2004 Saturn VUE review from North America

Numerous rattles, squeaks, creaks, clunks,... etc. I fixed most myself, otherwise there would have been many visits to my dealer.

I thought this was the best automobile purchase I ever made when I first bought my 4cyl 5spd Vue. I paid $15k for a very well equipped vehicle (PS, PB, AC, CC, PW, PL, even remote keyless entry, auto headlights, auto dimming rear view mirror). On paper, this is a great SUV. It is just the right size, gets excellent gas mileage (23city/30hwy), and is reasonably comfortable, although quite noisy and with terrible torque steer in 1st and 2nd gear. I thought I stole it after getting a $4000 discount. I soon discovered that Saturn (GM) is a lot smarter than I am.

All was OK for the first 1000 miles, then the noises started. Rattles, creaks, popping noises from the roof, the dash. Noises seemingly from everywhere. It's difficult to describe how poorly this car is put together. The best example I can think of is the 1980's Detroit built pickup truck that a friend of mine once owned. Yes, it's that bad. Many of the fasteners that Saturn uses are just cheap metal clips or velcro, instead of screws. I am amazed that in todays manufacturing environment a vehicle like this exists.

I would classify the driving experience as below average. This SUV has way too much body roll in corners. Under hard acceleration in 1st and 2nd the steering wheel is almost ripped from your hands. It tracks like a drunken squirrel running down the road. The electric power steering is devoid of any road feel. It's like playing a video game. At highway speeds, there is no on center play. Don't sneeze or get distracted for a second. The slightest movement of your hands means an instant lane change. Very dangerous until you get used to it, but still irritating and tiring. There is a lot of wind and tire noise making the stereo almost useless unless you like your music really loud.

After owning it for 2 years and 10,000 miles, the noises this car made just plain drove me crazy!

I was probably spoiled since my previous car was a Camry, but still, no new vehicle should have this many squeaks and rattles.

The poor build quality and the poor reviews in most consumer magazines gave me little confidence that this vehicle would be reliable in the future,

so I traded it in for a new Honda. Blissful silence, great ride and handling. And NO squeaks or rattles. Imagine that.

I'll conclude by saying if noises and frequent trips to the dealer to fix things that shouldn't (and don't) break on other brand vehicles doesn't bother you, then buy a Vue. I have been told that I should have bought the V6 power train built by Honda instead of the GM 4cyl. But that just means my Vue would have been a really quick, poorly made rattle box.