2004 Saturn Vue

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.

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

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

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

DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLES 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 VEHICLES 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. DRIVERS 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 DRIVERS 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.

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

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

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

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