Saturn VUE

aquatechie · April 2005

Specs: Orange 2003 w/ V6 engine, AWD, ABS, sunroof, 6-speaker audio w/ CD.
Add-ons: mudflaps, roof rack, rear cargo area cover, rear bumper guard.
Bought the car exactly 2 years ago this day. It has just over 28,000 miles on it. Would I buy another? No. Why? Read on.

I had to have 2 of the power window switches replaced as they required too much pressure to lower and raise the window. This was on the day I took ownership of the car.

October '03, the horn went off in the middle of the night. Burned itself out so that it was inoperable. Technican found a short in the unit & repaced it.

In the interim, the finish on the plastic bezel has started peeling off in the area between the CD head unit and the A/C dials

January '04, anti-lock brake sensor on rear wheel goes up. Got that replaced. Just a few months before, a condition had developed where the car would vibrate violently if the brakes are applied with sufficient pressure while the front discs are wet. One could also hear and feel a distinct knocking noise as the calipers release the discs. The vibration IS NOT the ABS kicking in. This only happens in wet conditions when I apply the brakes 'just right'. Technicians to this day claim not to be able to reproduce this scenario.

In the interim, the adhesive that holds the cloth to the inner sunroof shade started faling. As of now, I can hear the sunroof brush against a flap of cloth that runs nearly the whole length of shade as it opens and closes.

Still liked the car, despite the minor stuff. Drove it from Baltimore to Chicago and back. Twice. Brakes & drivers seat (more on that later) still bugged me.

Fall '04 - rear windshield wiper motor got sluggish. By January '04, it would move 1 inch and stall. I would have to switch it on and of multiple times to get it to work. Bad wiring they said. Got that replaced.

January '05 - started geting creraking noises in the fron and rear when exiting highway off-ramps, or during low-speed manuvers on a parking lot. Had the sway bars adjusted and steering shaft lubricated. By now, my drivers seat pops on it track when turning sharp corners. It also make a distinctive 'crunch' sound whenever I sit in it. The front passenger seat is quite fine, mind you. Technician claims not to be able to duplicate this. Fuel guage stopped working for 4 days. Techs claim it was working normally whe they got their hands on it.

Now the real fun begins. Beginnig of March '05 - the transmission goes haywire. I back out of a parking space, shift into drive and the car won't move. Have to turn the engine on and off and shift from park to drive several times before the car will move. Less than 1000 feet away while stopped in traffic at a red light., transmission stalls again. Mind you, the engine responds to the accelerator just fine, The tranny just isn't sending th power to the wheels. Techs said it was an electrical problem - broken wires. Took 4 days to get that and the suspension recall squared away. (BTW, the suspension upgrade hasn't affected the vehicle driving characterstics at all.)

Today. This morning. The transmission goes up! Again! Same deal with doing all the shutdown/startup/shifting and repeating to get the !@#$ thing moving again. Called to make an appoinment and request a loaner car. Service department was too busy to answer, so a receptionist took my info for service to call me back. That was 5 hours ago. And servce never called back.

As I stated earlier, I can handle of the minor stuff. But when major things (like the driver seat, the brakes, and, oh yeah, THe TRANSMISSION) start developing problems, it does not inspire confidence in the brand. I've got 3 more years of payments and just under 7,000 miles of warrany left on the car. And you know I'm going to burn that 7k miles before the end of this year.

Saturn won't be geting this customer back.

BTW, if anyone has any comments on the root of my transmission problems, please feel free to reply..

beach15 · April 2005

Here's the official 2006 changes for the VUE straight from a GM ordering catalog:

VUE:
Deletions
Exterior color (17U) Dragonfly Green
Exterior color (88U) Storm Grey
Interior colors (17*) Grey and (52*) Tan on Red Line
(HAA) Power Package (all items now standard)
(PDB) Safe and Sound Package
(PDK) Sport Plus Package and (PDL) Sport Plus II Package

