2003 Saturn VUE review from North America
"Great car if you don't mind service departments"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
When I first bought and drove my used 2003 Saturn Vue I noticed right off the bat that there was a bad shudder and popping noise in the front end. Dealer replaced front ball joints and flushed the transmission.
The shudder returned with a vengeance, then the transmission gave up all together, with the "Reduced Power" idiot light coming on. This really made me start to think that the Vue was becoming a candidate for the Lemon Law. Dealer replaced the automatic transmission after I showed the salesman a service bulletin from Alldata, a great source for automotive information. The bulletin plainly showing the majority of problems reported being in the transmission and drive line on the Vues.
One month later I receive a letter form Saturn stating a free warranty on all VTi transmissions for 75K miles. Glad I already blew my money on an extended warranty through the dealer.
Still on "take off" there is a shudder in the front end, but I can live with it as long as it doesn't get any worse.
Also at highway speeds the car/truck seems to handle "loosely" which makes me a little anxious to get on the highway sometimes.
One mystery sound I have been having is a large clunk on the right side every once in while, and it really makes you jump when it happens. I haven't brought that to the dealer's attention yet, but I am thinking about taking it back in for some more work.
General comments?
Other than what I stated previously, the Vue is a very comfortable to drive and ride in. The performance and gas mileage are really good for the size and weight of the car. The price is unbeatable in the SUV market, but I think they cut too many corners to do it. One last note, SUV stands for Sport Utility Vehicle, am I right? In the owners manual it states that it should not be taken off-road for any means, so doesn't that take out the "Sport" and make it a "UV" then?
This is the fourth Saturn we have owned, and still wished we had our 1998 Saturn Wagon. The wagon got wrecked and the repair shop did a shoddy job so we traded it in for a newer L series Wagon, and now have the Vue. Well, that's my review, good luck to all Saturn owners, and remember that Saturn issued a warranty on all VTi transmissions. Thanks!!
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| An SUV with great potential - IF GM will let Saturn do what it was created to do, build great cars. |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 2003 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.2L Automatic |
| Performance marks | 8/10 |
| Reliability marks | 6/10 |
| Comfort marks | 9/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 9/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 7500 miles |
| Most recent distance | 16500 miles |
| Previous car | Mazda Protege |
| Date of Entry | 28th July, 2004 |