Saturn VUE

dindak

I think Santa Fe would sell better if it weren't so odd looking. I have never driven one as I don't like the looks and hence would no buy it.

nippononly

all three SUVs on the same drive, in order to be able to directly compare them. Part of it involved getting on the freeway on a short, steep on-ramp, in order to gauge full acceleration.

The Hyundai roared loudly, but did not clatter - I could not hear the valves. Unfortunately it did not provide a lot of power!

The VUE had better acceleration but you could hear the engine an awful lot - it got loud and clattery - the sound of the valvetrain.

The Escape was more muted than both, and had about the same accleration as the VUE, it might have just barely had an edge in acceleration.

None of the noise I referred to was tire noise. For one thing, we were going pretty slow when I remarked on the noise. As far as tire noise goes, the Escape is the worst of the three for this. Once I got rolling at 65 mph, normal discussion was difficult in the Escape, because the tire noise was so high.

5679

Just a second til I close the sunroof, put up the windows, and turn down the Mama Mia CD in my Vibe. There, that's better. Now if it wasn't for this damn tinnitis, I could hear better. You found the VUE noisy, you say? Really? Now when did I first mention that? After my first test drive in February? Or my second? Or third/ Or was it after driving the 5 spd, 4 cylinder?
Oops, I must be on the wrong Board again.

dindak

Having driven both, I think the Vibe is noisier. The Vibe's 1.8L is known for it's buzzy sound so regardless, it's not like you are driving a quiet car.

vuefor2

We have a V6 AWD and I don't find it noisy. Maybe it's not as good as the Escape, but I don't think it's anything that detracts from the vehicle. I do think the 4 cyl model is a bit quieter though, but you loose the ~40 hp.

oarlox

We've got an AWD V-6 VUE with about 18000 miles on it. I can't say that the noise from the engine is really much of a problem. But that frappin electric cooling fan is another story. Oh well, here in Alaska we only have to worry about keeping the engine cool for a couple of months a year. Then we block off the radiator with duct tape to help keep it warm.

simonov

I have about 2500 miles on a V6 that I bought in July. When I first did a test drive I did notice engine noise and was a little disapointed. However after test driving the competition the Vue just made sense. The Hyundai was kind of ugly and the radio button fell off in my hand, the radio also didn't sound nearly as good as the Vue (I have the Cd/cassete which I guess is some kind of upgraded sound system but not the 180 watt door buster). I also felt very crowded in the drivers seat of the Hyundai, I'm only 5'11". The Tribute was a terrible hard riding truck (IMO) and at highway speed I couldn't here myself talk never mind anyone else. The Escape wasn't any better. I have two other vehicles that are quieter than the VUE but the other pluses outway the minor noises. The Opel engine is loud when accelerating through the gears, once in 5th gear it quiets down. The only other noise I hear then is probably the tires but it is not too bad. I did discover that my tires were at 37psi when I picked the car up. I adjusted to 30 psi per door panel and the ride was much better. I didn't notice any noise difference. The only other complaint that I have is the steering wheel, no place forthose of us that like the 3 and 9 position and also not leather wrapped. I put a cover on it and I'm getting used to holding the wheel differntly. Overall I am quite delighted and would not trade it for a CRV, Trib/Escape or Santa Fe. It is different looking but in a good way. I have the red and I get very nice comments. It's not perfect but for the price and overall Saturn experience and peace of mind I sure am enjoying it.

mmspeal

I picked up my VUE at lunch time on a Friday, then had to go back to work. That evening, I spent packing for a business trip that I was leaving on the next day. (I volunteered to go early and stay over the Saturday night to save money, before I knew my VUE would be in) Anyway, the next day, I drove it to Pearson International Airport and there it sat for a week while I drove a rented car around Columbus, Ohio. It was killing me the whole time I was down there - had I known it would have been in, I could have saved the company a lot of money cause I would have been more than happy to drive down.

