2003 Saturn VUE 6 cylinder from North America

Summary:

Overall, I like the Vue very much

Faults:

I have had a bad grinding noise coming from my Vue whenever I turn left or right. I have taken it in once, but the noise has come back. It appears to be a common problem with Vue's. Has anyone out there had the same problem fixed on their Vue? I do not really trust the dealership to do what needs to be done to fix it correctly especially if it is under warranty and it is expensive to fix it.

General Comments:

I would like to mention that the gas mileage was lousy (17 mpg) for the first 8000 miles, but has since improved to near the advertised mileage rate of 25 mpg.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 12th August, 2003

25th Nov 2003, 20:50

It sounds as though we are all driving the same vehicle.

Our VUE is just a year and two weeks old and has almost 60,000 Km (almost 40,000 miles) and our gas mileage has been very disappointing. Between 8.5 to 10 km/litre. We have had problems with very poor heating and air circulation to clear side windows. It is as though the recycle function is on and yet the dealer has checked and states it is not. It takes over 45 minutes to clear the windows enough to see the outside mirrors. We have also had a loose heat shield on exhaust; suspension and steering problems, fuel tank and sender unit, sun roof sticking from excess glue or tar, and now the chain in the transmission has broken and scattered pieces throughout the case.

Our dealer has been great. Service and Sales have been helpful and have tried to make the repairs the least intrusive as possible. The problem is, that any repair that puts your car in the shop for any extended time is very inconvenient.

As a final note, our VUE is a four cylinder, front wheel drive, automatic and it is a lovely vehicle to drive. Lots of room, but very disappointing after driving a Mazda Protege for ten years and putting half a million Km on the it without any significant problems. In fact still had the original clutch when it was finally retired.

22nd Apr 2004, 13:48

I have a 2002 Vue and I regret ever buying it. My A/C went out then the interior console started to peel. I also had the squeaking noise that I was told was the steering column (or boot) and it was lubricated. No noise since. Have a vibrating noise that comes from the driver's side defrost area (near the VIN plate). Sounds like a cricket and gets very annoying, but just like a cricket, it shuts up when anyone else gets around it. I am currently dealing with bearing and brake rotor issues. Too bad my warranty expired at 36k and I am at 44k. The service departments have been great and have gone out of their way to be sure that I have a loaner or something to drive. I used to love this truck... now I regret ever owning it (and recommending it). Next stop, Car Max or a Lemon Law lawyer.

15th Oct 2004, 10:58

I purchased a 2004 Saturn Vue on Sept 20,2004. My gas mileage has been averaging 18.9 MPG as opposed to the advertised 24 city and 29 hwy for the five speed transmission. I like the vehicle overall, but, the gas mileage was a primary factor in my decision to purchase the vehicle. Is there anything I can do about this? Thanks for your input. Jason.

2003 Saturn VUE AWD4 2.2 from North America

Summary:

I'm sorry I bought the Saturn Vue

Faults:

The problem with my Saturn Vue has yet to be determined. I have been told it probably is the transmission. If I could get the service department in our area to at least look at my car then I would have an idea what is wrong. I have owned this car for 3 months and never expected to have any problems this early on. The service department has been very lax about checking my car. I have asked for a loaner due to the fact I work out of town, but I am repeatedly told there is nothing available.

General Comments:

I bought this car so I would not run into problems such as this, and I believe I've made a big mistake.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 5th July, 2003

29th Jul 2003, 13:23

I bought the Saturn Vue in November 2002. It started to make noise - grinding noise - but they couldn't find anything with it. The vibrating grinding noise became worse, especially when I would turn - It was EMBARRASSING! They couldn't find what the problem was and I have to travel 1 hour to the dealer. FINALLY they have had it now for 2 weeks working on it and it will probably be another week. It is amazing that many have had the same problem - from reading the reviews here - yet SATURN claims they never heard of this and will research to find out what the problem is???

23rd Mar 2004, 09:44

I had the exact same problem with my VUE a few months after buying it. It made a terrible grinding noise, especially when I made sharp turns at a low speed (like in a parking lot).

My dealer examined it right away & found that the "rear shift differential" needed to be rebuilt. They did so, and I have had no grinding noise since.

Maybe suggest this to them...?