Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 070235001 | 02/01/2007 | 10021338 | Information on servicing vehicles using new ignition start switch housing (ignition lock module) without steering column lock. *kb | 04/04/2007 | |
| 060232002 | 12/01/2006 | 060232002B | 10019478 | Normal operating characteristics of electric power steering (eps) system during extended lock-to-lock (maximum steering wheel rotation) usage. *tt | 03/16/2006 |
| 030234002 | 11/01/2003 | 10004488 | Squeak or squeal noise while turning vehicle. *tt | 12/16/2003 | |
| 030941002 | 05/01/2003 | 10001666 | Noise from upper steering column behind steering wheel. *tt | 06/18/2003 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 040235006 | 04/01/2004 | 10006421 | Rattle noise from steering column. *mr | 05/03/2004 | |
| 020235008A | 11/01/2003 | 02T80 | 10005288 | Fluid dripping on driver's floormat. *ph | 02/18/2004 |
| 02T80 | 11/01/2002 | 10000379 | Fluid dripping on driver's floormat. *tt | 02/25/2003 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 01/14/2013 | 1 | ||
| I notice the beginning of the week when i started my car the air bag light and the service engine light remained on in my vehicle. i called my mechanic immediately and he told me that seemed be be a wiring or mechanical issue with the vehicle. he stated that saturn did have a recall on the vehicle for this issue and i needed to get a hold of someone immediately. that is why i am filing his complaint asking for immediate assistance with the critical issue with my vehicle. please if someone can contact immediately. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2013 | |||
| I notice the beginning of the week when i started my car the air bar light and the service engine light remained on in my vehicle. i called my mechanic immediately and he told me that seemed be be a wiring or mechanical issue with the vehicle. he stated that saturn did have a recall on the vehicle for this issue and i needed to get a hold of someone immediately. that is why i am filing his complaint asking for immediate assistance with the critical issue with my vehicle. please if someone can contact immediately. | |||
| 09/14/2012 | 115293 | 1 | |
| As i was driving my and it car began to pull to the right and the tires began to squeal. in my mind i thought i thought i needed better tires and a wheel alignment. as i was driving to get the tires and alignment i heard a cracking from underneath the car, this really scared me. at this point the pull to the right was even stronger. i arrive to a tire shop and put tires on thinking this would be better but it was the same so i drove across the street to a mechanic to get a wheel alignment and the mechanic came out and went underneath the car when he came back up he stated that your subframe and chasis is cracked all the way through, park it immediately for safety reasons, in his 20 years of experience as a mechanic he only saw his twice the first time was in another car that was recalled and mine that should be on recall with the level of danger, especially because i see you have a baby's car seat in your backseat. he also said even an older car should not have a subframe crack like this, and that the motor can fall out while i'm driving and the wheels will collapse. what am i supposed to do i can't even trade it in and it's worth $5500 and the cost would be fananimal to fix. i can't get to work and even child car this is horrible. please help.this is a defective car and the worst i have ever had. *tr | |||
| 09/14/2012 | 115293 | ||
| As i was driving my and it car began to pull to the right and the tires began to squeel. in my mind i thought i thouight i needed better tires and a wheel alignment. as i was driving to get the tires and alignment i heard a cracking from under neath the car, this really scared me. at this point the pull to the right was even stronger. i arrive to a tire shop and put tires on thinking this would be better but it was the same so i drove across the street to a mechanic to get a wheel alignment and the mechanic came out and went underneath the car when he came back up he stated that yor subframe and chasis is cracked all the way through, park it imediately for safety reasons, in his 20 years of experience as a mechanic he only saw his twice the first time was in another car that was recalled and mine that should be on recall with the level of danger, especially because i see you have a babys car seat in your backseat. he also said even an older car should not have a subframe crack like this, and that the motor can fall out while i'm driving and the wheels will collapse. what am i supposed to do i can't even trade it in and it's worth $5500 and the cost would be fananimal to fix. i can't get to work and even child car this is horrible. please help.this is a defective car and the worst i have ever had. | |||
| 10/14/2010 | |||
| The engine light never goes off, the ignition want turn or crank sometimes, you can smell oil when the car stops | |||
| 07/02/2010 | |||