Regarding engine noise ...
I now have 10 000 km's on it and still loving it. I have the manual 4 banger and spend alot of time on highways - you can hear it rev when it gets to 3500-4000 RPMS but definately no louder than any other 4 cyl. I've been in when doing 130-140 km/hr. I don't find it noisy at all in the city. In fact one day when my mom and I were out in it, she commented on how quiet it was - didn't think it was running.

vuefor2

simonov : We feel the same way. Our little red V6 Vue is just wonderful. Couldn't be happier with the vehicle and the Saturn service.

mmspeal : The Ecotec is pretty quiet. We tested an AWD CVT model a few weeks ago and felt the engine to be definitely quieter that our V6. Like I said before though, we like the +40hp of the V6.

:-)

gehe

(mmspeal)
-Thanks for your cute POST and kind words.
-Gaaawd ! You must have just been dieing inside with your new VUE at the airport !!

-I did call the Saturn Folks on the 800 number today and they said the Bright Blue had been delayed, (but only once !), and that they were now staled for mid-September.
-The only thing that sounded more definate this time is that they requested my P/O # to see where my car was on the production schedule. Of course, my luck, I didn't have it ready this time. I'll be calling back for sure !!!
-My Tracker goes in for her 'post op. tranny inspection' this afternoon so I will pop into my Saturn Dealership and visit my 'buddies' and see if they have any definate news.
-Knowing my luck ... and I am 'slambed' busy right now ... I will be so busy that I won't have time to indulge.
Later all ... and thanks

dindak

We love the Ecotec in our Alero. Very quiet and smooth. I remember trying out a 5-speed VUE and remember the engine being even more isolated than in our car so needless to say it was even better. I definitely thought the V6 was louder, but nothing as bad as some are making it out to be.

graphicguy

I just returned from a trip in which I got to use a "brand new" VUE from Enterprise. The thing had 57 miles on it. I put on another 500 miles.

I've owned SUVs before, but they were all bigger than this one (Chevy Blazer, Ford Explorer).

The VUE was AWD with the V6. First off, once this engine gets on the cams (over 3K RPM), it books. It does make a racket getting there, however. Torque down low was decent considering its an overhead cam design. Why GM wants to use a Honda engine in this is beyond me?

Interior was plain but functional. No complaints.

Seats weren't to my liking, neither were the armrests (on the door or the seats), but if someone was a bit smaller, they might find them comfortable.

Most disappointing were the transmission and the steering. Tranny was not the typical GM ultra smooth affair. If I was just motoring around town, the tranny was jerky. If you reved the engine to higher RPMs, then it smoothed out. It also seemed to shift reluctantly going from 1st to 2nd. I could never get a good feel for the road with the "electronic" steering. It felt disconnected.

Body and panels were nice and straight. Had a nasty clanging sound coming from the rear when going over bumps. Slammed the rear hatch several times, but the rattling remained. Checked the spare tier and it was tight, too. That was rather disconcerting. Got an occasional rattle from somewhere inside the driver's door, too.

Ride was good and bumpy pavement didn't seem to upset it much.

I'm a GM fan, but I think this one needs a bit more development work before it tops the competition from the Escape (which everyone seems to feel is "tops" in the small SUV arena).

anonymousposts

GM probably wants to use a Honda engine for the complaints listed above .. the Honda V6 will undoubtedly be quieter, smoother, and provide the same power that Saturn is currently getting out of the current Vue engine. I was looking to buy a Vue a couple of months ago but the buzzy engine and almost no availability of the 5-speed steered me away from it.

