Transmission Failure Problems of Saturn VUE - part 2

Transmission failed with no warning on my 2004 Saturn Vue with 100,000 miles. The dealer tells me its my problem because they don't have to issue a recall unless they feel its a safety hazard. Well I was in the middle of a busy highway going 65mph when the transmission just stopped. My rpm's revved really high but the car would not go forward anymore. I was almost hit 3 times trying to get off the highway with this faulty transmission and I am 6 months pregnant and had 2 toddlers int he back seat! I would say this is a serious safety hazard!.

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Transmission failure in my 2003 Saturn Vue, mileage is under 100,000 miles.

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Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6) in November of 2009 I had received a letter from Saturn in which it states that my car is a recall, due to a faulty transmission and performance problems. (three month prior to the recall letter I had experienced some difficulties with the car. ) Saturn/GMC do not want to pay the repair in full,$5,927. 03, they want me to pay the half of it. Neither do they help me to get a car of the same year or value. I wrote them a hand written letter and never received an answer from them. After three months I contacted them by phone, to ask what they are doing about the car,I was told that my case is dismissed?( I call that discrimination) I went to court and filed a small claims court against Saturn. Three weeks after they were served the paperwork I received a letter from them that I would have to dismiss this claim since they go through bankruptcy. I am a divorced mature female, and have a small residential,light commercial and janitorial cleaning business. I need the car on a daily basis, and have to drive sometimes far to get to my clients. And since the economy has turned bad for lots of small business owners, like me, I barely make ends meet. I do not have the money to pay for a replacement transmission, nor do I have the other half of what the new transmission would cost. And since I did not design the car neither manufacture the car, I don't see why I have to pay for it. A recall needs to be taken care off from the company who puts them on the market. The time for my car is running out, and for me as well. If I have a serious accident on the road due to a transmission failure and performance issue, or if the transmission catches fire that would be horrible. If I loose all my clients if the car breaks down I won't be able to pay my rent, and end up living on the streets with my animals. Please can you help me to resolve this bad problem? I have run out of options. [xxx].

Vehicle has not been driven since October of 2009 due to transmission failure. Saturn knew of this problem, but because of mileage are not willing to assist me in repairs. I did not get notification of this problem until after I took the vehicle in for diagnosis. The problem with this is I cannot find a transmission to replace it with! I am making payments on something just sitting at the garage and feel helpless at to what to do at this point! it has been very frustrating and agitating. I am not in a position where I have 2 or 3 vehicles just sitting around waiting for me to drive. I have been driving my sisters truck for 4 months . Thank god for her.

2003 Saturn Vue - automatic transmission failure. Was told by Saturn dealership that these were recalled and will only replace the transmission if first owner. I purchased the car from this dealership in 2005 with 30,000 miles and was never informed of the recall. Now the transmission has failed and they want me to pay $5,350 to have it replaced. What is my recourse?.

Transmission was replaced at 30,000 miles while under warranty. Now at 69,000 miles the transmission failed again. When it failed this time I looked online and found that gm had extended the tranny warranty to 5yrs/75,000 miles. I called Saturn about it and they said my VIN didn't qualify for the extension even though it was not 5 years until September this year. Now in November of this year I got a letter saying that it now qualifies for the extension. Now it's over the 5 year time period. I now have a lawyer who says that gm will give half of the money to fix it but I have to go to a Saturn dealer but I have to pay to tow it. In the beginning the lawyer said I would get a heck of a lot more then just half the repair costs plus recover monies for a rental car. How am I going to get the other half plus the tow fees up front to pay. Why isn't there a recall to eliminate this vti tranny. They will only replace it with the same kind but with a stronger drive chain. This is not the fix. They don't want to have to replace the engine in order to upgrade to a different tranny. Someone please help all of us with this problem.

2004 Saturn Vue transmission failure estimated 150,000 cars have this failure faulty transmission wire installed in autos from 2002 thru 2005.

