2003 Saturn VUE FWD from North America - Comments

To the above comment about the stalling problem: have your mechanic check/replace the crankshaft position sensor. Reasonably cheap and easy to do, and is a pretty common problem on the 3.0 Vues.

Like everyone else, we bought the Saturn Vue FWD VTI trans brand new, hadly drive the car, but we have gone through 3 major transmission fixes. The first one we at 6000 miles 01/04, followed by another at 6500 05/19, third time they replaced a the entire transmission. Last week the car kept stalling went to the dealership three times. They have replaced majority of the parts, part now the car makes an additional noise when doing a hard turn at acceleration. I am told this normal noise on the VTI.

Does anyone know if the class action Suit is still out there? count me in ian_fred7@hotmail.com

GM needs to extend the warranty or offer to replace the transmissions with functional ones every time one fails. None of this band aid fixes. My car has 25000 miles one more year before the warranty runs.

"GM needs to extend the warranty or offer to replace the transmissions with functional ones every time one fails."

First of all, GM DID extend the warranty on the VTi transmission. Do your research before you complain.

Secondly, stop expecting everyone to take care of you. Cars break, and if they do so out of warranty, man up and deal with it. GM doesn't have a great history with introducing new technology, so you weren't too smart to have purchased the VTi in its first year anyway. Caveat emptor, I suppose.

A few weeks ago I brought our 04 Vue in for servicing. The tech noticed fluid seeping out of one of the inner valves and said that it needed to be repaired. They attributed the problem to the vti transmission and thankfully the extended warranty covered the extensive repairs. We decided to trade the Vue in quickly and cut our losses. We even considered getting a 2007 Vue, but Saturn offered us well below book value and refused to give us a good price on a new one. The salesman even had the audacity to say that the transmission made the value of the car lower! We went to Hyundai (formerly our local Saturn dealer) and they gave us $800 more for the trade-in and worked out a great deal for a new Santa Fe. We loved that Vue and it broke our hearts to part with it, but we are not fools. I still ride around in my 2000 SW2 with 115,000 miles on it and hope to double that.

I am the owner of a 2003 Saturn Vue, front wheel drive. Approximately 4 months after leasing the vehicle, the transmission started making what to me were "funny" sounds. Whenever I brought the vehicle in for servicing, I would mention the "strange sounds" to the service technicians. I described the noise as akin to insects (usually at night) making a high-pitched "sawing sound" - like a high-pitched dental drill (but muted - not loud). I took at least one service technician for a ride in the car; what I heard, he felt was just the normal transmission. This continued for two and one half years time, whereupon I would make comments and the technician would say it was just the normal transmission. I took the various service technicians' word that the "sound" was normal - because that is what I was told. No one apprised me of the fact that it was well-known that the 2003 Saturn Vue's transmission was fraught with problems - although from the beginning I noted that the car felt/sounded like it would almost stall out when going from a stopped to a driving mode. And sometimes it did stall. THERE WAS NO FACTORY RECALL TO FIX OR REPLACE THIS TRANSMISSION. NOTE THAT THIS TRANSMISSION WAS ONLY USED IN THE 2002 AND 2003 VUE - AND RETIRED THEREAFTER - BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS. But no one told the Vue owners about this.

Then in 2006, my car suddenly stopped; the transmission was broken at 77,000 kilometres. There was a 9 day wait for the dealership to get the transmission from Tennessee to Canada and my city. No incentives were offered to me at that time for my inconvenience - nor have they been provided to-date. The Vue is, unfortunately not a stellar performer - and has virtually no resale value. In fact I think it would be unethical to sell this car privately - so I am at loss as to what to do with the thing. Moreover, other non-Vue dealerships indicate that the car would not move on their lot - and have encouraged me to try to sell it privately. They say that usually when life gives you a lemon, that you should make lemonade (the beverage). In this case, I would hope that the Saturn / GM Corporation provide the so-afflicted owners of such seemingly unsellable vehicles with some true "LEMON" AID - and give us an extended warranty free-of-charge - in an attempt to re-capture / make amends to such hapless Vue owners (including myself).

Wow! Well it is comforting to know that I am not alone with my 2003 Saturn Vue transmission problems.

I purchased my 2003 Saturn Vue in May 2005, used with 75,184 miles. This is the first car I have ever bought myself, and I already know that this has been the worst investment of my life.

