Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 050730003 | 02/01/2005 | 10017446 | Intermittent hesitation during vehicle launch. *tt | 11/08/2005 | |
| 3251 | 10017133 | Transaxle slips, no third gear, engine flare during shift after transaxle service. *sc | 10/25/2005 | ||
| 3400 | 10013535 | Vibration from 30 mph or faster felt in the drivers seat or floorboard area. *tt | 04/21/2005 | ||
| 3035 | 01/01/2004 | 10009650 | No forward or reverse gears or line pressure after a valve body replacement on a vt25e transaxle. *tt | 10/14/2004 | |
| 3034 | 01/01/2004 | 10009583 | No reverse after case cover assembly replaced. *tt | 10/07/2004 | |
| 040730036 | 09/01/2004 | 10009534 | Revised vt25e (vti) spacer plate available. *tt | 10/06/2004 | |
| 040417002 | 08/01/2004 | 10009417 | Vibration felt in seatback or armrest at vehicle speeds between 48 to 89 km/h (30 to 55 mph). *tt | 09/29/2004 | |
| 040730024A | 11/01/2005 | 040730024B | 10008481 | No movement in drive or reverse with or without diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p1758, p1758, p1882, p0841, p0741, p0742. *mj this bulletin replaced previous 04-07-30-024. *tt | 08/02/2004 |
| 040730011 | 04/01/2004 | 040730011A | 10005977 | Anaerobic sealant application requirements for vt25e transaxle. service manual update. *tt *mj | 04/05/2004 |
| 030730055 | 11/01/2003 | 10004610 | Service information regarding 2002 and 2003 model year vt25e transaxle replacement with 2004 model year vt25e transaxle. *tt | 12/24/2003 | |
| 030730034 | 08/01/2003 | 10004403 | Revision to second coast clutch disassemble/assemble procedure. *tt | 12/05/2003 | |
| 010418001C | 06/01/2005 | 010418001D | 10004281 | Driveline characteristics for all-wheel drive (awd) and four-wheel drive (4wd) systems. *tt updated *eh | 12/01/2003 |
| 020729004A | 08/01/2003 | 02T45 | 10003062 | Idle vibration at idle and/or clunk at start-up. *tt | 10/07/2003 |
| 030730026 | 06/01/2003 | 10002883 | Service manual update - revised torque specification for vt23e (vti) transaxle variable driven pulley bearing retainer bolts. *tt | 09/30/2003 | |
| 030729003 | 04/01/2003 | 10002186 | Vibration with the transmission in park when parked on an incline. *tt | 08/15/2003 | |
| 030730022 | 06/01/2003 | 10002123 | Service manual update on transaxle oil cooler flushing procedure for vti transaxles. *tt | 08/13/2003 | |
| 030730010 | 04/01/2003 | 10001672 | Vt25e (vti) transaxle off-vehicle repair authorization. *tt | 06/18/2003 | |
| 03T06 | 02/01/2003 | 10001126 | Transaxle shifter cable whine noise. *tt | 04/15/2003 | |
| 02T66 | 10/01/2002 | 10000201 | Hiss / chirp noise in park or neutral. *tt | 02/14/2003 | |
| 02T63 | 09/01/2002 | 10000138 | Powertrain vibration at idle with the air conditioner on and transmission in reverse or drive. *tt | 02/13/2003 | |
| 02T63 | 09/01/2002 | 635737 | Subject regarding powertrain vibration at idle with the air conditioner on and transmission in reverse or drive. *tt | 10/30/2002 | |
| 02T09 | 02/01/2002 | 631940 | Subject regarding service manual update for transaxel service manuals. *slc | 06/25/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| SB-09280A | 12/01/2009 | 10032327 | Saturn: new special reimbursement policy for vehicles equipped with variable transmission with intelligence (vti) transmission-50 percent of transmission repair cost will be paid by gm or customer may elect the option of $5,000 customer cr | 03/05/2010 | |
| 060730001 | 01/01/2006 | 10019511 | Transmission fluid leak from right hand axle seal area. *tt | 03/20/2006 | |
| 3633 | 10018547 | Remanufactured vt25e transmission quality issues. inoperative, noise, slip, low pressure or leak related concern. *tt | 01/05/2006 | ||
| 050730004 | 03/01/2005 | 10015024 | Intermittent no movement in drive or reverse with or without diagnostic trouble codes. *eh | 05/13/2005 | |
| 030730052A | 09/01/2004 | 030730052B | 10005541 | Engine flare during 2-3 shift, most noticeable during light to moderate acceleration. the condition may be caused by aeration of transaxle fluid, resulting in a delayed apply of 3rd clutch. corporate bulletin number 03-07-30-052 *m | 03/02/2004 |
| 030730023A | 12/01/2004 | 030730023B | 10005283 | Vehicle does not shift or move after running for a period of time and/or check engine light is on and dtc p0741 is set. *ph *sc | 02/18/2004 |
| 030730041 | 09/01/2003 | 10004351 | Service manual update for vt25e (vti) transmission front differential carrier thrust washer. *tt | 12/03/2003 | |