jmatero

Hyundai not selling? Somebody mentioned that a few posts back and I have to say, that's just not true. It's not in it's 3rd model year of production and they are mostly solde before they get to the dealer's lots. In fact, I've been to two dealerships now and people were claiming them as they were coming off the TRUCK before seeing how they were equipped! They aren't even discounted because of the demand. I'm really not flaming the VUE, honestly, but looks are subjective. Some like one style , some others. However, the equipment that comes on there is equipment on the SantaFe you can't even get on the VUE like rear hatch window, rear disc brakes, warranty, etc. The VUE, however, just isn't selling in the NY/NJ/CT area. I just came back with a friend AGAIN from Saturn of Nyack and then Saturn of Ramsey NJ and on the Nyack lot alone there were 37..... 37 VUE's. 20 of them have been there for at least 3 weeks as they are in the same spots I saw them in back then. They have all varieties and colors and all but one are 2003 models. Few, if any had ABS/Traction control. I think the Chevy version is going to be a HUGE hit.... they'll have time to work out all of the issues current VUE owners complain about. Also, in terms of Escape resale value.... it's no better for the VUE. In fact, if you go to SATURNFANS.com you'll see the biggest Saturn owner complaint is extremely poor resale value. Again, I'm not intentionally flaming the VUE.... I WANT to love this vehicle and I the only issue I have with the outside is the lack of a separate flip/up rear window. But, the interior (mainly dash, controls and console.... doors are fine) is seriously lacking. I defy any VUE owner to put there finger in a powerwindow switch... now move left and right... the dash moves and creaks with it. And the center console lid? Talk about an afterthought. I am really questioning whether or not Saturn is going to vanish within 5 years. The ION (minus the plastic panels) is going to be the next Cavilier, the new Equinox plastic and all is the VUE. Saturn has already said they are not replacing the L-series with a sedan... what is a future ION owner supposed to move up to? In fact, the next Chevy Malibu looks like a winner. Is Saturn the next Oldsmobile? Lets check back in 2006.

dindak

jmatero : Sure sounds like you are flaming Saturn to me pal, and I hardly think your observation of vehicles in a parking lot is proof the VUE is not selling. Clearly the actual sales numbers tell the real story and you are wrong.

graphicguy : The 5-speed auto in the VUE is not a GM transmission. It's a outsourced one made in Japan. I think Saturn should have used 4-speed one in the L-series, but I guess some one wanted a 5-speed on the VUE.

anonymousposts : Lots of 5-speeds around here, almost all the 2002 4-cyl models made are 5-speeds. You can always order one if your local lot has none.

simonov

Hey JMatero, I must say that you had me going until I figured out that you must be A Hyundai salesman trying to stir up business. "Rumors of the Vue's premature death have been greatly exaggerated". I agree with Dindak, it's not very scientific to count cars on a lot to forecast actual sales. I live in Colorado and their was an article in The Fort Collins paper stating that Saturn has surpassed Honda sales in Fort Collins, sounds healthy to me. I test drove the "Voluptous" Santa Fe before deciding on a VUE. Yes, they offer a lot of features at a good price but how reliable are all of the features and the car in general???? I think their is a reason for the extended warranty and don't forget to read the fine print. I'm sorry, Hyundai is struggling to build a brand that equates to some kind of quality and reliability, we will see. Read the posts in the forums from the people that own Vue's and Santa Fe's. Vue owners are not complaining about major problems, I like the "purr" of the engine. Also I think their is a reason that GM is going to introduce a Chevy version of the VUE and it's not because the Vue's are not selling!!!! Oh and by the way I took your challenge, I stuck my finger in the power window switch as you suggested, feels fine to me, "the dash did not move and creak with it", HUH! You must have fingers of steel or maybe you are superman and you don't know your own strength????? My center console lid works fine also, you just have to know how to work it. You New Yorkers must just be impatient, (I was born in the Bronx many moons ago). Saturn has managed to build brand loyalty in a very short time with a whole new car buying experience, Hyundai is the one that is floundering. It may be Hyundai that we'll be saying "Kaddish" for and not the VUE. Let us know if you buy one, we'll send flowers to the funer....... oops, I almost said it!!!

ldiagnostic

We have a new VUE sitting on our street. My wife wanted one. It is a top of the line model with V6 and AWD plus leather and sunroof. Black. Very nice driving car...and I drive a Cadillac Seville.

Much better looking SUV then the Santa Fe..or Honda for that matter.

I am a bit biased...I work on the VUE at the Saturn plant in TN.

Logan

dindak

Must be cool working at Saturn. Do you know if any changes are in store for 2004? I like the VUE a lot, but there a few improvements I wouldn't mind seeing.

joelis

In reading thru all these comparisons lately, I am surprised that Service has not been mentioned much.

Now I am definitely not a big Vue supporter (which is my wife's current vehicle) for various reasons mentioned by other people in earlier posts, but I have to say that I was very surprised and impressed with the Service Dept at Saturn, even going in with the expectations that they were "above average".

I happened to be available to take the Vue in for its first regular service work (oil change, minor fixes, etc.) and honestly wanted to see if the service hype was real or not.