New Features
Exterior color (32U) Cypress Green
Exterior color (55U) Fusion Orange (Not available at Start of Production)
(PCJ) Sun and Sound Package, includes (U2K) Sound system feature, XM Satellite Radio, (US8) Sound System, ETR AM/FM stereo with CD/MP3 player, (WBM) Sound system feature, Saturn Advanced Audio System and (CF5) Sunroof, power
(PCX) Chrome Package, includes (RC9) Skid plates, chrome and (T96) Foglamps, front (Available on non-Red Line V6 Models)
VUE will be receiving a Mid-Cycle Enhancement (MCE) which includes the following:
Interior changes: Redundant radio controls on steering wheel, redesigned center stack and door trim, redesigned center console, redesigned door panels, a new family of Black Tie radios and new fabric on the V6 Models
Exterior changes: Redesigned front and rear fascias, standard rear bumper protection pad, new hood, grille and headlamps with jeweled emblem and available projector-beam foglamps and bezels on V6 Models.
(UE1) OnStar with 1-year Safe and Sound service plan is now standard on all Models
(HAA) Power Package is now standard on all Models
(V59) Luggage rails, rooftop, bright (not available on Red Line Models)
Standard chrome rear license plate trim (not available on Red Line Models)
Standard Automatic Occupant Sensing (AOS) on front passenger seat
VUE Red Line will also be receiving all of the mainstream VUE interior changes, plus:
(192) Ebony leather-appointed seats with sueded fabric inserts
(AG1) Seat adjuster, power, driver 6-way
(DV5) Instrumentation, unique instrument cluster faceplate
(JF5) Foot pedals, bright metallic
(C2B) Lighting, ambient footwell, in both Warm Amber or Cool Blue
Ebony carpet and safety belts
Floormats, embroidered, Ebony
Unique front fascia moldings and Body-color liftgate handle and license plate eyebrow

cheapskate7 · May 2005

Perhaps in spirit with the oil "crisis", Saturn decided not to offer the 170hp ECOTEC 2.4L engine. A disappointment for many potential '06 Vue buyers. I guess the upcoming hybrid reflects that philosophy.

vanman1 · May 2005

Heard about most of that stuff before but I am surprised the 2.4L is not going into to the 06 VUE because everything I had seen was saying it was coming.

Power package is a must, why would anyone want those strippers they were selling anyway. I am hoping for big things with the new interior.

twain · May 2005

Great news on the VUE. I read on another web site for Saturns that the VUE will get the following next year.

- 2.4L 170 hp base engine upgrade

... That is great news. Why all SUVs don't have a 4 cyl option actually strong enough for an SUV, I don't know. The 2.2 140hp was inadequate for a vehicle the size of a VUE.

Ford finally came to their senses also by putting the 2.3 in the Escape.

twain · May 2005

That does sound like good news... except to those of us who just bought a 2005 VUE!

... Don't feel bad. You could have bought a 2003 VUE like me. The year before it had the excellent Honda 3.5 250hp V6.

twain · May 2005

However, I wouldn't expect more than 22-23-24 in a mix of city and highway driving.

... Our 2003 FWD V6 gets mid 20s hiway and about 20 city. Really not too bad for a "nearly midsize" SUV.

vanman1 · May 2005

I have not seen news of the 2.4L anywhere?

Where did you get that info?

thx

twain · May 2005

I have not seen news of the 2.4L anywhere?

Where did you get that info?

.............From another poster. How accurate it is, I don't know.

vanman1 · May 2005

I have seen a spec sheet on the 2006.

The 2.2L carries on for 2006. A 6-speed auto is coming mid year though.

2006 does see a nice interior refresh though, looks much more upscale.

natocmdr · May 2005

Hi,

I am new to the boards. Was told by a friend this was a good place to get information on my new vehicle.

I just bought, April 29, 2005, A Silver Saturn VUE
2005 model
V6 250hp AWD
Options:
DVD (after factory) super nice 10 inch screen. Wireless headsets or thru the sterio with remote.
Heated Front Seats
Leather Trim seats
CD/MP3 player
Onstar
Side step panel
Front bumber guard (wrap-a-round headlights, chrome)
Read Lights guard (chrome)
5 year 60,000 BtB warrenty.

