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Saturn VUE

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  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I got a great deal on my Canadian Vue. 0% for 60 months (I only went 48 months. Plus Saturn made my 1st payment, plus the dealer gave me 2 deal maker coupons worth $200 each plus in Canada you can use your GM Visa that I had $2000 on! It was a way better deal then I was offered on a Equinox...but ....that Honda V6 motor really sealed the deal!!!!
  • silvercar02silvercar02 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2002 Vue and the warranty is just about to run out. I have had no problems, however, I am thinking about getting an extended warranty on it. I would love some feedback --- Is a warranty really necessary? anyone had any problems with a 2002 Vue after 36000 miles??? I checked with the dealer and their prices are a bit high --- I did some research on the internet and found better pricing. I also check out the companies and they were rated okay by BBB. Does anyone have info regarding these internet warranty companies? I would love some advice or suggestions???
  • carguy1234carguy1234 Member Posts: 233
    Just curious - what was the dealer price quoted for the extended warranty?

    I don't trust any of the non-factory companies. I've read enough posts from people getting burned by them to scare me away.

    I'd like to dump our VUE, but my wife still likes it so we are keeping it. Our latest is a gas tank and fuel sending unit replacement, as it was always reading empty.

    The car seems top develop some type of issue about every 4-6 months for us. Each time, the dealership will say something like "we see a lot of that". Doesn't make me feel real good about long term ownership!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    You might want to check out the Extended Warranties discussion.

    tidester, host
  • silvercar02silvercar02 Member Posts: 2
    the dealer quote for the warranty was 24/30 at $906, 36/45 at $1155, 48/50 at $1397 and 5/60 at $1964 ---- that's for complete coverage with the exception of the usual maintenance stuff. and I believe those mileages are not total odometer but above what's on the car now. I didn't really get into the details with the deal cause I felt it was too much money. Actually this warranty is administred by Automotive Warranty Services, Inc. so I just wonder if it's a factory warranty???

    Sorry to hear you have/or are having problems -- I really like my Vue. Is your Vue a 2002 FWD 5speed manual -- that's what this is. Did you have problems with it right from the start?
  • sunshine_926sunshine_926 Member Posts: 5
    My husband offen comments on the steering, I don't know what he's talking about though. I'm going to bookmark your message and ask him about it when he gets home from work.

    Have you had any other problems with Saturn?

    My first Saturn was my 2004 VUE, right off the lot it had a majoy Transmission problem, they replaced it with another vue, that was not getting propper Gas milage, the Vue I have now is the one that was recalled, and recently it has been leaking some brown fluid (probably transmission fluid) but no saturn Dealership can explain it.

    I have been in contact with Saturn of TN, the HEADQUARTERS, and they assured me that the recall was not a safety recall but a customer satisfaction recall.

    My husband and I do NOT feel safe in Saturns and we are requesting a NEW car, from one of thier lots, we'd like to get one that is NOT a Saturn.

    Any suggestions on what we should do. I am very unhappy in my Saturn, and the head lady said ot me that "Saturn doesn't want you driving around in one of thier cars unhappy, it's not good for either of us"
     
    I'm not happy!!! I can't figure out how to get them to make me happy....

    Suggestions??????
  • johnbjohnb Member Posts: 32
    sunshine,
    Your comment about not getting proper gas mileage on your 2004 VUE has intrigued me.

    I also have a 2004 VUE. I have had no real problems with mine other than poor fuel mileage. I get 19-21 city and 23-24 highway. It's a 4cyl 5sp FWD that is supposed to get 24/29 city/hwy according to the sticker.

    I posed the mileage question to this forum shortly after getting the VUE. Someone said that the milage should improve in the first 5k miles or so. We are now over 4k and no improvement.

    What engine combo did you have fuel mileage problems with?
    What did Saturn HQ say/do about it?

    Any response would be greatly appreciated.
    Thanks.
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I have a 04 AWD V6 vue. My hiway mileage is 30ish mpg hiway at 110 kmh & about 22 mpg in town. This converts to 25 mpg hiwayat 70 mph/18 mpg city in US gallons.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    is closely related to "break-in" process of the new engine, driving habits (shifting-AC-load etc), tire pressure and some other external factors. Since yours is 5spd, shifting points are important too. Try to shift as early as possible without lagging the engine.
    As a consumer, I never take posted mpg numbers seriously. They are joke.

