get off road and coasted to a stop in a parking lot. we were stranded on out trip to see my grand kids. we had to get a tow to a mercury dealer because this vehicle is no longer made. we had to get a motel and a ride for the rest of the trip as it would take a week to get fixed. gm was ordered by the court to pay 100% for this part and for me it failed twice the second time almost taking our lives. i've tried for over two years now to get some justice! each time i was forced to pay 1/2 the repairs that is 2400.00 each time! let alone getting letters of this recall taking the letters to the dealer and being told in fine. i want at the very least what the court order them to pay and that is 100% of this part that stopped working twice. 4800.00 and if i could get my motel and towing i would be grateful
Reported in: NORTH LITTLE ROCK AR || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
we can remove the key from the ignition switch while the vehicle is running or moving. i did see on 8/8/2014 that our year was involved in a new recall by gm describing the same problem. i contacted our local dealer and they showed no recall and called gm/saturn to question it as well. even after telling the representative from gm that our vehicle had the same trouble that was listed in the recall and fit the model year listed they said that they could only update our information and would contact us if it does become part of the recall. the key does come out just as described in the recall.
Reported in: FOND DU LAC WI || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
i took the vehicle to my auto repair shop because of the recent onset of an unusual rumbling sound when decelerating. after a test drive and inspection the mechanic wrote these comments on the repair invoice. "determined front frame rusted through causing extreme movement of engine cradle and engine assembly. unibody is rusted out. this vehicle is probably totaled and this information should be given to the nhtsa. caution: this vehicle is dangerous to drive and should be taken off the street immediately." both the mechanic and myself feel that this shouldn't have happeded to a ten year old car with less than 86,000 miles that has been prperly maintained. the mechanic also photographed the damage. your prompt attention would be greatly appreciated.
Reported in: BEL AIR MD || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ63474S
AIR BAGS
i had an accident and my air bags did not deploy, i was injured my face nose & neck, also my key comes out of ignition while vehicle is on.
Reported in: EASTPOINTE MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D54S
STEERING
i had an accident and my air bags did not deploy, i was injured my face nose & neck, also my key comes out of ignition while vehicle is on.
Reported in: EASTPOINTE MI || Crash: Y || VIN #: 5GZCZ33D54S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start until repeated attempts were made. the failure occurred multiple times. the dealer stated that the ignition cylinder needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Reported in: COLUMBUS OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53424S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
while driving the vehicle, the turn signals stop operating as well as the brake lights. the ignition needs to be turned off, car rested then will operate normally for a while when turned back on.
Reported in: ENGLEWOOD CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D94S
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
while driving the vehicle, the turn signals stop operating as well as the brake lights. the ignition needs to be turned off, car rested then will operate normally for a while when turned back on.
Reported in: ENGLEWOOD CO || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ23D94S
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
with all the concerns with ignition keys falling out while the engine is running i checked our vechile and found out that our 2004 saturn vue has that problem. i would say at this point it looks like all vue's need to be inspected.
Reported in: HOUSTON TX || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53454S
STEERING
while dricing on the freeway with children in the car, the rear differential broke, making steering extremely difficult. it felt as if we were going to flip, i slowly moved over and luckily we were able to stop before a horrific accident occured. once we stopped we got out to find the passenger rear tire tilted inward and undrivable. after taking it to the shop we found that the rear differential and frame broke as well as the control arms. this seems to be a known problem on these vehicles and is completely unsafe for anyone to be driving a recall needs to be done on this again to ensure the safety of our families.
Reported in: ROYAL OAK MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
SUSPENSION
while dricing on the freeway with children in the car, the rear differential broke, making steering extremely difficult. it felt as if we were going to flip, i slowly moved over and luckily we were able to stop before a horrific accident occured. once we stopped we got out to find the passenger rear tire tilted inward and undrivable. after taking it to the shop we found that the rear differential and frame broke as well as the control arms. this seems to be a known problem on these vehicles and is completely unsafe for anyone to be driving a recall needs to be done on this again to ensure the safety of our families.
Reported in: ROYAL OAK MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
WHEELS
while dricing on the freeway with children in the car, the rear differential broke, making steering extremely difficult. it felt as if we were going to flip, i slowly moved over and luckily we were able to stop before a horrific accident occured. once we stopped we got out to find the passenger rear tire tilted inward and undrivable. after taking it to the shop we found that the rear differential and frame broke as well as the control arms. this seems to be a known problem on these vehicles and is completely unsafe for anyone to be driving a recall needs to be done on this again to ensure the safety of our families.
Reported in: ROYAL OAK MI || Crash: N || VIN #:
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to turn on after key was inserted into the ignition switch. the contact was made aware of recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v490000 (electrical system). however, the vehicle was not included in the recall. the dealer was contacted and advised the contact that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate the failure mileage was 13,000.
Reported in: CINCINNATI OH || Crash: N || VIN #: 5GZCZ53404S