2008 Saturn Vue

YESTERDAY (APRIL 7, 2013) AT APPROXIMATELY 4:30PM, I WAS DRIVING ON THE BAY BRIDGE (I-80 E) AND MY STEERING WHEEL APPEARED TO BE STUCK AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER IN ANY DIRECTION. I SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 40MPH AND GOT OFF AT THE FIRST EXIT AFTER PASSING THE BRIDGE (ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AFTER THIS STARTED) AND WENT TO A SAFE AREA WHERE I PROCEEDED TO TURN OFF MY ENGINE. WHEN I TURNED MY ENGINE BACK ON, THE PROBLEM WAS GONE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAPPENED SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN 2008, BUT THE FIRST TIME SINCE THIS PROBLEM WAS REPAIRED AT MY SERVICE SHOP. THE FIRST TWO TIMES THIS HAPPENED OCCURRED IN THE LAST THREE YEARS AND THE SERVICE SHOP WAS ONLY ABLE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT WHEN THE PROBLEM WAS TAKING PLACE AT THAT EXACT MOMENT. I HAVE DOCUMENTATION FOR THESE VISITS TO THE SERVICE SHOP. THIS TIME ON THE BRIDGE WAS ALSO THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME FOR THIS TO OCCUR. NOW THAT MY WARRANTY IS UP, THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS, I WILL HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM (WHICH SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN FIXED THE FIRST TIME). I DEMAND ANSWERS FROM SATURN AND REFUSE TO CONTINUE TO PUT MYSELF AND MY FAMILY IN DANGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED, WHICH LOCATED THE FAILURE AT THE STEERING RACK, COLUMN AND THE MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

I PARKED MY SATURN AND WENT INTO RESTAURANT TO EAT AND COMING OUT BACK OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND HAD NO STEERING. I CALLED MY DAD HE RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRIC ASSIST STEERING IN THIS MODEL. WE TOOK A HAMMER AND HIT THE ASSIST MOTOR AND STEERING GEAR BOX AND IT STARTED WORKING. THE GARAGE INFORMED US (MY DAD AND ME) THAT THERE WERE RECALLS ON OTHER SIMILAR MODELS BUT NOT THIS MODEL. WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO GET THIS PROBLEM AS A RECALL BECAUSE GETTING ON LINE I HAVE DISCOVERED OTHER CONSUMERS HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS? *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO HAIR APPOINTMENT, TAKING A SHARP CURVE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I HEARD A NOISE, AND I LOST ALL STEERING, WE VEERED OFF OF ROAD AND I GOT THE VEHICLE STOPPED. WE WERE VERY LUCKY THEIR WAS NOBODY COMING THE OPPOSITE WAY, OR A LITTLE FARTHER UP ROAD WAS A GULLY!! THE PINION WAS TOTALLY STRIPPED OUT FROM RACK. IT REALLY WAS A SERIOUS UNSAFE SITUATION! AND I SEE I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO EXPERIENCE THIS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOST ITS POWER STEERING ASSIST MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO TURN AND/OR UNABLE TO TURN AT ALL. THE WHEEL WOULD THEN LOCK ITSELF WITH EACH 30 DEGREE TURN. AT TIMES, THE WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKED UP ONLY BEING ABLE TO TURN IN 15 DEGREES IN EITHER DIRECTION. THIS HAS BEEN INTERMITTENTLY OCCURING SINCE FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2012. THE SERVICE DEALERSHIPS STATE THEY CANNOT FIX THE ISSUE UNLESS THEY CAN DUPLICATE THE ISSUE UPON APPOINTMENT. *TT

MY 2008 VUE HAS HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE STEERING. IT STARTED WITH THE POWER STEERING GOING OUT FOR 10-30 SECONDS. NOW THERE IS A LOUD SCREECHING SOUND THAT IS OCCURRING WHEN THE WHEEL IS BEING TURNED. GM HAS REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN AND OTHER MULTIPLE ITEMS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES OVER THE LAST 7 MONTHS. *KB

WHIRRING/WHOOSING AND SLIGHT GROANING/VIBRATION COMING FROM STEERING WHEEL WHEN TURNING FROM A STOPPED POSITION AND AT LOW SPEED. POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LOW AND FILLED AT THAT TIME. SYMPTOMS CONTINUED. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED BY GM SERVICE. THE STEERING SHAFT BOOT WAS GREASED AND THE TECHNICIANS REPLACED THE STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY RACK AND PINION. ADDITIONALLY, THE STEERING PUMP WAS FLUSHED AND FILLED AND A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED. ALTHOUGH WE WERE OUT OF WARRANTY, THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS HALF AND THE PARTS WERE NOTED AS "GOOD WILL PARTS ONLY/WARRANTY". WE APPRECIATED THIS GESTURE FROM GM; WE ABSORBED THE LABOR COSTS. SINCE THE REPAIR WE HAVE BEGUN TO NOTICE A SLIGHT GROANING/VIBRATION AGAIN WHEN TURNING AT START-UP. THIS SEEMS TO DISAPPEAR WHILE DRIVING. NOTE: HAVING DONE SOME RESEARCH, OUR ISSUE SEEM TO BE A PROBLEM WITH SOME 2008 VUE VEHICLES.