Rear wheel bearing,at 1,000 miles.
Sorry. I have to laugh about the previous comments about owners of there 2003 Saturn Vue. In another week the odometer of my Vue will turn over 140,000 miles. Other than a slight noise coming from the rear wheel, when new, I have had, virtually no problems with the car. It has not required one in or out of warranty service call.
You see, I bought the GM engine - not Honda and the American transmission - not the Japanese CVT transmission. I change oil, about every 5,000 miles because it's easy to remember. New sets of brake pads, maybe 3 times.
It's a great, trouble free car!
If you had problems with other than the Honda engine or the CVT transmission, then my advice is to do not go to a Saturn dealer for service. Their rates are outrageous and the service work is typically padded - big time. I know, I have owned 4 Saturns.
GM is a good company and the Saturns are good cars.
Think I'm full of it... I'm not.
Glad you've had a good run with your VUE. We like ours too and find many of the comments unusual given the good service of our particular vehicle.
Just wanted to clear up some misinformation, though. The VTi transmission (CVT) is a GM-Fiat design and it's actually built in Hungary. It isn't Japanese. In addition, the 5-spd manual transmission in your VUE is assembled outside the US. I believe it is a Saab unit.
I now have a 2003 vue 2wd 4cyl and have found these little truck to do exactly what they are intended to do. They are meant to be cheap and economical to run. Mine has 120,000 miles on it and all I have done to it is brakes, tires, and for some reason the daytime running lights sensor on both of the Vue's I have had. Also watch for the horn switch; if it goes, you will need a new airbag (as it is in the steering wheel). Putting that aside, it's been a great vehicle and I strongly advise people to go with the manual transmission as well as the GM motor. The 2.2l 4cyl is a much better engine than the Honda!
Yes, in the Vue the engine to choose for reliability is the 4. The Honda V-6 has not proven itself very reliable. In looking at poor reviews of the Vue, virtually every poor review is of a Vue with the Honda drive train. Hopefully this will help wake people up to the myth of import superiority.
When we bought an SUV in 2003 we didn't even bother to drive a Honda Pilot because of all the bad publicity about their "disposable" transmissions. The one Honda our family had experience with (a Civic) was one of the most unreliable and poorly built vehicles we ever owned.
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