After dealer discounts of 2250 and company supplier discounts it was 28.200.

I love it so far. Anything peculiar I should know about?

tidester · May 2005

Welcome to edmunds.com! I'm sure others would like to know what you paid. Consider posting your info in Saturn Vue: Prices Paid & Buying Experience.

tidester, host

twain · May 2005

Congrats on your new VUE. Sounds like a great car. We have a 2003 VUE with the 181hp V6. Needless to say, I'd love to have the Honda 250hp engine. I'd also take the mp3 player and the longer warranty.

The VUE is my wife's car and she still loves it. Been to the shop a couple of times for minor things (and that nasty rear suspension recall) but no big problems.

It's a great trip car too. Took a 2000 mile trip last year and was comfortable the whole time while getting about 26mpg.

victorias · May 2005

uh, oh...looks like Saturn didn't pony up enough cash for Edmunds to rate it positively. I bought my 2005 before I read the Edmunds slam on the Vue's steering. When my husband and I bought the Vue, the FIRST THING that struck us was how extremely responsive the steering was. Perhaps Edmunds got a bum steer? How likely is that?

We love our Vue. We took it on a long, interstate trip last month and it was a dream to drive.

stever · May 2005

Maybe they use different OEM tires in your area?

You can ask Karl yourself what perks were involved:

Karl's Daily Log Book (Check out post #399).

Steve, Host

scottawa · May 2005

Yeehaw. Finally, its out of my hair. I unloaded my Saturn Vue last week. After a new bcm, tranny, timing chain, fuel gauge problems, windshield squirter failure, floor vent problems, squeeks, rattles and just an overall rotten experience, I am back in the land of imports. Do yourself a favour folks, if you are reading this and thinking of buying a Vue, give your head a shake. The balloons, the clapping and the family-friendly experience quickly fade when you realize that Fisher Price has made the interior and the engineers that didnt get hired at Lada made the transmission. Am I bitter? Oh ya. I was stranded, inconvenienced repeatedly and treated like cretin when I called GM and asked if my plethora of problems warranted follow-up. All the while, my Camry just kept humming along just asking for nothing but high octane fuel and breaks every 70,000km.

vanman1 · May 2005

I think you got a lemon.

"I am back in the land of imports"

That is certainly no guarantee of reliability, good luck.

vuefor2 · June 2005

I saw some pictures (on a Saturn site I am not allowed to mention) of the 2006 upgraded Vue. It looks very nice, the interior is especially upgraded and looks very high end for this small SUV segment.

Our lease is up in the fall on our 2002 Vue so perhaps we will take a look at the new one. We were leaning towards an Equinox but I like the 06 Vue better from what I have seen so far.

vanman1 · June 2005

The 06 VUE is a very nice upgrade all around. I only wish the 2.4L was put in for the base engine. The new interior is stunning in the pictures I have seen.

Can't wait to check one out later in the summer. Saturn certainly is upgrading it's vehicles, good move IMO.

bpl5150 · June 2005

Hi,

Can anyone help me out. I just purchased a 2003 saturn vue a couple of months ago and when the weather started getting warmer the Service, Brake and ABS lights keep flashing on and off. As it gets hotter they flash more and the speedometer falls back and forth to zero and sticks. At one point i lost the power steering for a few minutes. It seems to happen after the car is sitting in the sun for a while as i have no problems in the early morning or evening. I brought it to my mechanic he said it was the alternator and he replaced it but the problem still exists? Has anyone else had this problem? Let me know if you did and what fixed it. Thanks !!

vanman1 · June 2005

It's not the alternator, sounds like your mechanic ripped you off. Sounds like a computer issue. Take it too a dealer and have them do a diagnostic on it.

