Two problems related to clutch have been reported for the 2004 Saturn VUE. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2004 Saturn VUE based on all problems reported for the 2004 VUE.
With only 40k miles on the vehicle, the clutch failed while driving at a speed of 35mph. I had to cut off cars and coast across two lanes to a side street. I couldn't get the clutch to engage. The vehicle was towed to a mechanic and the clutch system (slave cylinder, clutch plate) was replaced. Vehicle is now drivable (can be put into gear), but check engine light hasn't gone off and cruise control no longer works. The mechanic says "no code" appears with code reader. There is also a strong odor of gasoline fumes each time the vehicle is started or is idling. A week previous to the clutch problem, there was a thumping noise under the hood and the vehicle wouldn't start. I had a flashing check engine light, which also produced "no code" with code reader. I ended up having to replace the ignition control module in order to start the engine.
While driving on interstate 84 at 70 mph I lost my clutch and nearly had a collision with a tractor-trailer. The seals in my slave cylinder leaked and I lost the hydraulic power in my clutch. 2004 Saturn Vue, manual shift, 44,600 miles on odometer. I would like to find out how many slave cylinders were replaced in 2002,2003, 2004, 2005.