| 030730018 | 05/01/2003 | 10001669 | Enhanced automatic transaxle fluid fill procedure and plug location/ identification. *tt | 06/18/2003 | |
| 030730013 | 05/01/2003 | 10001546 | Service manual update for vt25e (vti) transmission fluid pump pressure relief valve. *tt | 06/06/2003 | |
| 02T89 | 12/01/2002 | 10000791 | 2002 model year vt25e transaxle replacement with 2003 model year vt25e transaxle. *tt | 03/31/2003 | |
| 02T66A | 11/01/2002 | 02T66 | 10000375 | Hiss / chirp noise in park or neutral. *tt | 02/25/2003 |
| 02T81 | 11/01/2002 | 10000380 | Harsh garage shift, shift delay and / or double bump. *tt | 02/25/2003 | |
| 02T89 | 12/01/2002 | 10000025 | 2002 model year vt25e transaxle replacement with 2003 model year vt25e transaxle. *tt | 02/10/2003 | |
| 02T30 | 05/01/2002 | 631319 | Information pertaining to on-board diagnostic software upgrade.*jb | 05/22/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 02T30A | 05/01/2002 | 02T30 | 633420 | Subject regarding on board diagnostic (obd) software upgrade - unable to communicate with electronic control module using generic (non tech 2) scan tool (install new tcm calibration). *jg | 09/23/2002 |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 04020 | 03/01/2004 | 10006485 | Special policy adjustment - extended transmission warranty coverage for the variable transmission with intelligence (vti) transmission. *mr | 05/04/2004 | |
| 040420001 | 02/01/2004 | 10006222 | Drone noise between 50-75 mph (80-120 km/h). *mr | 04/26/2004 | |
| 030730048 | 10/01/2003 | 10003944 | Service information regarding transaxle poor performance after case cover replacement, diagnostic trouble code p1882 set. *tt | 11/07/2003 | |
| 02T32 | 05/01/2002 | 633430 | Subject regarding service information on transaxle assembly replacement program. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| 02T32A | 08/01/2002 | 02T32 | 633428 | Subject regarding service information on transaxle assembly replacement program. *jg | 09/23/2002 |
| 02T53 | 07/01/2002 | 633506 | Subject regarding clunk noise while driving vehicle in reverse. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| 02T52 | 07/01/2002 | 633529 | Subject regarding clunk pop or click noise when transitioning between acceleration and decelration (torque both front axle nuts) *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| 02T45 | 06/01/2002 | 633484 | Subject regarding idle vibration at idle and/or clunk at start up. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
| 02T32 | 05/01/2002 | 632283 | Service information on vt25-e transaxle assembly replacement program. *tt | 07/12/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||||
| 040420002 | 04/01/2004 | 10006600 | Service manual update for rtv sealant usage on the rear drive module. *tt | 05/06/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 030729007 | 10/01/2003 | 10003994 | Service information regarding design change to the manual transmission shift control housing and the manual transmission select and shift lever cables. *tt | 11/10/2003 | |
| 030729001 | 03/01/2003 | 10001200 | Shudder/vibration in reverse. *tt | 04/22/2003 | |
| 02T69 | 10/01/2002 | 10000199 | Grinding / rattle type noise coming from transaxle. *tt | 02/14/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 09/09/2012 | 12000 | 1 | |
| When operating at any speed the vehicle will shut down and steering braking and all control is lost' this constantly happens. *tr | |||
| 09/09/2012 | 12000 | ||
| When operating at any speed the vehicle wiil shut down and steering braking and all control is lost' this constantly happens. | |||
| 01/27/2011 | 111955 | ||
| I was refered to cottman transmissions,when i learned about my particular make,model,&year vehicle was included in a recall on 2002 to 2005 vue and 2003 to 2004 ions vti transmissions were defected,i nevered recieved any notices to inform me of this problem.i am a stay at home mother,two kids with after school activites and now no car,cause my transmission is ruined and extremely expensive to work on.though gm filed a class action lawsuit/settlement for the saturn owners,all i want /need is my vehicle back,my husband has his and hours at work is late in the evening when important places like dmv,post offices,and my kids doctors offfices.i had my saturn for 6 years and never once did i have a problem this serious,to where i have to sell it or junk it,cause of the expense of getting it rebuilt,or if i would be lucky enough to find a mechanic to do the job.i am so furious with gm and saturn,they didn't contact me,i don't want much,just to have my vehicle and my freedom to drive.i don't want them to replace it just give me what it's worth,so i can purchase another one. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 25000 | ||