Wow. Absolutely awesome class act service. (polite, timely, informative, thorough, compitent, clean, etc). I can't believe that these guys have ANYTHING to do with GM. How could they be so different from the BS service of Chevy, Pontiac, etc dealerships?

I actually offered my wife to take it in any time it needs service, it was that good. Now, I know for a fact that Escape owners can't say that about Ford service (I've owned enough new model Fords in my day), and neither can Hyundai, since they are usually partnered with a local domestic (like GMC/Pontiac/Hyundai or Buick/Chevy/Hyundai/Isuzu) etc. Having had a Hyundai in our family in the past (never again by the way) you'd be lucky if they knew enough about the car to fix it at all.

jmatero

Look, I'm NOT a Hyundai Sales person.. geez. And I'm NOT flaming the Saturn. Look, if you come from, say, a chevrolet or another Saturn chances are you'll find the inderior of the VUE acceptable as it is no worse than any other Saturn. It's just that you would think an ALL NEW vehicle would have a dash with a quality feel, that's all I'm saying. Now, I'm coming from a Passat which has a Dash that seems to be cut from stone and bottons/switchgear second to none and I was happy to read that GM has hired the former head of Audi/VW's interior design group to head up GM's interior design. We should all see the fruits of that in 4 or 5 model years time.

I've driven both the VUE and SantaFe and I can tell you that I like the exterior of the VUE better. That is why I checked out the VUE begin with. But lets be serious. The new vehicles coming out of Korea... mainly the Hyundai Elantra, 2003 Tiburon and SantaFe... have all been on many top 10 and highly recommend lists including Consumer reports and others. Their quality is moving up and the quality of the materials used inside and out is incredible considering the price. All one needs to do is adjust the temp control on a SantaFe vs. a VUE to see what I mean. The Hyundai moves smoothly and feels of high quality... the VUE turns and clicks and turns past the detent as though it will break off. As for which vehicle is 'Better'. I don't know. It will take time to tell... time for data to appear. I'm critical of the VUE for the same reason that editors of every newspaper, online site and magazine have... the cheap interior. Mechanics? No issue to me... I really like the 2.2L as it is VERY smooth and VERY quiet. The 5-speed is kinda clunky with long throws and the clutch is heavy but the motor is great. I'm leary about getting a CVT tranny on a new model to be honest (mainly with a 3/36 warranty) but that's just me. The body is gorgeous as far as I'm concerned. I think it is the most distinctive of all small SUV's on the road. However, I'd like to see sales figures on VUE compared to the competition. Perhaps somebody here can access VUE sales vs. the competition via WARDSAUTO.COM.

Again, in THIS part of the country... SantaFe's are just like Honda Minivans and SUV's.... they are not on the lots, they are not discounted and they are in High demand. VUES are sitting on dealer lots around here. I mean, they are lined up on the road at the dealer near my job, they are in the newspaper discounted (and Saturn has a no-haggle price) and if you're looking for one.... call Saturn of West Nyack, Saturn of White Plains, Saturn of Stamford, Saturn of Poughkeepsie, Saturn of Larchmont and Saturn of Ramsey... they've got it. Or better yet, go online at Saturn.com and do an inventory search of VUE's in the NY/NJ/CT area. They're out there.

As for the interior quality, again, I ask anyone to go and sit in one.... touch, press, feel, tap the dash, buttons, console, e-brake, etc. It's a notch below it's competitors.... so it has to offer something they don't. It appears GM was hoping that would be the combination of CVT, 5-speed auto with the V6 and the dealer service. However, the 5-speed auto I drove was NOT on par with the smooth shifting 4-speed in the L-cars with V6. The CVT is a technical wonder but is untested on the market in the U.S.....and worse yet, you can't GET the 4-cyl VUE with a regular Auto Tranny like the great one in the L-series mated to same 2.2L.. At this point it appears the one and only thing the VUE DOES have over its competition is a great service department/network. If it DOES break, you'll get Saturn's excellent customer service. Look, to each his own. To happy VUE and SantaFe owners, enjoy your new vehicles!

