Faults:
I have had multiple problems from the start; from annoying non-essential things like a key buzzer that would go off indiscriminately, to the radio controls on the steering wheel which broke 5,000 miles in.
The strut mounts have had to be replaced twice. Once at 10,000 miles, and now at 37,000 miles.
At 35,000 miles I brought it in again because it was slipping out of gear. All of a sudden when you were driving, you would push on the gas and the engine would just rev.
When I brought it in this time at 37,000 miles, the repair manager told me I needed a new ignition ($342 + tax).
The "cables" that apparently make the car (manual trans) shift were not covered under the power train warranty ($380 + tax).
As well as "front sway bar" links ($260 + tax), also not covered under the warranty.
General Comments:
I have had probably a dozen cars in my life, but this was my first (and perhaps) last brand new car.
At the outset, I would say that I chose Saturn, for the most part because of the reliability others had expressed in their vehicles, and their award-winning customer service reputation they had established over the years, OR SO I THOUGHT.
I have had multiple problems from the start; (Did I mention the fact that our '07 Vue has only 37,000 miles on it)
The repair manager told me I needed the "cables" that apparently make the car (manual trans) shift and they were not covered under the power train warranty. I'm sorry, I thought drive train would include the parts that makes the car go from reverse to 1st gear.
Our miles put on this vehicle are as follows: the first 10,000 miles were around town in the city of Amarillo, Texas. we then drove 1,500 miles across the country as we moved to the Hudson Valley region of upstate New York. I'll give you that the Catskill mountains are not as urban as Amarillo, but with the stress that the shock mounts and other things have taken, you would think we go through downtown Kabul every day!
I remember with fondness the day we said this little cheer with the sales team at the dealership. Looking forward to driving my new Vue, not having to worry about things breaking down all the time. (yeah right)
For the most part I love my Saturn. I just wish there was an express lane to the service and parts department, because I am there so frequently and the dealership is 60 miles from my house. (not your fault, I'm the one that moved to the mountains.)
I've been to the dealership more often with my (NEW) car, than I ever was with my old Toyota that I drove until it had 150,000 miles on it, then the muffler fell off.
17th Sep 2017, 03:39
Good description. Love the Honda engine and tranny, but sadly the GM body and electricals will occasionally need attention. Since I enjoy doing some mechanical work, it doesn't bother me too much. I got it for my son, and when he's done with it, I hope to continue driving it, because I think it's a great car.