| Purchased a brand new 2002 saturn vue 6 cylindars 3.0 engine. had to replaced every electronic component in this vehicle. computer, accelerator sensor, transmission and transmission control module. the service engine lights is constanly on. therefore, i took the truck to the dealer. they tell me i need a new throttle body and a brand new harness since the new throttle body will not work with the existing wires. they want $3,000.00 for this. withing the warranty period i made the dearlership aware of transmission problems. they reply that this suv was operating normal. i replaced the transmission after the warranty had expired. now the transmission conrol module is defecctive. the dearler wants $860 for the part plus programming charges. | |||
| 10/05/2009 | 118661 | 1 | |
| I purchased a 2002 saturn vue 4wheel drive in february 28,2009. this vue went from 55 miles an hour to 1mile on the highway. i thought for sure i was dead. the low power light comes on after taking it to the dealer, $255.00 dollars later they thought it would not do this again. then monday, it happened again in downtown traffic. i pulled out and nothing it wont go i coasted to the side of the road and wasn't killed. this is so dangerous. holy cow! for the second time i was almost dead. the motor sounds like it can't figure which gear to go into? i can feel the transmission trying to go and the motor increases in sound but doesn't seem to go into gear. what the heck! called the dealership they said it needs a :throttle body replaces it will be at least $1000.00. he said 800.00 for part 200 to put it on. what the heck? i almost died. this is a huge issue. i have listened to car talk and it is know to these folks. what can be done? is it really 800.00 for a replacement throttle body? could there be an sight where we could see this is correct price? could i replace the part? or will it need to be on a rack because i can not get to it. my father john b pharr retired fro general motors in georgia and taught me about cars. but he passed away. i need his help, but as a over 30 year employee i hope that someone will consider this and honor his dedication to general motors . i am grateful because they provided us health insurance growing up. i will be grateful for any help possible or discount. i will have park it and ride the bus for now because i have been recovering from a medical leave of 60 day from my employer hennepin county in minnesota. i am now earning my income again. my income is limited due to the time off for short term disability. i have returned to work but am repaying late payments because of the medical leave. i hope you will be able to help in any way. *tr | |||
| 12/27/2002 | 1 | ||
| The consumer insisted the 2002 saturn vue was a potential death trap for anyone with significant driving requirements. according to vue owner's manual all-wheel drive (awd) system has the following fatal flaw. if vehicle is exposed to extended heavy usage, the awd system will shut off to protect the system from over heating. when the system cools, the awd system will activate itself again automatically. cool down period can take up to 20 minutes depending on outside temperature and vehicle use. consumer presented the following arguments to saturn, and they refused to do anything about them. *ak *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 11/03/2010 | 76000 | ||
| I was driving home from night classes one night and my car would start to shake at the stop light (while idling) when i proceeded to go the car would not go into gear and would putt through the intersections. as i was driving home i got stuck in the middle of an intersection with oncoming traffic. this got worse as i drove and i prayed all the way home that i would not encounter another red light. when i got home i remembered that saturn had sent me a letter stating that this letter is intended to make you aware that some 2002 model year saturn vue vehicles, equipped with a vti, may exhibit excessive noise or reduced performance. so they are aware that their transmissions are faulty. if you google 2002 saturn vue transmissions you will find a multitude of other customer complaints about the same issue. if this had of happened a day earlier my children and i could have been impacted and died due to the faulty transmission. i still owe 7000.00 on this car and it will cost almost that much to replace. if saturn or gm knows about this problem they should be willing to fix it, unfortunately they are not. | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 25000 | ||