    I am in the market for small SUV, Saturn is one of my choices along with Escape. Reading all Saturn Vue and Escape related postings all over the internet, learning lot of things even before test drive.
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I owned 2 Tributes (01 & 03) before my Vue. Save yourself some grief & buy the Vue. Vue is quiter, smoother,comfier seats, more cargo room, better mpg. & a ton more power.
  • dan165dan165 Member Posts: 653
    The new Escape is much better for 2005 but I think the Equinox has the best ride quality of any small SUV.
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I test drove the nox. The nox engine was it,s downfall. The engine was noisey & rough at full throttle & ran out of steam at 100 kmh(60 mph). Vue also had 0% financing plus a lot better warranty. In Canada nox has 3year 60,000k warranty. The Vue has 5 year 100,000 k as a standard warranty.
  • rysterryster Member Posts: 571
    From a safety standpoint, there is no reason to feel unsafe in your VUE. Only 1 VUE has a had a real-world failure of the rear suspension. Considering that 250,000+ VUEs have been sold that is not bad at all. The Government has since tested a VUE with the revised suspension and it peformed just fine. All VUEs are being recalled, so we are in the same boat as you. Also remember that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety considers the VUE a Best Pick for overall safety. That's a great endorsement, especially considering it is coming from the IIHS.

    The gas mileage thing is hard to qualify, as mileage varies on driving conditions, tire pressures, transmission type, etc. The window stickers are just an estimate and rarely translate to real life. As a general rule you should experience average mileage somewhere between the city and highway estimates.

    The fluid you see may not be a leak, it could just be residual fluid from a previous overflow or something (maybe some fluid was spilled during assembly). Sometimes fluids like that can drip for weeks before they stop. Is it just a few drops overnight or do you have a large puddle under the vehicle? Did you notice the fluid appeared after any particular service, like an oil change? Maybe the filter is slightly loose or the drain plug not completely tightened...

    I am very sorry you are not happy with your Saturn, but problems like this can happen with any vehicle. Just be sure you have all work and service documentated in detail in the event you pursue the Lemon Law for your State. It sounds like Saturn and the dealer are working with you, but the Lemon Law is always there if you get no ultimate satisfaction.
  • vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    We have a 2002 Vue and we love it BUT after driving an Equinox I see that it is a better SUV over all. Yes the Vue has more power but the Equinox is hardly slow and it is more refined and seems a bit more solid.

    That all said, the deal are better on the Vue as it's been out for a while so the Vue is likely a better buy if you like it.
  • sunshine_926sunshine_926 Member Posts: 5
    The Saturn Headquarters have been working with me, and she has been explaining some issue and concerns I have had. I am feeling much better after talking with her,a nd getting your message.

    The milage thing is still a mistery,a nd yes I have tried all those differnt avenues, driver, tire pressure, road conditions etc.... We'll see, I'm not worried.

    About the Leak, it is not a few drops but much rather a huge puddle. It isn't ALL brown, it is mostly a clear substance, but there is a LOT of brown fluid as well..... My thought is that perhaps the oil or something leaked, and when the condenser from the AC leaves fluid behind, it puddles up, and makes the oil drip off. Makes sense to me, but no one has checked that option either, even though I told them to.

    Thank you very much for your info you had some that I needed, and that I had never head before. No on, even at Saturn told me that the Government already retested the Vue with the new parts!

    Honestly I"m happy with my car, I love it, it is a great solution to NOT getting a mini van.

    Thanks again,
  • whuestonwhueston Member Posts: 3
    I have had the FWD V-6 Vue for 3 1/2 months now, and still enjoy it. No problems at all, except for tinted window scratching in the first week (fixed with no problems). My highway mileage is a little over 26 - I know the sticker said 28, but I am in Florida going 75 with the air on, so we'll see what it is once the winter hits.

    The steering I now like for some odd reason. Reminds me of my '76 Buick Regal - I can turn it with one hand. My Mazda MPV now feels like turning a truck. Sorry to hear of some of the problems people are having, that is why I got rid of the Olds. Alero.

    Good luck everyone with getting your suspension fixed - I recieved the letter and am just waiting for the call.
  • dan165dan165 Member Posts: 653
    The Nox engine is not nearly as bad as you claim and while it lacks a bit of the power the VUE has, it more than makes up for it with ride over all quality.

    BTW, I'm not saying the VUE is bad. We still may get one as the deals are better.
  • johnbjohnb Member Posts: 32
    Sunshine,

    19 mpg is the worst I have ever gotten (only once). I usually get 23-24 mpg for long highway trips. My around town driving has improved about 1 mpg over the first 4k miles (from 20.xx to 21.xx).

    As for puddles under the VUE, I often have very large A/C condenser pools of water under the VUE after driving. It concerned me greatly at first, but I have checked them several times and it has always been clear odorless liquid (presumably just water).