| I have had to replace wheel bearings, the brakes 2x in 2 years, gone through 2 sets of tires and now i have to replace the electric steering column. | |||
| 03/25/2010 | 172000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. the contact was driving 10 mph on a snow and ice covered road surface when he applied the brakes and the entire instrument panel illuminated. there was a complete loss of the power steering and brakes. the contact engaged the brakes several times before the vehicle stopped. when attempting to exit the front driver side door, the automatic door locks would not release. all of the interior door locks became inoperative. the contact was able to exit the front driver side door by applying excessive force with a hammer to the door lock mechanism. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed him that the failure was related to a computerized system malfunction. the technician attempted to repair the vehicle but to no avail. the failure mileage was 172,000. | |||
| 03/25/2010 | 172000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. the contact was driving approximately 10 mph on a snow and ice covered road surface. when the brakes were engaged the entire warning lights on the instrument panel illuminated, then suddenly there was a complete loss of the power steering and brakes. the contact engaged the brakes several times before the vehicle stopped. when attempting to exit the front driver side door, the automatic door locks would not release open. all of the interior door locks were inoperative. the contact was able to exit the front driver side door by applying excessive force with a hammer to the door lock mechanism. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed that the failure was related to a computerized system malfunction. the technician attempted to repair the vehicle; however, he was unable to correct the problem. the failure mileage was 172,000. js | |||
| 04/15/2010 | 95000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. while driving at approximately 35 mph the gauges on the dashboard stopped functioning and a warning bell sounded in the vehicle. the steering also became very stiff and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed the body control module needs to be replaced because the electric power steering assist failed. the vehicle was not serviced and the failure continues to recur intermittently. the failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 98,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 03/03/2009 | 51050 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. the steering wheel makes a noise when turning the vehicle. the mechanic stated that the steering wheel was malfunctioning. the contact found a recall for this issue for the 2002 models, but not the 2003 vue. she feels that this is a safety hazard and saturn should pay for the repairs because the steering could fail at any moment. the current mileage was 51,358 and failure mileage was 51,050. updated 4/14/09 *cn updated 04/17/09. *jb | |||
| 02/10/2004 | 12000 | 3 | 04/25/2003 |
| Dt: 2003 saturn vue. the front sway bar links and torsion bar have been replaced three times and the problem recurred. the suspension and steering made grinding sounds and the car handled differently. they were replaced on march 8, 2004, march 3 2005, and july 27, 2005. the vehicle has 29,000 miles on it. saturn told the consumer to see the dealership about the problem. *ak the abs activated under normal braking conditions. the wiper switch was replaced due to a short. the steering shaft needed to be lubricated. *jb | |||
| 12/01/2004 | 2 | ||
| Upon acceleration, the vehicle would swerve off of the road. *sc the consumer stated that this problem happened on more than one occasion. the consumer was told that this problem was a flaw in the 2003 model but corrected in the 2004 models. *tc | |||
| 01/19/2005 | 24000 | 05/09/2003 | |
| I was notified aug., 2004 of recall on 2003 saturn vue. called dealer for details and was told the recall was a courtesy, not a safety problem. it was for a significant problem with the rear suspension. heard nothing until jan. 05. i took the car in and pointed out a recurring noise in the rear. i was contacted and told the wheel bearing was worn (only have 24,000 mi. on car). i picked up car the next day - recall work completed, wheel bearing replaced, tires rotated. driving home, i noticed a definite vibration in the steering wheel. took it back, the tech who test drove it with me agreed there was a vibration, similar to a vibrating chair. the service manager told me there was nothing wrong, might be due to increased tire pressure from recall. told me i could let some air out of the tires, but then it wouldn't be safe. i have had numerous problems with this car, most centering on the steering. now i can't drive it without getting carsick! *nm | |||
| 04/15/2003 | 3969 | ||
| 1. recall transaxle 2. same day ---check ingine light would not go out. they fixed it and same day it came on again, they fixed it again 3. same day car is lurching shen coming to a stop. they fixed it. 4. next week the car is not getting any gas when press the excelerator. 5. car had to be towed in becasue it would not start at all.they fixed it. 6. same day after pick up hear knocking sound when turn a corner and then rattle when increase in speed. they said they donot hear anything. | |||