I have just recently found out that because of the CVT transmission issues, Saturn extended the warranty to 75,000 miles, which now makes perfect sense why the last owner dumped it. I had even purchased extra warranty for the vehicle, but of course I did not start having issues with the CVT transmission until after the warranty was over.

The first problem I had with the transmission started in June 2006 where it refused to go into drive. It would go into reverse, but would not move at all when put into drive. I contacted Saturn where they informed me that I should try to change the transmission fluid and put a special additive (that Saturn makes) into the transmission, which I did. This seemed to correct the problem until March 2007.

In March 2007, it again refused to go into drive and this time also reverse. It would not move whatsoever! I contacted Saturn and they informed me that they could not replace individual parts in the CVT transmission, but that you had to buy a whole new transmission which cost $5000+. Needless to say if I had money to throw around like that, I would not have purchased a used Saturn in the first place. So, I had the car towed to a private transmission shop. There they found a used CVT transmission and replaced it which cost $1700 and guaranteed it for 6 months regardless of mileage.

Well, in July 2007, it again had issues. This time it did not have any power and the transmission whines. I took it back to the private transmission shop where they would be more than happy to replace it with ANOTHER used transmission, but another one cannot be found in THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

So currently I am without a vehicle now for going on over a month, and my Saturn Vue is sitting in the transmission shop without a transmission waiting for one to be found. Evidently every used CVT transmission is being used as soon as they hit the junk yard, because Saturn is asking for an outrageous amount of money for a new transmission.

I did contact Saturn Customer Service and discussed this issue with them, and their only answer was to have it towed to a Saturn Dealer. I asked if they could guarantee me no charge and of course they could not. So I informed them that this was not the answer, because my car is just not worth spending that much money.

Then they had the audacity to send me a greeting card in the mail saying they hoped they helped me with my problem!!! Can you believe it? They will definitely be hearing back from me what I think about that!

I am so throughly fed up with this vehicle, I just want it to be fixed so I can sell it and be rid of this nightmare. I WILL NEVER AGAIN PURCHASE A SATURN, and I will make sure everyone I ever meet will know about this outrageous injustice!!

Does anyone know if I am eligible to be part of the class action lawsuit?? If so, please respond! (Also let me know if anyone has a working used transmission to sell to me to put in my vehicle!) Saturn should have to eat every single one of this cars they made!!

I am just wondering if the manual 03 Vue's are problematic. I would greatly appreciate any feedback.

Thanks good people of the world!

I got a call from my daughter in college saying her 2003 Vue with 79,000 miles would not go. She was driving it and all of sudden it had no power. Of course, it has the VTI transmission and a 4 cylinder engine. I tried to find transmission shops in my hometown if they worked on this type of transmission. There answer, No. Take it to the dealership. The dealership is an hour away. After reading all the comments, it sounds like the next couple of days are going to be fun ones. Ha. ha. By the way, after I towed it home. Cranked it back up, it drove fine. But what I have read this problem will surface again.

Although I don't wish it on anyone I'm glad to hear other people having a problem with the VTi in their VUE. Thought I was the only one. I have a 2003 AWD Vue. I like the car and haven't had any major problems EXCEPT that %## transmission. I'll start by saying that I have about 100K on the car and I'm looking at putting in my 6th transmission (stock, 4 replacements and looking at another one). I got the car in june 2003. I got the recalls and updates when they came out. That's when I started hearing a growl. they changed the fluid in the trans.

Jan 2004,41k is when the first trans failed. replaced under warranty.

I can't find the paperwork, but it also failed in 2005 / ~60k. I can say that because as described below I was just out of the 12 / 12 (I think it was 14 months / 20K between failure), paid still under warranty.

Oct 2006,84K failed again. since I was then out of the 12 month / 12K warranty and the 5 year / 75K extended warranty they gave me crap about having to cover it myself. took a week of calling Saturn corporate customer service and the shop, but they covered it after a $250 deductible.

2/2007, 92K. replaced again. Anyone see a pattern?!?! Now I was living in CT and moved to Florida in 2006 (that's replaced twice in CT and twice in FL). Never did any off roading, towing, most of my driving was my 40 min drive back and forth from work so it's not like I overworked it. Now it's 9/2007, 100k so I'm well within the 12/12. Now I did speak with a lemon law attny. after the 4th failure since I should never have to replace it, much less 5 times!! Now I have replaced transmissions before in cars I've owned previously, but never every ~14 months / ~20K!!! I can't describe too much except that since I have high mileage and they were all replaced with Saturns money it wasn't very fruitful. I think after this replacement (If it goes thru, I'm certainly not going to pay for it) it's time to give it up. I guess I learned my lesson with the CVT!