But, I have to take issue with the person who suggested SantaFe boards are full of owners with problems and VUE's are not. I'm currently deciding between a VUE and L-series Wagon and I'm suggesting folks looking at the VUE go to the forums at 'SATURNFANS.COM' There are posts and posts and posts about the infamous VUE Steering pop, front suspension clunk, onboard computer failure, CVT shift issues, interior trim problems, interior leaks, etc. Like any car it seems to have first and second year issues that will hopefully be worked out in the third year (?). I've also spoken to two Saturn service managers in my area (Westchester/Rockland NY) who both claim the L-series is bullet-proof at this point and admitted the VUE has quite its share of growing pains like the L did when it came out. But to suggest the VUE is less trouble prone then it's competitors... the SantaFe in particular... isn't fair.

And again, I'm about to become a Saturn Owner so I'm not trying to flame it... just trying to be a person who doesn't want to regret his purchase and is doing a LOT of research.

vuefor2

The big problems I see with Santa Fe are the looks (butt ugly in my opinion), the poor service and the questionable long term reliability. I remember a good friend of mine bought a Hyundia and while it was great for the first 3 years, things literally came apart after that. The thing became a nightmare and she sold it and bought a Neon which she still drives and likes. While I know things have improved, I still would never buy one until I see a 6 year old Hyundia that doesn't look 10 years old.

Getting back to the VUE, we have a V6 and I don't find the auto jerky and I don't find the truck noisy. As for sales, I read somewhere that VUE is outselling Santa Fe so I don't think your observations that it is not are accurate. In fact, our dealer has only 3 2003's in stock.

jmatero

Well, I guess the VUE is selling better in some parts of the country than others... If you're looking for a deal on one and are willing to drive to NY/NJ/CT Area, give it a shot.

nippononly

Neon being called better than anything! :-)
Talk about a cheap car.

I am no great Saturn fan either, was very disappointed with the one I owned, but I also have to chime in here and say Saturn dealer service is stellar - can't be beat.

And I thought this CVT was tried and true in other models in other countries? I wish they would offer it on the V-6...

np1908

There has been some discussion here reported about declining (or even demise?) Sales figures of Saturns. To the contrary, Sales for Saturns have risen by about 22%. GM, by itself had a 18% increase, fueled mostly by 27% increase in trucks. Car sales have increased by only 8% (3% retail). More details can be found in Saturnfans board.
Even by this standard, Saturn sales have been particularly good 'cause Saturn competes in segments which are dominated by imports. And Sales have been impressive for both L and Vue. Of course, the 0% offer definitely propped-up most of the sales growth.
I am of the opinion, that -- more the no. of people experience Saturn, more will be the spread of good-will about the cars, and the better the sales. (Pls be reminded that Saturn has 50% repeat customers)

simonov

Wow, sounds like you've done exhaustive research. I think I see what the problem is. If you are comparing the VUE to a VW, I agree no comparison. I have a chevrolet lumina, pontiac mini van and a vue. The pontiac is the quietest of them all. The Vue is a completely different vehicle, on warm days I drive with the windows down and the sun roof open, I don't do that with either one of the others. You see what I mean, it's an inexpensive (relatively) SUV. I find the dash controls more than adequate, again comparison. The other problem that you will run into is that many of us in this forum own a VUE or are waiting to buy one, so we have already made our decision and we are living with it. We are very much enjoying the cars or else we would tell you. I would be honest if I had problems with my VUE but I don't. It's really just a matter of choice and you are still wrestling with a decision. I also shopped the Santa Fe, Tribute and Escape and when I decided on the VUE I wondered if I had made the right decision. The 1500 mile return policy alleviated those fears. Their are parts of many of the Suv's that I drove that I liked and if I could mix them all together I suppose I would come close to having my perfect car. I also think "paralysis by analysis" is quite possible when shopping for cars. It's a big decision that you have to live with. Let's face it you could be happy with several SUV's. I agree wholeheartedly with what you said about the VUE being one of the best looking, that weighed heavily for me. Who wants to drive and pay for an ugly car. The engineering of the car is sound and the service excellent. It's true that the first models had some leaky AC evaps in the cabin and a strut noise. Sounds like the problems were corrected. Mine was made in June and I bought it in July, I have 2800 miles with no problems. I have the V6 with the 5spd auto. I have noticed that the transmission shifts smoother than when I first got it. It wasn't a problem but noticeable, forgot about it till recently, very smooth now. Give yourself a break, it's only a car and I'm sure you will be happy with whatever you buy, you've certainly done the research. I wish you the best in your car buying decision and when you do decide, enjoy!!!!!!! I will be glad to answer any questions that you have concening my experience so far with the VUE.