    I have your email address now, so you should probably delete it from the forums before an "email crawler" passes by looking for new email addresses to spam. If it's been too long, you can have the Host delete the information for you (he/she may have to delete the whole post -- I'm not sure).
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    We can't edit posts, only delete them. You can mark your email public in your Profile and it'll be hidden from most harvesters but still accessible to other Town Hall members.

    Steve, Host
  • dana1dana1 Member Posts: 1
    I also own a 2003 Saturn Vue and I have had to have the suspension replaced twice and now I am at 34,000 miles and worried about my warranty on the vehicle. It is very fustrating...
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Were your parts changed due to the recall?

    Redesigned Saturn VUE passes government rollover test (Monterey Herald)

    Steve, Host
  • sunshine_926sunshine_926 Member Posts: 5
    PLEASE Delete my message with my email........ THANKS
  • sunshine_926sunshine_926 Member Posts: 5
    You have had a suspension problem TWICE??????? and now a thrid time with the recall?
    That is crap!!!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Got it :-)

    I'll email you a copy so you can edit and repost if you wish.

    Steve, Host
  • crj1crj1 Member Posts: 70
    I bought 2004 V6 Vue last month and I love it, I got 17" wheels, DVD,XM radio and comfort package. The engine is Awesome!
  • montymonty Member Posts: 1
    I have seen the video of the testing they did on the Vue and have to say that if you drove the vehicle in that manner, you deserve to roll over. The reported failure seemed to indicate the driver hit a curb on the drivers side and it flipped. But it did not explain if the vehicle was in a skid format at the time of impact.

    I have a 2004 Vue V6 Honda AWD and am very happy with it. Steering is great and I have the tire pressure at 36 lbs. Rides very nicely. Yes, the gas milage is not the best but I have had to learn to keep my foot off the pedal as this V6 is a little quicker than the 97 SL2 I traded in for the VUE. I pull a 1500 lb camper with it on occassion with no problems. This winter will tell if the AWD was worth the price.

    I am very happy with my Vue and no real complaints!
    Monty
  • sunshine_926sunshine_926 Member Posts: 5
    Where did you find the video? I'd like to veiw it. Please let me know
  • vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    We have a 2002 Vue and I have never felt like it was going to tip, even in extreme winter conditions. We had the recall work done and I am satisfied that Saturn has taken care of us. No SUV is perfect but given the fix and the stellar 5 star crash tests for the Vue, I feel very safe in my truck.

    We recommend the Vue without reservation to anyone.
  • juliansjulians Member Posts: 42
    How long did it take? What did they do? I have not heard from my dealer yet, only the vauge letter from Saturn.
  • cartroublescartroubles Member Posts: 1
    We bought a 2003 Saturn Vue less than 2 years ago. It has been nothing but trouble since we bought it. Air went out, windows quit working, etc. Little things in the beginning. Yes, Saturn fixed all those. (But a huge pain!) Now... I get to the part when the warranty runs out. We put a lot of highway miles on the vue. Husband is in sales and up and down the interstate every day. Now at less than 2 years old we have 54,000 miles. Of course there are all sorts of transmission problems with the vue. (Saturn recalled this and said they fixed ours) Engine still rattles and knocks. Take it in for the 6th time and they do something to it. About a day later big noises from the engine! Saturn says it is the Crankshaft and that it is not under warranty. (Every mechanic we've talked to says a crankshaft should not go out on a car less than 2 years old)
    After talking with Corporate Saturn, the company says... sorry! Either pay up the $2,000 and we don't put your car back together. So... we pay the $2,000. We have so much negative equity in that Vue ... I'm hoping a Tree falls on it during the Hurricane and it's totaled. I just want out of it. I'm going to put a sign in the back window that says "DON'T BUY A SATURN!" I want to warn as many people as I can that this company doesn't back up its vehicles. Go to any review site and you'll see way more negative reviews than positives. I wish I had only read those before I was suckered into one. I'd love to buy American made cars... but this Saturn experience may be the last straw. My foreign cars never give me any problems.
  • carguy1234carguy1234 Member Posts: 233
    Well, our experience hasn't been nearly as bad as yours sounds, but I unfortunately agree that I wouldn't buy a Saturn again. We have had several warranty repairs with our 2003, nothing major, but hassles none the less.

    The main thing is the material and workmanship quality of the VUE. Our other vehicle is a Sienna, and that is so much nicer the two aren't even comparable in terms of quality (plus the Sienna is a couple years older than our VUE, but it still is holding up much better).

