2002 Saturn Vue

THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE IN 54,438 MILES OF: TIMING CHAIN 'SLIPPED' DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. IN BOTH INSTANCES, THE ENGINE STALLED WHILE DRIVING (AT LOW SPEED), THEN RESTARTED WITH REDUCED POWER/PERFORMANCE ALONG WITH THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THIS TIME, THE ENGINE WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND MUST BE REPLACED. SATURN BLAMES ME FOR NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE EVERY 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE REQUIREMENT. (AND IS SATISFIED TO LOOK NO FURTHER FOR ANY OTHER CAUSES.) I HAVE SEEN THE INVESTIGATIVE REPORT (PE06-006), ON THIS SITE, OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO FREQUENT TIMING CHAIN FAILURES IN L-SERIES MODELS (HAVING THE SAME ENGINE AS THIS VEHICLE). THE REPORT REFERENCES LACK OF OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN OPERATING AT LOW RPM. (THIS IS THE TYPE OF DRIVING I DO.) THE REPORT ALSO REFERENCES GM TSB 03-06-01-017 STATING "ALL TIMING CHAIN SERVICE KITS NOW AVAILABLE WILL INCLUDE AN OILER NOZZLE, A NEW DESIGN THAT WILL INCREASE OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN UNDER LOW RPM OPERATING CONDITIONS". THE DEALER DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE EXISTENCE OF THE IMPROVED DESIGN FOR THE VUE ENGINE. THE FIRST FAILURE INSTANCE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AT 24,663 MILES. THE CURRENT INSTANCE OCCURRED AT 54,438 MI. , AND IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY. SATURN IS OFFERING TO TAKE 50% COST OF AN ENGINE REPLACEMENT. *JB

INCIDENT = SECOND INSTANCE IN 54,438 MILES OF: TIMING CHAIN 'SLIPPED' DUE TO LACK OF LUBRICATION. THIS IS ON MY 2002 SATURN VUE, 4 CYL. ENGINE - FRONT WHEEL DRIVE. SATURN BLAMES ME FOR NOT KEEPING UP WITH THE EVERY 3000 MILE OIL CHANGE REQUIREMENT. (AND IS SATISFIED TO LOOK NO FURTHER FOR OTHER CAUSES.) I HAVE SEEN A REPORT, ON THIS SITE, OF AN INVESTIGATION INTO FREQUENT TIMING CHAIN FAILURES IN L-SERIES MODELS (HAVING THE SAME ENGINE). THE REPORT REFERENCES LACK OF OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN WHEN OPERATING AT LOW RPM. (THIS IS THE TYPE OF DRIVING I DO.) THE REPORT ALSO REFERENCES "ALL TIMING CHAIN SERVICE KITS NOW AVAILABLE WILL INCLUDE AN OILER NOZZEL, A NEW DESIGN THAT WILL INCREASE OIL FLOW TO THE TIMING CHAIN UNDER LOW RPM OPERATING CONDITIONS". THE FIRST INSTANCE WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTEE AT 24,663 MILES. THE CURRENT INSTANCE OCCURRED AT 54,438 MI. , AND IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTEE. DAMAGE RESULTING = ENGINE DAMAGE FOR THE SECOND INSTANCE IS "BEYOND REPAIR", AND I AM TOLD THE ENGINE MUST BE REPLACED. EVEN THOUGH THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARANTEE, SATURN OFFERS TO PAY 50% OF THE COST OF A REBUILT ENGINE REPLACEMENT. BUT, I CANNOT AFFORD EVEN 50% AT THIS TIME. I HAVE OPENNED A CASE WITH SATURN TO GET MORE SUPPORT. THE CASE IS CURRENTLY AWAITING ACTION BY THE DISTRICT MANAGER WHO IS ON VACATION UNTIL THE FIRTST OF THE YEAR. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, OUR 2002 VUE MADE A GRINDING NOISE AND THEN BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. AS WE WERE PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THEN WOULD NOT RE-START. THE SATURN DEALERSHIP TOWED THE VUE TO THEIR LOT AND INFORMED US , THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD SKIPPED AND BLEW THE MOTOR. THE TIMING CHAIN WAS SUPPOSED TO BE NO MAINTENANCE AND DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO BE CHECKED UNTIL 100,000 MILES. MY VUE HAD 65,000 MILES. AFTER 3 WEEKS WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD REBUILD THE ENGINE AT A COST OF $3500- $3800 AND SATURN WOULD PAY HALF OF THAT COST. SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR, THE VEHICLE WAS STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL IT COOLED OFF. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED A SENSOR FOR THE CAM SHAFT. THE SWITCH FOR THE BACK WIPER HAS BEEN REPLACED AND WE WERE TOLD BY SATURN TECH'S THAT THE MOTOR FOR THE BACK WIPER ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AGAIN AT OUR COST. *JB

WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 SATURN VUE TO WORK, THE REDUCED POWER AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY, AND I HAD NO POWER. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE A STATE TROOPER SAT BEHIND ME WITH HIS LIGHTS ON SO THAT I WOULD NOT BE REAR-ENDED. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR STATION WHERE IT COULD NOT BE FIXED, SO IT WAS TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALER. IT WAS REPORTED TO ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND SINCE THE ENGINE WAS A "ZERO TOLERANCE" ENGINE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE HAS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $2000. I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT DO NOT HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPTS FOR OIL CHANGES SO THEY WILL NOT HONOR THE WARRANTY (FOR WHICH I PAID $1700). HERITAGE (THE COMPANY WHICH I BOUGHT THE WARRANTY FROM WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR AT SATURN) SAYS THAT IF I PAY $435 TO HAVE THE ENGINE TORN DOWN, THEY WILL SEND AN AUDITOR TO DETERMINE IF THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIRS OR NOT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE ENGINE THAT THEY WILL PUT IN HAS 28,000 MILES ON IT AND THE TIMING CHAIN MAY BREAK ON THIS ENGINE AS WELL. *NM

THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD THIS TROUBLE SINCE ITS PUCHASE. AFTER THE FIRST BREAK DOWN, SATURN RETURNED IT TO US STATING THAT IT WAS A LOOSE BATTERY TERMINAL. THE SECOND TIME SATURN STATED THAT THEY REPLACED TWO OF THE THREE ON BOARD COMPUTERS, THEY ALSO STATED THAT A FULL DIAGNOSTIC AND REPAIR RECORD WOULD BE FOWARDED TO US. THAT NEVER CAME. YESTEDAY 7/6/03 THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. I COULD NOT GET IT STARTED AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. I WILL NOT PUT MY FAMILY BACK IN THIS CAR AGAIN, I DON'T TRUST SATURN, THE COMPANY OR THE VEHICLE WITH MY FAMILIES LIVES.

I OWN A 2002 SATURN VUE AND BEFORE I HAD IT 1 MONTH A SQEAL WAS HEARD. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH FUEL PUMPS. A FEW MONTHS AGO THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WAS A FULE EVAP ISSUE. IT CAME ON AGAIN 2 WEEKS AGO AND THIS TIME THE FUEL EVAP CANISTER WAS REPLACED. I AM CONCERNED WITH SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE FUEL ISSUES. ALSO IN MID DECEMBER THE CLUTCH RETURN SPRING SNAPPED IN HALF. THE AIR CONDITIONING LINES LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS CAR IS A LEMON!*AK