| Purchased a brand new 2002 saturn vue 6 cylindars 3.0 engine. had to replaced every electronic component in this vehicle. computer, accelerator sensor, transmission and transmission control module. the service engine lights is constanly on. therefore, i took the truck to the dealer. they tell me i need a new throttle body and a brand new harness since the new throttle body will not work with the existing wires. they want $3,000.00 for this. withing the warranty period i made the dearlership aware of transmission problems. they reply that this suv was operating normal. i replaced the transmission after the warranty had expired. now the transmission conrol module is defecctive. the dearler wants $860 for the part plus programming charges. | |||
| 05/06/2010 | 108500 | ||
| I'm the original owner of a 2002 saturn vue awd with the gm vti transmission and engine. two days ago i experienced my transmission/engine failing for the fifth or sixth time since 2006. the very first time i took my vue to the dealership in austin, tx where i had to argue with first my service rep. followed by his manager that the problem was with the transmission. since the faulty gm design was still relatively new, they originally blamed me for poor driving, resulting a bad bcm which they made me pay in spite of my argument the faulty gm design was the origin of the problem. first time it cost me $1500 to repair my car that had less than 60,000 miles on it. this however was quite an ordeal since my vehicle actually lost power on three or four different occasions. i would immediately go to the dealership for assistance with what i knew was the transmission. after bugging them almost everyday with the same problem they finally admitted gms transmission problems and replaced my transmission on the third visit. the second transmission lasted approximately a year. in 2007 i had relocated within the state and was experiencing similar problems and reluctantly called my local saturn dealership. here we go again another $500 for odds and ends and this time it was supposedly the ecm and of course it did not fix the problem! the transmission was finally replaced on my third trip! however they did not pay for my loaner car though i requested one. brings us to 2009, when the above mentioned dealer had gone out of business and i of course had transmission problems! luckily i found a dealership near and had my car towed to them. they confirmed by that afternoon that the transmission was bad! they replaced the transmission, and closed for business within three days. no loaner car again. here i sit again with the transmission dangerously going out, and dreading the thought of the saturn dealership fiascoes. at what point will gm take these dangerous 2002-2005 cars off the road? | |||
| 01/17/2010 | 94000 | 1 | |
| 2002 saturn vue awd and the transmission died. we were on top of a hill and luckily were able to force it up before it completely failed. there were no special circumstances as we were at a stop light when it appear to fail. when contacting saturn we were notified that it is not a recall although it was admitted to be a manufacture issue. due to an additional manufacture defect with reading the mileage they will not cover the cost to replace the transmission. *tr | |||
| 07/17/2009 | 55292 | ||
| 2002 saturn vue transmission problems on highway. the car made a loud sound and the speed dropped down quickly to 5 miles/hr. over the past 4 weeks i had to replace the alternator and pulley belts because they stopped working as well. *tr | |||
| 07/08/2006 | 56300 | 1 | 10/23/2005 |
| I have a failed transmission, on a 2002 saturn vue with 56k miles on it. i brought it in three months after i bought because the transmission was slipping they claimed they changed the fluid, did a tune up etc., but the ride really didn't change. well the transmission finally went out, and they're ordering parts to fix the transmission instead of replacing it. in fact they don't make the transmission anymore (which is understandable, who would continue to make something that doesn't work) but now if mine goes out i have to either have parts replaced, or get one out of a wrecked one. *nm | |||