| 12/10/2003 | 1 | ||
| I recently purchased a 2003 saturn vue and discovered that when the vehicle starts off from a full stop it pulls sharply to the right. over the past several weeks i have been trying to get this matter resolved - most recently over the past 10 days (allowing for all the email traffic). the head mechanic at the saturn dealership i purchased the vehicle from did not attempt to fix the problem at all. instead, his comment regarding it was, that is the nature of the beast. today, a (supervisor) of customer relations told me that this was not a design flaw even though she was informed that my problem is in each and every vue being sold. i cannot understand how this vehicle passed inspection standards with this definitive problem. true, it may not (to some) appear to be a major safety risk but to others, it is. as i explained to saturn today, this fault was purposely kept from me for the sole purpose of selling the vehicle. had saturn been up-front in advising me of this fault, i would never have closed the deal and would have either purchased a different model (no other saturn has this pulling problem) or gone to some other auto manufacturer. this problem (to my knowledge) has not resulted in any injuries or failures (to date) but i wish to file this complaint anyway in the hope that something can be done before it leads to serious accidents. the selling practices of saturn in this matter are nothing short of fraud and misrepresentation.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 10000 | 05/09/2003 | |
| May 2003, bought 03 saturn vue. june 2003: pointed out rattle in steering column. told the wrong part had been installed, replacement part ordered/installed. *la 7/03, reported same rattling. technician said it was same problem, but wrote down it was a noise in the dashboard. 9/03, rattle back. 9/28, steering seemed loose, went off the road twice going around curves. 9/29 driving to work, heard a loud rattle, then thunk, then the steering pulled & i hit a parked car. told saturn dealer about accident, asked to check steering. dealer said there was problem with the steering and a part was being ordered. later called, said we hadn't told him car had been in an accident (we had) and they wouldn't touch it until engineer looked at it. dealer refused to honor extended warranty we purchased, providing rental while car was in shop, until engineering team looked at the car. i was also told the rack had to be replaced. saturn called 10/10, 4pm. said engineer would look at car sometime following week. said they had backlog and couldn't get to it sooner. 10/13, call from engineer saying nothing wrong with the steering, saturn not at fault for the accident, would not reimburse for rental or cover deductible. but they would fix the steering under the warranty - the same steering that was not a problem?! i was told that the power steering pump had been replaced at the first visit. then i was told that the steering column had been replaced at the first visit. oct. 17, picked up the vue from the saturn dealer. supposedly, the steering column was replaced. steering wheel is now 20 degrees off center. when steering, there is a feeling of no control & way too much play. turning the wheel produces a loud groaning sound. i would appreciate knowing if others are having these same problems. *la | |||
| 02/01/2003 | 900 | 27 | 08/15/2002 |
| Steering pulls right no or shortly after abrupt start from standstill. jumped a curb from parallel park at dealer service center in st charles with technician in passenger seat observing. | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 09/15/2005 | 20 | 04/16/2003 | |
| I purchased my 2003 awd v6 vue new from the same dealership that i take it to for repairs. since i have owned it, i have reported several times that the vehicle stalls while accelerating. usually around 40 mph. the rpm's rev up (to the red) and the car goes nowhere, like it has suddenly shifted into neutral. this happens while accelerating after a stop. needless to say, i have had several incidents where i was almost rear-ended. i feel the dealership is trying to resolve the problem, but have been unable to get it to repeat. we are now looking at having one of the service tech drive it for a week or two to see if they can get it to occur. it happens to me at least 3-6 times a month, but intermittently. i do not have a vti transmission. i have two other problems with my vue that have been unable to be fixed; the first is the steering/alignment. if i hold the steering wheel straight on, the car goes to the left. the dealership will fix the alignment, and within 2 days it off again. i have to steer to the right to keep the vehicle straight. it has never been involved in a wreck and i can see no reason for the alignment to go off so quickly. secondly, the car makes a loud popping sound when idling if the a/c or heater is on. the dealership says this is normal. it just doesn't seem right. the vents also blow air when the system is off. my vue has 46,001 miles. i stand behind the vehicle and my dealership. i just wish they could figure out what is causing it to rev out the way it does. it is quite alarming when it happens. *nm | |||