    I see the VUE is now one of the worst vehicles for reliability, according to CR (rated "much worse than average" now).
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I have a 04 V6 AWD. IO am a travelling sales rep that gets a new vehicle every year. I have 12000k on mine in 2 months & it has been the best SUV I have ever owned. In the past I have owned Ford explorer, mazda tribute(2), Nissan Pathfinder, Jeep cherokee(2).My vue totally beats all the above vehicles in ride, power, comfort & fuel consumption.
  • vuefor2vuefor2 Member Posts: 490
    We have one of the first few thousand V6 Vues built and it's been a VERY good little SUV over the 2 + years we have had it. No major troubles at all. There are always a few lemons around but the Vue is generally a good SUV. I think most of the relibility issues in CR stem from the CVT, not the truck itself. I think the CVT is gone for 2005.
  • librarianlibrarian Member Posts: 2
    It's been a few years. Our first Saturn was a '92 SL2. It was a wonderful car that gave us zero problems. We drove it 60K miles in 2yrs and then traded it for an SC2 Coupe. Both my wife and I liked our coupe very much, but my head brushed the ceiling and I didn't have a comfortable position for my left foot. So, we traded it for a Dodge Intrepid, which we liked a great deal. After 100K miles, we sold the Intrepid and bought a Cad Eldorado. We liked it too, but needed a 4 door so traded it for a '97 Deville. The Deville proceeded to eat us alive in repairs. After $8K in 4 years we decided to trade it. Our new Saturn is an Electric Blue Vue. It's a 4 cyl fwd stick shift with leather, sport package II, comfort package and ABS. So far,(150 miles) we like it a lot. Comfort-wise, it will never be the Deville, but then it is not a 40K vehicle. It is, however, quite comfortable. I hope we can say that, after 100K miles, we still love it. I still have another Cad. It is a very nice '90 Brougham with 5.0 cast iron motor. Power-wise, it's a sled, but it is very comfortable and aside from the air conditioning, has caused no problems.

    Librarian
  • troubledtroubled Member Posts: 3
    because of the known vue transmission problems, saturn extended their warranty to 75,000 miles. however, that extension goes with the car, not the transmission. i've just put a new transmission in my 2003 vue for the 2nd time. the original transmission lasted 11 months. the 2nd transmission lasted 9 months. what happens when the next transmission only lasts that long - i'll get stuck with the bill! i'm fighting with saturn now to get the warranty to go with the transmission rather than with the car. has anyone else had this problem?
  • carguy1234carguy1234 Member Posts: 233
    hmmm, this one is new to me. I don't recall hearing issues with the automatic transmission before. Are you talking about that, or the CVT?

    What 75,000 mile warranty are you talking about? That's news to me.
  • troubledtroubled Member Posts: 3
    regarding the automatic transmission. because they knew they were having problems and didn't want to do a recall, they extended the warranty with regard to transmissions to 75,000 miles. i don't have the letter with me but can provide detials later today if you want.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I'm guessing it's the CVT transmission, if you'll pardon the redundancy:

    "While the CVT helped save on fuel economy and offered a seamless shifting pattern, it was not up to GM specifications, the automaker says and has been out of production at various times this year. It was also recalled and GM has extended the warranty on CVTs already sold."