| 04/28/2003 | 9750 | 1 | 01/05/2002 |
| While trying to stop by applying the brakes when approaching an intersection, the accelerator would not disengage and caused the vehicle to be unstoppable in that short distance. the transmission on this vehicle has had several problems of this type and has been reported on the internet and by other owners. the result was a collision that totaled the saturn and another driver's volvo. *nlm | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||
| 12/25/2002 | 8871 | 07/22/2002 | |
| In july i bought a 2002 saturn vue. over christmas holidays i noticed it was leaking transimission fluid from a connection in front of the vehicle. i was amazed to find these lines totally unprotected and vulnerable to road hazard damage. due to their proximity to the exhaust i'm concerned with a rupture and fire. i have pictures available to show the location of these lines but am unable to attach them to this type of file. this is an accident waiting to happen! | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY - AXLE SHAFT - SEAL | |||
| 01/12/2008 | 1 | ||
| Leaking right axle seal. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 07/04/2005 | 1 | 06/01/2002 | |
| Dt: contact states the clutch became disabled while driving approximately 75 mph on the interstate. vehicle was towed to a service dealer, and mechanic determined that clutch cable snapped or there was problem within the hydraulics. the vin was not available because the vehicle was in another state. *ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 09/20/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Sudden, massive transmission fluid leak came into contact with hot exhaust manifold. while trying to get it off of the road after a stop, clutch failed. managed to drive to a safer location about 1/4 mile away. so much smoke was pouring out from under the hood that i was afraid to open it. retreated to a safe distance and called a tow truck. *tr | |||
| 11/22/2002 | 2 | 05/01/2002 | |
| I had my 2002 saturn vue parked in a neighbor's driveway. twenty to thirty minutes later, my car popped out of gear, backed up, turned, and rolled off an embankment, landing in between trees and onto shoulders. when i called the week before the acccident, i explained to the service department i had been experiencing problems getting my car into gear. i asked them to check that out and i also scheduled an oil change at that time. while servicing the vehichle, they told me that the gear problems had been a fluke of the vue. prior to that, i had no gear problems other than a noise when i shifted that i reported to the dealer in september. the dealer told me that the front axle nuts were not torqued properly. they were retorqued per bulletin 02t52. the house that my car had been parked at has a sensor in the driveway, so i know the car took at least 20-30 minutes before it popped out of gear. i reported the porblem on the morning after my accident and was told by the dealer to call the customer service center to report the problem, i have recommended that someone from the saturn corporation come to look at my vehicle, and the scene of the accident. i believe that there is a problem with my transmission/ and perhaps the transmissions of other saturn vue's. dt | |||
| 1 | |||
| When coming to stops, the vehicle would surge as if being hit from behind. after the initial surge the vehicle acts like it is going to stall, stop or cut off. the problem has been looked at on several occasions. consumer doesn't feel this vehicle is safe to operate, consumer belives this is transmission releated ,however the dealer is stating it is a computer chip that is causing the problem.*jg | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION - COLUMN SHIFT ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/14/2002 | 10000 | 3 | |
| When shifted from reverse to first gear, the shifter had broken. ts there had been a chatter in the shifter when the clutch was released, also when the gas was applied, sometimes causing a surge in the first gear. the dealer stated the shift cable and adjuster had broken. scc | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 01/30/2002 | 30 | 1 | 01/30/2002 |
| The transmision down shift very hard in stop and go driving condition. i have taken the car many times to saturn. however, they insist that this automatic transmision is designed properly. my car downshift so hard i do not let my wife drive.*ak has anybody else complaint about it? | |||