| 08/30/2004 | 22000 | 1 | 01/24/2003 |
| Car has numerous noises which dealer says they can't do anything about. the main noise irritant source is the steering column. technician drove car with me and stated that saturn has a electronic/mechanical components that make gear-winding noises and can't be repaired. dealer refused to do anything about it.*ak | |||
| 04/28/2003 | 1 | 04/28/1999 | |
| My complaints are several . all of which have been described in technicakl bulletins. i have had my vehicle back to the dealer no less than 10 times since i ourchased it. now, i live with the issues because i can't afford to lose additional work , the worst problem is the vibration in the drivetrain at idle (when in drive and the vibration driving at 60-65. in addition, the front drivers door squeeks ( i belive its the insulation) my luggage bolts broke, the seat cushion on the drivers side would not stay attached on the front edge, there is a popping noise when the truck is idling, when you close the rear liftgate, the plastic interior seperates from the door, whe it is cold my steering column make noise. | |||
| 01/12/2004 | 12005 | 1 | 02/22/2003 |
| This is the second complaint i have had to file. this car keeps breaking down on me and it is not even one year old! on 1/12/04 i needed to drive to rocky mount, nc then on to roanoke rapids, nc school. after arriving in rocky mount, my car would not go into gear, but started fine. when i attempted to put the car in gear the care stalled and turned off. i then attempted to start my car again and place it into gear one more time. it started and went into gear and seemed to drive fine. i called saturn of greenville and they told me that the battery is likely to be the problem and to not turn my car off for one hour, i then stated that i would continue to drive to roanoke rapids. after arriving at my final destination, my car again stalled and turned off when i placed it into gear. i had to get my car towed and get a rental car which were both huge inconveniences to me. finally, on 1/16/04, i called saturn to find out what was wrong with my car and they said that air was trapped in the transmission line and that during the repair process, damage was done to a drain bolt (stripped). i was then told i could pick my car up on 1/17/04. after getting my car back, it is still making a grinding noise in the steering column when i turn the steering wheel, it makes weird noises constantly, and the rpms are messed up. they rev up when i tap the pedal, but when i need to accelerate, they do nothing. something is seriously wrong with the saturn vue and their transmissions need to be recalled! *la | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 10000 | 05/09/2003 | |
| May 2003, bought 03 saturn vue. june 2003: pointed out rattle in steering column. told the wrong part had been installed, replacement part ordered/installed. *la 7/03, reported same rattling. technician said it was same problem, but wrote down it was a noise in the dashboard. 9/03, rattle back. 9/28, steering seemed loose, went off the road twice going around curves. 9/29 driving to work, heard a loud rattle, then thunk, then the steering pulled & i hit a parked car. told saturn dealer about accident, asked to check steering. dealer said there was problem with the steering and a part was being ordered. later called, said we hadn't told him car had been in an accident (we had) and they wouldn't touch it until engineer looked at it. dealer refused to honor extended warranty we purchased, providing rental while car was in shop, until engineering team looked at the car. i was also told the rack had to be replaced. saturn called 10/10, 4pm. said engineer would look at car sometime following week. said they had backlog and couldn't get to it sooner. 10/13, call from engineer saying nothing wrong with the steering, saturn not at fault for the accident, would not reimburse for rental or cover deductible. but they would fix the steering under the warranty - the same steering that was not a problem?! i was told that the power steering pump had been replaced at the first visit. then i was told that the steering column had been replaced at the first visit. oct. 17, picked up the vue from the saturn dealer. supposedly, the steering column was replaced. steering wheel is now 20 degrees off center. when steering, there is a feeling of no control & way too much play. turning the wheel produces a loud groaning sound. i would appreciate knowing if others are having these same problems. *la | |||
| 03/28/2003 | 1 | 11/28/2002 | |