vuehater · June 2005

Any one else have this problem? My 2003 (which I hate) has a V6 with AWD. Ever since we bought it we have had terrible gas mileage, maybe 15 mpg city maybe 20mgp hwy. The summer after I bought it I realized that ice cold air was coming through the vents on an 85 degree day when the air conditioning was off. I took it back to the joke of a dealership where I purchased it and asked them to fix it. They basically said I was nuts and they adjusted it but it was really "just fine". Now almost 2 years later while running the heater I could still hear the air conditioning compressor running. I had my husband pull the fuse for the air and my gas mileage has almost doubled. But of course I have no warranty left to take it back in. Also the rotors went bad at 24,000 miles :mad: which they would not cover. The first rear bearing went under warranty but the other there weren't covered and the day I bought the thing the window switches weren't working right. I should have listened to my heart the second day after I bought it and cried all the way to work. I should have taken it back then!!!

music53 · July 2005

Hi, I bought a Saturn Redline Vue at the beginning of the year and am wondering
about purchasing an extendedd warranty, although my wife believes with a Honda
engine and Saturns overall quality that it is unnecessary. Just curious if anyone
has run into problems after the 36,000 mile warranty.

Any imput would be appreciated.

vanman1 · July 2005

I generally would never buy one unless you suspect a major breakdown. Odds of a claim are in favor of the insurer as they know they will make money on average.

Given the drivetrain, I would take my chances. I honestly don't see much upside to the extended warranty.

markfolse · July 2005

Just did a test drive and loved the car, but I have some questions (also from online comment reading here and elsewhere).

First, towing (and recovering) my boat. Dealer tells me 3,500 poinds (about 2,000 more than I need), but I see online that 3500 requires trailer brakes, and the car will only tow 1,000 with no trailer brakes.

I also saw one offhand revier mention slow response in the AWD. What I really want is a vehicle that will pull out my 1,200 boat/trailer up a ramp (replacing my ridiculously light in front Taurus FWD wagon).

Anybody hauling smaller sailboats (< 1,500) with their VUE?

Also, hearing the comment about the slow AWD response, I'd love to hear from nothern drivers (I'm in Fargo, ND). I am convinced that the torque steering problems are addressed (so say the automag review gods), and I'm not getting the "cutting edge of Balkan technology" continous tranmission, but the Honda engineered one.

Most of the consumers love these vehicles, but I need to hear some reassurance from boat towers and snow drivers that the AWD V6 won't leave me disappointed.

Thanx.

turksteritis · July 2005

I pull a 2800 pound 18' boat with zero probs on my 05 AWD V6 Vue. In the winter I haul a double enclosed snowmobile trailer with 2 sleds(2600 pounds) My AWD has no probs as long as I don,t gun the throttle. 250 HP on a light vehicle will slip the tires unless you slowly accelerate on slippery conditions.

burntbysaturn · July 2005

We purchased an 04 saturn view and the odometer quit working at 7,000 miles. When we took the car in to have it fixed, by law, they had to set the odometer back to zero, and placed a sticker on my door that said "mileage unknown" I contacted saturn, and they told me they were sorry about my bad luck but there' s nothing that they could (or would) do for me. They said the best they could offer me is a years worth of oil changes, WOW, My car is instantly worth nothing as far as resale goes (would you buy a car that says "mileage unknown?) and saturn "customer first" tells me sorry, better luck next time. What a dissapointment I expected more out of saturn. Never again. Marybeth callahan kansas city mo.

mikebutkus · July 2005

If you have the VTI transmission... guess what.. bad deal with Saturn... they are no longer putting any VTI transmissions in Saturn cars for a reason... GM doesn't know what they are doing. Need sympathy.. try going to the Nissan Murano site on Edmunds site they have the same problems with higher mileage models. Same problems and those Muranos only only come with VTI. Want more sympathy... that car... that is suppose to get 20 to 25 mpg. According to the members it barely make it to 20 mpg on highway.