I am the second owner of a 2003 Saturn Vue. I purchased this car in June of 2008 because I knew Saturn had a good reputation and made very reliable and safe cars. On may 10, 2009 my husband, myself, and our 2 year old daughter were leaving a gas station parking lot. My husband put the car in drive and pulled out into the road to begin our trip home. As he pulled out into the road and pressed the gas the car's rpms revved up but the car did not move. We checked to see if one of us had accidentally hit it into neutral, but it was in fact in drive. We had enough force to coast back into another entrance of the gas station parking lot and get out of the road before being hit. The vehicle would not move at all (not in drive or reverse). We had it towed to a transmission shop. They sent it to a local Saturn dealer. The Saturn dealer contacted us and said indeed the transmission had failed. Saturn gave us a quote for repairs which we cannot afford to pay. We were told we would also get a discount as this vti transmission was now the cause of a class action lawsuit. Even if we could afford it, the faulty vti transmission can only be replaced with another faulty vti transmission which could go out at any time with absolutely no warning. Fortunately when our transmission did go out we were safe. However we have a 2 year old daughter and are expecting our second child in a few weeks and it is absolutely unsafe for us to put ourselves, and especially not our children, in such a situation. It is a tragedy waiting to happen. We have contacted local Saturn reps, district reps, and Saturn assistance. All are unwilling to help in any way. The local Saturn representative told us he would not buy the car himself and that the dealership would not even want to purchase it from us if we fixed it. They know it is unsafe and still they will not help. We are left with a parked car in our yard that we still owe $5000 on. We do not feel it is safe enough put our children in or anyone else.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Vue. While driving approximately 45 mph, the transmission failed without warning. The engine still managed to function properly. Roadside assistance was called and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The failure was contributed to the transmission and the technician recommended that it be replaced. The vehicle is currently inoperable and has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 102,000.

Letter emailed to Saturn corporation, 09/13/2008 dear Saturn customer service, 2003 Saturn Vue Friday, September 13, 2008, I was on my way to work and the service engine soon light and decreased power light came on. After contacting the local Saturn, it was suggested to have my Vue towed. So, I had my car towed to the nearest Saturn dealership, cavendar, in san antonio, texas. Today, Saturday, September 13, 2008, a dealership representative called me that they have to wait until Monday, September 15, 2008 to contact someone at Saturn in regard to a possible transmission failure. After reading so many complaints about the transmission used in the 2003 Saturn Vue, does the Saturn corporation / general motors have a recall to repair these transmissions. My car is at about 65,000 miles. I bought an extended warranty at the time of this new car purchase in 2003. The warranty only lasted for a total of 5 years or 75,000 miles. The five years ended in approximately March of 2008. After reading so many complaints about the transmission used in the 2003 Saturn Vue, does the Saturn corporation / general motors have a recall to repair these transmissions? I hope that Saturn really does care about their customers. Sincerely, steven weidner, Saturn Vue owner, san antonio, texas September 13, 2008.

2005 Saturn Vue v6 transmission failure at approximately 86,000 miles.

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2003 Saturn Vue. Consumer states problem with transmission the consumer stated on February 12, 2008 with 73,270 miles on the vehicle, the transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and upon inspection, it was declared that the transmission was irreparably damaged. The dealer stated it failed due to a defective part that was covered by a recall. The dealer replaced the transmission within two days. However, on October 1, 2009, the transmission began having a problem shifting into drive from park. It would take a few seconds to engage. By then end of the day, it was taking approximately 20 seconds to engage. The next few days were progressively worse to the point it would not engage for 10 minutes. On October 13, 2009, the consumer was informed the vehicle needed a new transmission and once again, the failure was due to a defective part. Gm stated the second transmission was out of warranty and they would not provided assistance. Updated 10/20/10.

My 2004 Saturn fwd v6 Saturn Vue has developed a "shudder" in the drive train that's prevalent in the 20 -25 and 30-35mph range under moderate acceleration or coasting. It has never lost traction to the road. The vehicle 75 thousand miles when this started. The frequency of occurrence is difficult to predict but seems to be happening as often as those specific conditions (mph/coasting) present - does not happen when accelerating quickly. I have addressed the issue with my local mechanic who has been service the vehicle for 2 years - local Saturn dealership is too expensive and can never seem to correct problems satisfactorily. My concern with this the issue is could it possibly cause loss of traction and possibly lead to an accident or complete transmission failure. As this seems to be occurring in this model, can the NHTSA investigate?.