    Car Connection

    Steve, Host
  • troubledtroubled Member Posts: 3
    its the VTI. i spoke with a customer area manager today who told me that saturn will not warranty the transmission vs the car but that they will stand by their product if in fact its a manufacturer's issue vs non manufacturer issue (i.e., lack of maintenance, damage by me, etc.) even after the warranty. they won't put it in writing but say that is their SOP on all their vehicles/products.
  • jayflyer97jayflyer97 Member Posts: 6
    you need to take your vue in and tell them to check the frount strut upper bearings. I've had mine in three times in 2 months for this problem and mine is now a lemon.
  • jayflyer97jayflyer97 Member Posts: 6
    it's the front strut upper bearings. Mine was in the shop 3 times in 2 months and now the car is a lemon because they can't get rid of the problem.
  • jayflyer97jayflyer97 Member Posts: 6
    I posted on here a while back about my 04 awd vue being in the shop 3 times for a starter problem and all the crap I was getting from Corp on them backing their cars and not doing anything about it. Well since then it's been back in the shop 3 times in the last 2 months for front engine mounts. When I took it up the third time I called Saturn Corp while i was there and told them my car was there and that I was 100% sure it was the same problem for the third time different from the starter and I would have Chris from head of service at my dealership call them to let them know i was correct when they finished their work. They said they wouldn't see there being a problem. Well I got a call later that day from my dealership saying it was the same thing, and they were going to have their tech team come in and take a look and fix it and see what comes of it. The tech team couldn't figure it out even though they put the parts back on. They said the problem is deeper then the parts. Chris said that his feelings were that I should be given a new Vue. Well I get a call from Saturn Corp after call after call to them trying to get something worked out. They said they had different options from me to pick from on how to work out the problem. The first was a 75,000 warranty which i laughed at saying that's total crap and the only reason i would be given that is because they know the car is crap. Then they said they would give me my money back but take off money for the use on the car which they said would come to 1500 and i said no because i wasn't paying money for that considering it was a faulty product that they sold to me. Then they asked if i be willing to take another saturn. I said yes but if i ran into the same problem again on this one i would want my full amount paid plus the payments i've made on my car back in full. They said ok, and told me to call local dealerships to look for another vue like mine. Turns out none of the dealerships had any with all the options I had in mine, and considering the 2005 are coming in their wasn't many to pick from. I called saturn corp and told them this and they said well call back and ask about the 2005. I make the phones calls again and find out they have vues like mine but they all have 2-3 different options in them mine didn't have. So I call back Saturn Corp and tell them this and they said i would have to pay the difference. I told them they had to be kidding. I said you offered the 2005 this is what they have, and I need a car that works. They called again tonight to get vin numbers from me and will be calling again tomorrow. They better damn well call back not telling me i have to pay a difference or they are going to have a nice court hearing with me and a lemon law attorney. I mean the one i have now has a leather,power package, sunroof, and side curtains. the 2005 i want has the power and comfortpackage, no sunroof, no side curtains, 6disc cd player/mp3. so where do they get off telling me i have to pay the difference. I see no difference. Plus with the new one not having the side curtains my insurance goes up.
  • DonluceDonluce Member Posts: 41
    I am planning to pick up a FWD Redline, and take a vacation driving it back to California. What would be the best dealers to work with on the east coast?

    Thanks,

    Don Luce
  • dan165dan165 Member Posts: 653
    Anyone here have a Redline VUE?

    If so, likes/dislikes?
  • turksteritisturksteritis Member Posts: 95
    I did a lengthy test drive of a regular awd vue & the redline. THE RL looks great but there is not 3K Canadian difference in price worth of options. I have 17,000k on my V6 04 awd & it is a blast to drive with great fuel economy for 250 hp!
  • mtenamtena Member Posts: 58
    A small SUV with dent resistant, polymer panels AND an Escape-like hybrid engine. Are you listening, GM?
  • dbwordgirldbwordgirl Member Posts: 18
     followed these boards religiously when I first bought my 2003 Vue, but wandered off after everything seemed to be going well ... now I'm freaked.

    My Vue is a 4 cyl. VTi with a little more than 27k miles. Last night the transmission just died. A few minutes of horrible grinding noise was all the warning I got -- I had just enough hill and momentum to coast into a parking lot. Previously, it was noisy (aren't they all) but no problem.

    My dealer's service dept. tells me they've NEVER seen this happen before. I'm a little paranoid that they're laying the groundwork to deny warranty service. (To be fair, I've dealt with them many times and they've been excellent - in fact, I bought my car @ this dealership BECAUSE of the service department and IN SPITE OF the sales department.)

    I read the messages here far back enough to see that transmissions are definitely a problem, but I didn't find anything like this. Has anyone heard of a transmission just going kaput - especially at such relatively low milage? If anyone could point me toward some relevant posts, I'd be most appreciative. I want to be able to argue that it should be covered, should they try to deny. They haven't yet "diagnosed" it, but I know what a cata$trophic tran$mi$$ion failure sounds like, and I'm pretty sure I heard one last night.

    Thanks for any advice! (sorry for the indecision about where this question belongs. If it's in the wrong place please let me know.)
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    While you're waiting for a reply here you might want to look at this discussion and ask around there: Transmission

    tidester, host
  • dbwordgirldbwordgirl Member Posts: 18
    Thanks! I searched the Vue forum for "transmission" but hadn't thought of looking there.

    I just got the call from the dealership. His words (and I don't know transmissions, so I might not have this exactly right) was that some internal belt either fell off or broke. They are replacing the transmission completely and sending the old one back to Saturn for "investigation."

    Have no idea if this is preparatory to denying the service and asking me to pay for the transmission ... or not.
  • krogerskrogers Member Posts: 1
    It's about time to get new tires on my Girlfriend's 4WD VUE (50k mi) before the winter, but it doesn't seem like there are any options in the stock size 235x65R16 other than the original equipment ones. She would like tires with better rain, snow and ice grip because of a long commute on 2 lane country roads. Suggestions? We asked about a change to 215x70R16 where there are more options (0.6% difference in diameter), but were told that this will mess with the 4 wheel drive system. Is this true??

    Thanks!
    krogers
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