mikebutkus · July 2005

I bought a Demo '04 with AWD last year with 6k and with every option you could get. It was a demo, so it was loaded. I have 30K on it and it is PERFECT. I get 21 mpg going to work every day (22 mile trip) I goes in snow but if the car has NOT been in for the rear end "FIX" then don't do it.... there is a recall for the rear alignment bars. Get that but don't let them touch the rear end. Live with the noise.
Great car, regular gas, you can blow the doors of most any car and still get 22 mpg with the air off. The upgraded stereo is suberb sound.. can rattle the mirrors (outside) with Jimi, Morrison or Janis. It has XM and Onstar... I dumped both. Don't need monthly charges for Onstar and I got a Sirus satellite radio and installed an FM converter to the radio. Windshield suction cup holder for the Sirus on the dash and move it to the wife's car if we take hers. She just got a 2006 Subaru Tribeca. She loves it but my stereo is louder and nicer sounding and I think I can still blow her doors off against her 250 HP boxer six that REQUIRES premium gas. Her CD has a screen display showing MP3 folders and song titles, and artists... Nice touch Subaru. Good luck with the Saturn. I did pay for an extended warranty but expect to keep it to 75K if it's this good all the way there.

mikebutkus · July 2005

MANY people drive with the heater/air dial on "upper /defrost" position. If you do... the air will be on constantly... just like if you are driving in the rain.... even without the AIR button on or the light on ! ! With the dial in that position... the AIR is on. Move it towards center only... I did hear that that could still keep the AIR on some cars. I have an 04 and no problems with that. My wife had a '02 Audi and the air was always on.. ONLY way to turn it off... turn OFF the heater/air... no ventilation at all. Even in the winter, you could hear the compressor kick on.

mikebutkus · July 2005

Saturn decided to go with ELECTRIC STEERING... it is kind of funky... you get used to it. Parking the car you will notice the electronic steering is not powerfull enought.
But at 22 mpg city/highway... and 25+ HWY with just regular gas, my 250 HP '04 AWD is a fun car with 30K on it.

mikebutkus · July 2005

They are a 50/50 deal.. the 36K warranty stinks. My former Outback had a bad trans at 40K (Subaru has powertrain to 60K) timing belt problems and piston knock problems. My local Subaru gave me a loaner for the repairs and fixed everything. At 58K I traded it for my '04 AWD Vue.
ABS, sunroof, stereo, power windows any of that stuff GM made COULD go bad. At $80+ an hour for repair work... it's your choice. Extended warrants also cover hotels, towing and stuff like that. If you don't drive far from your home... it may be a wash. 200 miles from home and your car dies you need to rent a car, tow it (car insurance sometimes covers that but that may be for accidents only) and get it fixed. The warranty company could help there. Be warned that some extended warranties don't cover certain parts like emission parts or throttle bodies. There are web pages to inform you what you need covered and what to look out for. You should be able to find one for $1700. See if your union at work, credit union or any association are able to help find one. Some companies make you PAY the bill first an then battle with them.

ray8285 · July 2005

For the past several months I have been pondering what to buy. I did a lot of research. Mainly I looked at cargo space, engine, MPG, looks and cost. By far the Vue won hands down. In my opinion it has the total package. I ended up buying a '02 FWD 4cyl 5spd. I was pleasantly surprised by the pickup and the comfort. I've been through 2 tanks of gas. The first (mainly stop and go in town) was 23 MPG. The second was mostly highway miles 30 MPG. I already had an SL1 with 115,000 miles on it. Nothing has gone wrong with it. It runs like a champ and I expect my Vue will also.

vuehater · July 2005

Thanks for the info but no I dont keep the dial on anything but vent. We have already explored that idea. The only thing that has helped so far is pulling the fuse for the airconditining unit. My gas mileage is much much better now. I was barely getting 20 mpg on the highway. What a huge disappointment. I cant wait to dump this thing. I am only sorry that I was dumb enough to put so much money down when I bought it and I still cant get what I owe!

stever · August 2005

Saturn's New Crossover for 2007 Christened "Outlook" (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

stever · August 2005

Saturn Goes Green With New Hybrid Line (Inside Line)

Steve, Host

snappy3 · August 2005

I did a short test drive of a 2005 with the standard seat (no lumbar adjuster). The seat seemed ok, more comfortable than the Jeep Liberty I had to rent that was quite hard on the tailbone after 3 hours and no better at 13 hours. The seat seemed better than a new CRV, but it is hard to judge.