dindak

I agree that Saturn could do better but I don't think the VUE is lacking anything that would turn off the average consumer. Compared to some, the interior of the VUE is not as nice, but it makes up for it in other areas such as polymer panels. In my tests, I have also never noticed the 5-speed auto to be clunky either, seemed fine to me though I still think a GM 4-speed would have been better.

5679

Personally, I think the VUE is one of the most eye-catching new vehicles around. I haven't seen a bright blue one and I'm sure my heart will skip a beat when I do. I keep seeing the bright red one around and I think, "That could have been me." But then, when I make eye-contact with the driver, I can tell what he's thinking as his eyes, slowly, with a hint of both lust and drool, scan my Vibe, top to bottom, front to back, "I wish that was me!"
Ha ha!

mmspeal

I have a bright red VUE and can't believe the looks that I still get as well as the compliments when I park it in different lots. So many people ask what it is and compliment what a nice looking vehicle it is.

I must admit ... I never thought I'd like the looks of a hatch back but I've seen a few Vibes around and I like the looks of them too, especially the bright red one that I see periodically on the QEW in the mornings.

jmatero

Oh, I meant the 5-speed manual was clunky.... it's kind of confusing when both the manual and auto are 5-speeds. Sorry. Any owners get the manual and regret not going with the CVT or the other way around?

mmspeal

I have the 5 speed manual and actually find it very smooth. The shifting on it is great with the exception of reverse. If you don't have the rpms high enough in reverse you get this real clunky feel - this is the only thing I've had it into the dealership for but they say it is normal as all of them do it.

vuefor2

I agree, the 5-speed seemed fine to me. It's a Getreg so it can't be that bad. As for eye catching, the Vue is about as eye catching as you can get with out being ugly. When our's is clean and the tires have all been blackened with tire foam, it looks so good. Of course it always rains the day after I clean it though!!

:-)

meems1

I bought a Saturn VUE less than 4 months ago. The stupid thing has been in the shop 4 times. Once for the seat cover which came apart, then again to replace the seat cover (they could not fix the one that was in the VUE) once to repair a securty light and service wrench light and then when we got it back more things were wrong with it then when we brought it in. My VUE has been the the shop since last Saturday the 14th actually it went in on September 11th it was delivered back to us on the September 13th (with more problems than before) the alarm did not work, the power locks did not work and the key less entry did not work. It is now the 18th and they can only tell me that they are working on it and MAYBE it will be done tomorrow. The problem is some to do with the security system and they don't really know what the problem is. The even have some calls in to the plant in TN. They don't know what the problem is either. When and IF I get the VUE back I am going to the nearest Honda dealership and buying a new Honda Accord. I traded my Accord in for this piece of crap VUE. My Honda had been in two wrecks and still drove like it was brand new. My comment for anyone thinking of buying a VUE is RUN AND DON'T LOOK BACK!! Idianostic (logan) since you work at the plant in TN maybe you should call the Saturn dealership here and see if maybe you can help with the problem. The number is 702-252-8900! I will never buy a Saturn again. The service advisor however has been great.

jstine

Having read some of your comments about the Vue, I felt I had to add a few of my own. I have a gold V6 AWD Vue which I purchased from Saturn of White Plains at the end of March - I had a 2002 L300 Sedan for a month - the trunk had a water leak which the dealer couldn't fix. There was absolutely no difficulty from the dealer in returning the L300. I enjoyed driving the L300 - good power and decent handling - but it could use more front leg room - I am 6'3". The Vue now has 10,000 miles on it with no trips to the dealer - I do my own oil changes and tire rotation. I would agree the GM four spead shifts better than the outsourced five speed - however, the five speed probably is the key to keeping the gas mileage north of 20MPG. All in all the Vue is an excellent workhorse with great and very versatile cargo space - it seats my family of four comfortably which the L300 could not. All the comments about the interior quality are from people who haven't lived with the car long term - this is a utilitarian vehicle with good space for its size - it's not a Mercedes nor is it priced like one - the interior works and it works well. While I enjoyed the L300, I think you would be making a financial mistake buying that over the Vue as I am quite sure that the Vue will retain significantly more of its resale value three years from now as compared to the L300. The bottom line is the Vue is a great small SUV.