| I purchased a 2003 vue on 12/02 there was a recall in 03/03 the problem was fixed, but lead to other problems. (1) the check engine light would not go out took it in 2 times. (2) the car was lurching when coming to a stop. (3) the car did not get enough gas when taking off. (4) there is a knocking sound when i turn a corner. (5) the car had to be towed in just 1 day after picking it up for other problems because it would not start. *jb | |||
| 07/02/2002 | 10686 | 1 | 07/03/2002 |
| While driving steering wheel lost complete control, causing vehicle to keep in the same direction. dealer notified. please provide additional information. ts. *ak | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 12/21/2004 | 48819 | 1 | 03/14/2003 |
| After 45 minutes of driving the instrument panel would operate intermittently and power steering failed. failure of the body control module (bcm) at 48,000 miles. lost the power steering, instruments panel, and security features. replaced the body control module. *jb | |||
| 04/16/2004 | 1800 | 5 | 10/31/2003 |
| I have had my 2003 vue for about 1 1/2 years. in that time i have had an unexplainable rattle in the head liner, design flaw in the sunroof/moonroof, gas guage sensor replaced, thermostat replaced, slipping transmission, flame outs when trying to start the engine resulting in flooding, jumping to the right at acceleration from a stop, heat blowing out of the vents during the summer when the fan is shut off and temp is on cold, and this week a dazzling display of indicator lights and guages and dash lights randomly turning on and off with the eventual loss of power steering. and i thought my transmission issues with my tahoe were bad? we purchased the vue for our daughter to drive when she turns 16. i feel that this car will not be safe for her to drive. i am very concerned with stories i am hearing about the airbags failing, abs failing, steering failing. this could be fatal for an inexperienced driver.*ak | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 05/28/2007 | 27000 | 1 | 08/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. while driving 35 mph, the power steering failed and the check engine light illuminated. the vehicle can be driven, but has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the contact stated the gauges did not function properly. the purchase date and correct vin were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 27,000. updated 02/01/08. *lj the consumer stated a/c, horn, windshield wipers, internal lights, and odometer all were inoperable. the consumer stated austin saturn tried to tighten the fuse block bolts, but it was actually worse afterwards. they replaced the bcm for half price. updated 02/01/08 *tr | |||
| 12/21/2004 | 16500 | 1 | |
| While driving vehicle ran off the road. consumer did not hit anything, and nothing hit the vehicle. upon trying to steer the vehicle back onto the road the left rear wheel fell off. *ak the consumer stated that both rear wheels fell off. *tc | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 3952 | 1 | 06/12/2003 |
| When pulling out from a stop steering wheel pulled to the right. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer determined there was too much tire pressure. after releasing some tire pressure the problem recurred. *ak *mr | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES | |||
| 09/19/2003 | 10000 | 7 | 10/19/2002 |
| My 2003 fwd saturn vue has had constant front-end, steering, and braking issues that could result in a crash. the vue has 34,000 miles on it. since 10,000 miles, it has been in the shop nearly every month for loose front end suspension parts, loose steering parts, loose brake parts, etc. the dealership claims they cannot duplicate the problems. once they are duplicated for them, they claim to replace parts and that the issues are resolved, although there is little or no change in symptoms. the vehicle does not feel safe when driving it, and the current problems may result in a crash.*ak | |||
| 09/30/2003 | 3 | 06/14/2003 | |
| Vehicle was purchased in june 2003. at the dealer the stabilizer links have been replaced 3 times because of severe binding (2 times in august 2003 and 1 time in september, 2003). the factory was notified by the dealer and the factory advised that no fix or replacement link is available. the factory also advised that it is a know problem of a defective part and other vues are experiencing the problem. when the binding of the stabilizer link occurs it causes a grinding and clunking noice while turning. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ROD - RELAY - CONNECTING | |||
| 03/21/2004 | 1 | ||
| While the hood rod was holding the hood up, a strong wind blew the hood away from the rod. the hood came down and cause the hood to hit the drivers finger and daughters neck. the cause has not been determined. please provide further details. | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 09/20/2005 | 10 | 05/30/2003 | |
| I have problems with the following in my 2003 v4 manual saturn: cd player stopped working, my sunroof fell apart. i have had all four tie rod ends replaced at individual service dates, my rotors were ground last nov and now they been replaced. my tires needed to be replaced last year after about a year of ownership. *jb | |||