Would any VUE drivers care to comment on how the seats feel after 13 hours? Thanks.

bcnj11 · August 2005

I purchased an 05 FWD Auto V6 Vue with power seat about 2 months ago.
I have a bad back and have found the seat to be more comfortable than my 04 Honda Accord and much easier to get in and out of. The power seat allows me to slightly alter the driving position whenever the myback begins to tighten up.
This vehicle is a well kept secret- it has been flawless (2.5k miles so far), accelerates very well and I'm getting 24 MPG on the highway with the AC on.

vanman1 · August 2005

Anyone seen an 06 yet?

ems1 · August 2005

I have a '03 Vue. I've driven it a number of times from Philadelphia PA to Tampa Fl. most of the 1000 mile trips were done with stops for food and fuel only (17 hours). I'm 6'2 240 lbs. and find the seats are very comfortable. I have 26,000 miles now and no significant problems to speak of. I looked at the '06 a few days ago. The interior and exterior is a bit nicer but not enough for me to trade my '03.

ray8285 · August 2005

I have put 4 full tanks of gas in my '02 2.2 inline 4 5 spd manual. So far I average 25mpg with one tank getting 30 (almost all highway on that one). I just took a short trip and it was very comfortable. It was about 4 hours long and when I got out my back felt fine (as did my rear). Love my VUE may even get another.

vuefor2 · August 2005

The lease on our 2002 Vue is coming due in the fall. Our Saturn dealer is excited to sell/lease a new one to us. We are also looking at the Vue's sister SUV the Equinox. My gut tells me to stick with Saturn and the 3.5L V6 looks like a nice upgrade from our 3.0 but I like the look of the Equinox a bit better.

We will test them both in the coming week or two.

Any comments on people that have tested both would be appreciated.

njcarlooker · August 2005

Yes saw a fully loaded VUE FWD V6 in NC...dealer had about ten...looks very sharp with the chrome package...interior looks great and upscale.

lovue · August 2005

love the 06 Vue! Got the new cypress green w/full package and it is awesome!! I have NEVER expressed myself one way or another on a car purchase; it's a vehicle, but not this one....IT'S GREAT!! The service and sales personnel are like family. My husband was looking at a ford freestyle.....(had a ford as trade-in) they were willing to give us 5K on trade...Sature complimented me on the mint condition of my trade-in and gave me 8K...go figure. I love my VUE for it's own merit not just the trade $. Go Saturn.

bobw3 · August 2005

Does the Vue have 3 rows of seats?

vanman1 · August 2005

Thankfully not.

bobw3 · August 2005

I was just wondering, since it's hard to compare a 7pass vehicle with a 5pass vehicle. In my opinion if you need the capability of a 7pass vehicle, then there's no sense in looking at 5pass cars, but if you don't need a 7pass car, but it would be nice as an option, then I guess you could look at both, but's it's a pretty significant difference. For the exta 1 1/2 feet in length, I'll take the 3rd row.

vanman1 · September 2005

I find 3rd rows in larger SUVs (like Explorer) to be useless for anyone other than little kids. In a VUE, they would even worse. An extended VUE was initially planned but got scrapped. Maybe the next generation VUE will have an EXT. model.

smu1976 · September 2005

I'm looking at buying a 06 AWD Vue. Is all the engines made by Honda, or only the 3.5V6?
Do these depreciate more faster than comparable models?
I wish the warranty was a 4/50, but the crash ratings, on star, awd, and plastic doors appeal to me. Currently have a 99 Suburban, that we no longer need all the passenger room to grown kids (now driving).
Would you buy again? If not, what would you buy and why?

Thanks,

bcnj11 · September 2005

I've had my 05 FWD V-6 for about 3 months
Don't know about the depreciation
I believe only the V-6 is from Honda
So far, runs great, am getting about 21 mpg and expect this will improve
as I only have 4k miles on it
I would buy again

Saturn VUE

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