Ignition Switch problems of the 2005 Saturn VUE

Ignition switch is faulty, and has been for some time. Sometimes the key will turn, other times it jams and will not allow the key to turn. My mechanic had two new factory keys made last summer as he was certain it was the keys, though I did not believe it and it certainly has nothing to do with the keys. My mechanic is now checking on getting another Saturn Vue ignition switch (has has my VIN). My mechanic has said (last summer and still now) that he believes this was a recall item on Saturn.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. While driving at an unknown speed, the key ejected from the ignition switch independently and the engine continued to run. The contact was able to shut off the vehicle and restart it; however, the failure persisted and recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

Stiff ignition switch right from day 1 when car was new,key does not fall out but jams,also front strut sqeek and creek,sounds like a 100 year old wagon,suppose there was a recall for strut tower bushing,I was charged $410 for the repair in 2005,if anything made it worse,I hardly drove this car it has 81000 km,approx 48000 miles,curious the hatch lock has always been stiff as well and the key gets stuck,sounds to me like a lock problem from the start,did gm outsource the locks like Toyota did with the gas pedals?.

After initial start, the car key can be removed from the ignition switch and the motor continues to run. To switch off the motor, the key must be reinserted as usual. There is no resistance in removing the key while the motor is running.

Tl-the contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while parked, the ignition key failed to disengage from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Djr.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the key would pull out of the ignition while the engine was fully operational. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

The ignition key became very hard to turn on I had to wiggle key around to finally get it to turn. Since that time the key has to be wiggled around every time you want to start the vehicle. Also the key can be pulled out without shutting the vehicle off. If you are not careful to turn the ignition switch completely off before removing the key it is very difficult to get the key slot realigned in order to place the key into the ignition. The key has also fallen out of the ignition while driving.

Starting approx 3 years and 30k miles ago the ignition switch would not tightly hold the key in the cylinder. Approx 2 years ago the ignition key with connected key ring fell out of the ignition lock cylinder and onto the vehicle floor but the vehicle continued to run and act normally. When we arrived at our destination I turned the ignition switch to off without using the key and the vehicle shut off and the column locked. We now drive the car with only the ignition key and small key ring attached to minimize any weight on the key.

The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the ignition would lock and he could not turn to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic who replaced the ignition housing and ignition switch. The manufacturer was contacted and informed him that due to the age and the mileage on the vehicle, they would not reimburse him for the repairs and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 93,000.

While driving between 30 and 40 mph the vehicle experiences a vibration in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was allegedly repaired by a gm dealer at no charge. The problem was not resolved. At least 4 other attempts to have gm repair the vehicle were refused by gm dealers even after the repair bulletin was extended into 2015. Not satisfied I contacted someone at gm and asked for a referral to another dealer in my local area. I received it and took it the referred dealer and explained the situation. After inspecting the car they acknowledged the vibration issue but said that before anything could be done the engine block mounts had to be replaced at a cost of approx. $1000. I thanked them and took the car to my trusted regular mechanic. I asked him to check the engine mounts (without telling him what happened at the gm dealer) and give me a report. Upon inspecting, he stated there was absolutely nothing wrong with the engine mounts. At this point, frustrated and angry with gm, I basically gave up. Furthermore, this occurred at the time of the gm ignition switch recall debacle. Our Saturn Vue also has a problem with the ignition. On multiple occasions we were not able to remove the ignition key from the ignition switch without pliers and a lot of time. It took over an hour on several occasions to remove the key. We found information online where gm acknowledged there was a problem with the Vue ignition switches, but several attempts to have the switch replaced resulted in refusals by gm dealers. I thought this was odd given the huge recall of ignition switches by gm at the time. We basically received the same treatment concerning the rear end powertrain vibration after the initial repair even though the maintenance bulletin extended the repair period. There was an alternate repair if the first repair failed, but the dealer wouldn't honor it.

First occurrence - July 21, 2008 at 35734 miles: the ignition key could not be removed after it was turned to the off position nor could it be turned to the accessory or start position. Saturn of troy, mi replaced the housing, ignition cylinder and keys. Cost was covered by warranty. 2nd occurrence - June 21, 2011 at 57550 miles: repeat of 1st occurrence. Suburban Cadillac Buick of troy, mi replaced the ignition cylinder and keys. Since I had purchased a extended warranty, my cost was $100. 00. 3rd occurrence - September 28, 2012 at 63,597miles: intermittently ignition key would not release from the ignition switch without a lot of jiggling and force. Technician at suburban Cadillac Buick stated that we were not turning the key far enough to release it from the ignition. No action was taken at that time. 4th occurrence - November 3, 2014 at 75778 miles: after hearing a report concerning a gm recall for vehicles which allowed removing the ignition key while the engine is running, I attempted and was able to do this on my Vue. I went to suburban Cadillac Buick where the technician conformed that this was a fact. He checked the VIN against the recall data base and informed me that Vue was not on the list but that I should have the repair made. The parts had to be ordered and the repair was made on December 15, 2014. The ignition lock cylinder and (2) keys were required. Total cost: $330. 36.

On July 23, 2005, I had the oil seal replaced. The Vue had been leaking oil in my garage and other places when I parked. I had to replace the ignition switch on two occasions and was almost unable to get the key to turn. Sometimes took up to 20 minutes or so. On July 22, 2006 I had the air conditioning condenser and seal replaced. It was over 100 degrees. I had to get a rental for this repair. This took several days because the mechanic took my car apart, thought it was repaired, but was not, I was told. Second day of car rental, I was told they ordered the part, but they "sent the wrong part". Finally, on the third day, I was told that the car had to be taken apart again to be repaired. I rented a car for three days. On August 6, 2006, I went to leave to pick up my son, the Vue was in my garage and there was no clutch. I had to call Saturn roadside assistance and have my car towed to Saturn of henderson. On August 7, 2006, I had the clutch cylinder, concentric slave replaced. On Monday, December 18, 2006, I was taking my son to the airport to be with his father for the christmas holiday in michigan. I was attempting to back out of the garage, but could not put the vehicle into reverse. We pushed the car out of the garage. I drove very carefully (a bit concerned thinking it may breakdown) because I was concerned about the possible dangers involved, but had to get my son to the airport on time. I pulled off of the 215 when at that off ramp, all of my gears were suddenly gone. The cables snapped inside and I could not go anywhere, causing me to once again, call Saturn roadside assistance, have the 2005 vehicle towed away again, my son missed his flight to michigan and I had to miss part of a work day and again rent another car.