I purchased a 2007 Saturn Vue in February of this year. Around June, the car delayed starting, but after a little bit it started, so I ignored it.

Then in August, it stalled one morning and would not start. I have to have it towed. (ironically 12,100 miles)

They replaced the Crankshaft Position Sensor as the computer gave that code.

2 weeks later it stalled again. I had it towed, they said all the computer said was that it stalled. They were aware of the last problem (in their files) but they drove it for about 5 days with no problems. I picked it up.

I drove it for another 12 days and it died again. I was able to get it started again and drove it to the Dealership. The error was the same part – Crankshaft Position Sensor. They replaced it and drove it for three days. They said it was ready and I could pick it up the next day (9/13) Hours before I was going to pick it up the manager called me and said that the Tech that drove it home, was coming to work and the car died on him!! So, needless to say, I didn’t pick it up.

I am trying to get in touch with Amanda at Saturn to find out how I can have the Vue replaced. I REALLY like the car and I would take another one, just not this one. Currently, I am still driving a loaner.

I will say that Saturn and the Dealership have been fantastic with follow-ups. They call me, listen to my complaints and so far they have bent over backwards for me. I hope they will be as cooperative when I want to replace the car. Has anyone else looked at the Lemon Law? Here in Texas, it requires four times to the shop. If I count the time it stalled while the Tech drove it home that night, that is four failures... We'll see what happens.

2003 Vue 4 cylinder VTI transmission owner.

Fourth time my vehicle has needed transmission work. Purchased with 31K 08/06 made it to 68K 09/07, looking for class action suit information against Saturn/General Motors corporations.

I WANT WHAT I AM PAYING FOR!

Contacted Saturn help line; multiple hours spent/wasted.

Only "resolution" offered; "Buy a new Saturn and they will extend the warranty".

WHY SHOULD I REWARD THEM.. I SHOULD BE MADE WHOLE!

The list of other problems is big, but the transmission is the most important item!!! Any information regarding above please contact me at smith0119@sbcglobal.net

We, too have a 03 VUE that had its third transmission fail 8 days ago. We had it towed to the dealer in hopes of having it repaired under warranty as this latest transmission had only 67,000 miles on it. The dealer provided a loaner car which was very nice of them.

However, and here comes the big however, today they informed us that it would cost us $6000 for a new tranny, and about $4100 for a rebuild. We informed them that this was unacceptable and they responded by telling us that if we did not return their loaner vehicle today, they were going to report it stolen. How is that for customer service??

So, after a call to the GM customer service line, the nice lady there promising to take my complaint to a higher authority, the dealership still has my disabled vehicle in their yard and they have their loaner back. We are without a set of wheels.

This transmission was bad on Day 1 and we told them. It was not until the car limped into the dealership at 32,000 miles did they attend to the problem. The second time, at 63,000 they automatically replaced it under Policy A (whatever that is). Now, they are not willing to even discuss a possible warranty saw-off.

Like many others on this site, the rest of the vehicle has been great. The transmission is poorly designed and/or manufactured, GM is aware of it and is not interested in helping out their customers when they have an issue.

Not very good customer service. We have purchased another new vehicle since we bought the Saturn and based on our experiences with the Saturn, we bought an off-shore product and, once the Saturn is back on the road, we will be flipping it for another off-shore product.

We cannot afford to keep replacing the tranny.

My wife and I own a Saturn Vue 2003 4cly. It appears that the transmission has died. We live in Maryland and do not have any idea who to contact about this problem. If anyone can furnish a contact number and name of a person to talk to, we will appreciate it.

Mike.

0ct,28,2007.

After all this comments about the 2003 Saturn vue, I will continue driving my Escort, 1996 with 300,000 k.

The VTI transmission on my 2003 VUE shuddered, slipped, and died in the middle of an intersection a month ago. I had the car towed to the closest dealership. They replaced the cover assembly and converter under warranty. They told me it wouldn't cost me a thing because of the extended warranty on an existing problem. (This was the first I had heard of it!) Well, it seemed to drive fine for a few weeks, but I noticed it shuddering again. I just took it back to the dealership, but they said it was out of alignment. Two days and $280 later, I now have new brake pads to go with my shuddering transmission. It looks like I'll be unloading this car in the next year.