vuefor2

Well, maybe you got a bad one, but the Vue does not "suck". Give Saturn time to iron out your issues and I'm sure you will enjoy your vehicle. The worst thing you can do is sell as you will loose a lot of money. Unless you have lots to burn, it would be an unwise thing to do.

gehe

(meems1) ... alias "Mr. Angry".
-Ouch, ouch, ouch. So you are MAD as HELL and you probably have every reason to be. I am truely sorry about your hassels with the VUE. We have all been there with some sort of product quality problems before, but the end story is the same. You have to keep calm and work it out with the manufacturer even though you just want to go and HURT SOMEONE !!!
-I could give you a long list of times I wanted to do that. I had the same fustrations with my Tracker tranny rebuild that went from March to August and all I seem to get was alot of jaw wagging and stories. The solution was an AACMO rebuild and the final result will be small claims. Yours has to be through Saturn.
-Getting mad really feels great, but it solves nothing. It's like getting made with an airline check-in person because your flight is cancelled when he/she is the one person who could probably help you.
-If there is one corporation that wants to keep customers it is Saturn. Stay cool. Get it resolved ... go kick the cat !

(jstine)
-Neat POST. Thank you. My sentiments on the interior exactly.

Later cyber "friends" ...

mmspeal

Hey, hey, hey .... no kicking cats!

saturnfreak01

As an ongoing member of the town hall, I can truthfully say I have seen this type of postings before, and it is most likely someone looking to get a rise out of board members.

I doubt the credibility of this personally, but , if by chance it is a "real" Saturn horror story, it is far and few between. If a honda would do the trick , go for it.

maynardf1

Reactions to people who are having trouble with a vehicle are very predictable. For some reason, owners of a given car/truck (not just Saturn) have trouble acknowledging the fact that some individual vehicles are plagued with problems.
It never fails that someone, or several people, will challenge the credibility of the person complaining.
It doesn't matter what kind of vehicle you have and love, there's someone out there with the same model having major problems. It's not a reflection on you and your choice, so get over it.

meems1

why would I make up some kind of story about the problems I am having with the VUE? I have better things to do then to try and get a rise out of board members what do I care about getting a rise out of people I don't know. I just wanted to let people out there know what I was going through and maybe some kind of suggestions. Anyway the dealership called me again today to tell me that the VUE MIGHT be ready tomorrow...they installed the wrong module in the car again. They say that this time it should work....

dindak

Did they give you a car to drive in place of the VUE? Are they treating you well?

shultzie

I own a 2003 AWD 4 cyl. and when the brake pedal is released I hear a squeaking/clicking noise has anyone had any encounters with this type of issue??

simonov

I'm just curious as to who makes the 5spd auto transmission in the VUE. I thought I read somewhere that it was Japanese??? Also is the 3.0 v6 made by OPEL?

simonov

I don't think that we VUE owners and devotees are in denial about any thing. This forum is to honestly address issues and problems. Your statement, "the fact that some individual vehicles are plagued with problems" is simply not true. The Vue is certainly not "plagued" with problems. I have read almost every post in this forum and I bought a Vue and am very satisfied with it. The issues have not been major and for the most part have been addressed by Saturn already. I don't remember any recalls as in some of the "other" small SUV forums. The person was obviously angry that is having problems and I hope that the problems are resolved to their satisfaction. That's the benefit of buying a Saturn, the customer service, knowing that if you do have a problem it WILL be resolved. The particular postin question with the problems and bad experience has been the exception rather than the norm, and being able to determine that is what forum's are all about.

dindak

5-speed auto with the V6 is a Japanese build. The 5-speed manual with the 4 cyl is a Getrag. I think they are made in Germany. GM owns most or all of Getrag though.