The contact owns 2004 Saturn Vue. The driver stated that she received a letter dated November 2009 regarding the transmission being repaired within 5 years, at no cost. The driver stated that her 5 years has expired. The transmission has failed and the dealer is willing to pay 50% of the repair cost. The contact doesn't agree with the cost. The contact also stated that the transmission failed about 2 years ago. The failure mileage was 50,000. The current mileage was 70,000. Updated 04/09/10. The consumer stated the transmission should be repaired at 100%. Updated 05/06/10. Updated 06/14/10.

Without warning, the Vue suddenly came to a dead crawl while accelerating and was almost t-boned. Vue practically died but the engine revved real high. Engine light and reduced power light were on. Got the Vue to crawl home another mile. Later, I started the car and there were no warning lights. Test drove around the block with no problem drove Vue to o'reilly auto parts and used code scanner. The code scanner (autoxray code scout 2500) displayed the following messages; engine light off, p1882 = ratio control performance, p0701 = transmission control system, range/performance, p0700 = transmission control system malfunction. Later, it happened again. Suddenly while accelerating and without warning I had no power. Engine was still running, engine light and reduced power light came on. No power and was right in the middle of traffic, almost rear ended. Picked up code scanner again and took to vehicle. Connected the scanner and read the same codes as above. This time transmission was completely disabled. Towed Vue to south county Saturn in st louis. The dealer called next day and said there is nothing wrong and there are no codes. Dealer said they must have codes in order to repair problem. (there are no specific codes that will display regarding the problem. When transmission fails codes are too broad and do not indicate specific problem. There are no sensors inside the transmission that monitor the actual problems. I insisted that they test drive the car. Reluctantly, they had a technician drive the vehicle home for the rest of the week. Later they said they put an additive in the transmission as per their technical bulletin and then the technician began taking the car home. The problem is the additive will temporarily fix the problem. Of course the transmission will not fail during the week long test drive. They called today and said we have to pick up the car and that the transmission is fine. Now the car is a ticking time bomb waiting for the next failure.

The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the vehicle cannot be shifted into gear properly. When placed into drive, the shifter does not stay in place. The first time the transmission failed, it was repaired at the contact's expense. The transmission failed again, but has not yet been repaired. On may 22, 2009, the vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, it has not yet been diagnosed. The manufacturer is currently being sued by consumers due to the transmission failures. The consumers feel that they are not reliable. The contact is still waiting for a response from the dealer regarding the repair of her vehicle. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 167,000.

My 2003 Saturn Vue vti transmission failed at 59k miles. It was repaired under the extended warranty on the transmission. This new transmission lasted 12 hundred miles. It was again repaired under the warranty, then 1200 miles later it failed again. It was "rebuilt" by the Saturn dealership each time. It is now driving exactly the way it did after the 2nd repair and I believe it is only a matter of time until it fails again.

Transmission shift failures.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Vue. The contact bought the vehicle with 55,000 miles. At 75,000 miles, the transmission had to be replaced. The vehicle would not move when in right gear. The vehicle was towed to the Saturn dealer and they replaced the transmission with a new one, which included a 18,000 mile/one year warranty. On a separate occasion, while driving at an unknown speed uphill, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but after a few minutes, she released the pedal and allowed the vehicle to slide back into a driveway. The vehicle was towed to a private auto body shop. The mechanic searched for a new transmission. The dealer stated that the transmission failed again. The dealer stated that they will install a new transmission at the contact's expense with the same warranty. The vehicle is still at the auto body shop being repaired. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 124,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Vue. After pulling away from a stop sign approximately 40 feet away, the vehicle's transmission failed. The contact coasted to a stop and had to push the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and they stated that the transmission was defective; therefore, the transmission was rebuilt. Approximately seven months later, the transmission failed again without warning. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer and they installed a new transmission. After 30,000 miles, the transmission failed again and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer stated that the vehicle was out of warranty and the repairs would cost $6,000. Currently, the vehicle is at the dealer and has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 46,000 and current mileage was 75,000. Updated 09/17/08. The consumer stated the first time she he had problems with the tramission, a part was replaced, the second and third time the entire transmission was replaced. Update 09/24/08.