meems1

Yes, they did give me a rental car. I am glad about that. I have nothing bad to say about the way we have been treated. Although we had to pull some strings from other people to actually get the service department going. My husband works at a sister dealership so we had to contact some of the big guys to actually go down to the shop and see what was going on.
My anger comes from the tech that was working on the problem. He could not find the problem he said it was some kind of electrical problem when all along the problem was that they installed a chip that did not even belong in my car. That however worries me that the service department would install a chip that did not even belong in my VUE. So next time I have to bring it in I will go to the other Saturn dealership and see if maybe the service department there are better trained. When the service department called the plant in TN for help over the phone they were unable to find the problem as well. Seems to me that if you build the car you should be able to fix the car. But, I guess that's just not the case. I love the VUE other wise its great and I really get good feed back from people who see it and they come up to me and ask to look at it and how nice it looks.
I guess you don't want these kinds of problems when you buy your 1st brand new car.

rbb2

From the Detroit Free Press:

There aren't many left, but at least they are cheap.

Just days after saying it is running out of 2002 model-year cars and trucks, General Motors Corp. said it will offer 5-year, 0-percent financing on the few remaining 2002s.

Previously, the automaker offered rebates or cheap loans on 2002 models, but it did not offer 0-percent financing. No-interest loans were already available on 2003 models, but not on 60-month loans.

Despite a sluggish economy and sagging stock market, the auto industry is on pace for only a slight dropoff in sales this year, thanks largely to generous and intriguing offers, including no-interest loans and rebates as large as $4,000.

John Devine, GM's vice chairman and chief financial officer, told investors this week that sales at GM would suffer compared with those of rivals that still have ample stock of 2002 models.

"Our competitors still have '02 models and we are working from '03 models," he said, according to the Dow Jones news service. "This will hurt us for about a month or so."

Although the supply is minimal, spokeswoman Elaine Redd said GM wants to finish clearing out the inventory. "We absolutely know there are shoppers out there who are shopping for closeouts, and we want to give them a compelling offer."

Cheap loans and cash-back offers on GM's 2003 models did not change.

Advertising of the 2002 close-out begins today.

The current offer covers all of GM's brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saab and Saturn. The 0-percent loans are available only to qualified buyers.

The deal runs Sept. 19 through Sept. 30.

dindak

Glad to hear Saturn is still treating people well. I guess being a first year vehicle, there is always a better chance of things like this happening. Still, the tech working on your VUE should have been able to fix the thing by now.

Good luck and let us know how it ends.

rusty24

I wont to install after market am fm cd radio in my 2002 saturn vue I have heard it will prevent my door chimes from working any one know if this is true or any other side affects?

jmatero

I have to tell you, there is NOTHING worse than buying a new car... particularly one so many people praise... and getting a lemon. I've been there and these boards are really the only outlet a frustrated owner has to vent. I'm a little worried about buying one myself as I hate loud rattle boxes and I'm scared with all the plastic the VUE might turn into one down the road. If I DO go with the VUE, at the first sign of a problem in the first 30 days (one that isn't quickly and easily fixed) I'll return it... promptly. Actually, I have to tell you.... I waas one of those people that points and laughs at Aztek owners. I always thought "How could ANYONE buy that THING". But I have to tell you, I finally checked one out yesterday... 2003 FWD model... and I have to say, it is probably one of the tightest vehicles I've ever come by. It's built like a tank and the interior is tight, solid and comfortable. While no speed demon, it is VERY quiet... like a tomb... and the power is more than adequate. And while the looks are a little odd, the functionality makes a Loaded VUE look stripped. The pockets, power outlets, compartments in the rear, flip/removable rear seats, standard ABS with Traction control, roof rack, side airbags, 16" alloys and more make for a pretty impressive package. The real joke is that with the current rebates, I can get one at LOW financing and at a price that is LESS than a VUE with a 4-cyl and auto. I'm not ragging on the VUE... it's on my short list....BUT when I was in the lot, there was a couple checking the Aztek out and they were also torn between it and the VUE. And if you read most of the carpoint reviews of both vehicles, it seems they are cross-shopped quite a bit.

vuefor2

Our Vue is rock solid tight after 4 months. You have nothing to worry about as far as I can see so far. I HATE rattles so I would say something if we had one.

As for the Aztek, I think only a true GM fan would cross shop them. I personally think it's pretty ugly.