Saturn has ongoing problem with transmissions that they are refusing to recognize. My wife's Vue suddenly lost power today in traffic when the transmission failed and almost got in to a wreck. I am tired of them failing to take notice of this; the complaints about this are all over the internet.

2003 Vue, purchased new 9/03- 4 cyclinder vti transmission failed on 4 occassions, car would lose power while driving. Occured between 6-04 and 9-04 - very unsafe pulling out into traffic. Happened on 4 occassions, once car lost power totally - had to be towed. Dealer fixed a different problem 3 different times, problem remained, traded car in 9-04.

My Saturn Vue has a vibration/shudder at various speeds which is caused by a problem with the vti transmission and which started at about 6,600 miles. This is a well-known problem with the vehicle and transmission. Called my dealer and he offered to replace the transmission since so many vti transmissions have failed. The dealer said that they have replaced about 6 vti transmissions already (and that's only one dealer) so probably hundreds ot vti transmissions have had to be replaced nationwide. My Vue has had two recalls for the vti--including replacement of bolts and a software upgrade. The constantly variable transmission (vti) has been a problem transmission ever since it was introduced in the new 2002 Vue and hundreds of owners have had problems. The vti tranmission was delayed several times because of pre-production problems. Now thousands of Saturn Vue owners have many transmission problems, including on-the-road transmission failures which is dangerous. This is a proven defective transmission which has an impact on safety as well as resale value and/or saleability of the vehicle. Saturn needs to either buy back those Vue's with vti' transmissions or offer to replace the vehicle with a non-vti transmission model.

Vti transmission failed at 27650 miles.

While driving in snow and accelerating automatic transmission failed.

Vti transmission failed at highway speed. Could have caused accident, vehicle could not hold speed in the middle of higway.

While driving the transmission failed without warning. The cause has yet to be determined. Please provide additional information.

Transmission failed, dealer had repaired vehicle six times.

While driving vehicle at 35mph at the California highways automatic transmission failed, forcing the consumer to pull out of the road. Dealer will fix the transmission.

I purchased my new 2003 Saturn Vue from york PA Saturn (sutliff group) and they have patched up my 2003 Vue by replacing valves, sensors etc. On the vti transmission/transaxle 4 or 5 different times, which they well know will not fix the problem. I still experience transmission failure during extended periods of driving or times of traffic jam situations. I have experienced transmission problems from the 10,000 mile point transmission was looked at by dealer 5 times avoiding the issue of transmission replacement. Several close calls have invoked me to start a major campaign against the Saturn corp. Gm/Saturn needs to have a replacement transmission - consumers can't afford all of these repairs for what is clearly a faulty transmission that has been discontinued! note to every owner of these Saturn Vues? a decision on the existing class action suit will be made next month! at the very least owners may get a few dollars back for all the hassle we have been through. I am continuing my quest to have gm reimburse me in full for the cost of my vehicle (new cost) or a 2009 Vue to replace mine. I suggest all other consumers of the faulty 02-03 Vue and have these same problems to tell all your friends, working colleagues, etc. Get the word out about gm / Saturn gm wonders why they are in the situation they are in financially now well this is just part of the reason for there downfall!.

Problems with transmission equipment on 2003 Saturn Vue. ** answer required***. Three weeks after the vehicle was purchased the consumer was notified of a transmission related recall on the vehicle. Four months later the transmission failed without warning in traffic. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced (vti transmission). The manufacturer is aware of the problems with the vti transmission but instead of replacing the with a different type of transmission they extended the warranty. The starter and rear wiper motor was replaced. Both fuel senders failed resulting in inaccurate fuel readings. The liftgate became stuck when opened.