2002 Saturn Vue Transmission Problems

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM NIGHT CLASSES ONE NIGHT AND MY CAR WOULD START TO SHAKE AT THE STOP LIGHT (WHILE IDLING) WHEN I PROCEEDED TO GO THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR AND WOULD PUTT THROUGH THE INTERSECTIONS. AS I WAS DRIVING HOME I GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THIS GOT WORSE AS I DROVE AND I PRAYED ALL THE WAY HOME THAT I WOULD NOT ENCOUNTER ANOTHER RED LIGHT. WHEN I GOT HOME I REMEMBERED THAT SATURN HAD SENT ME A LETTER STATING THAT " THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT SOME 2002 MODEL YEAR SATURN VUE VEHICLES, EQUIPPED WITH A VTI, MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE NOISE OR REDUCED PERFORMANCE." SO THEY ARE AWARE THAT THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ARE FAULTY. IF YOU GOOGLE "2002 SATURN VUE TRANSMISSIONS" YOU WILL FIND A MULTITUDE OF OTHER CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. IF THIS HAD OF HAPPENED A DAY EARLIER MY CHILDREN AND I COULD HAVE BEEN IMPACTED AND DIED DUE TO THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. I STILL OWE 7000.00 ON THIS CAR AND IT WILL COST ALMOST THAT MUCH TO REPLACE. IF SATURN OR GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO FIX IT, UNFORTUNATELY THEY ARE NOT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10364221

Incident

Nov 3, 2010

Mileage

76,000 mi

PURCHASED A BRAND NEW 2002 SATURN VUE 6 CYLINDERS 3.0 ENGINE. HAD TO REPLACED EVERY ELECTRONIC COMPONENT IN THIS VEHICLE. COMPUTER, ACCELERATOR SENSOR, TRANSMISSION AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE. THE "SERVICE ENGINE" LIGHTS IS CONSTANTLY ON. THEREFORE, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER. THEY TELL ME I NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY AND A BRAND NEW HARNESS SINCE THE NEW THROTTLE BODY WILL NOT WORK WITH THE EXISTING WIRES. THEY WANT $3,000.00 FOR THIS. WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD I MADE THE DEALERSHIP AWARE OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THEY REPLY THAT THIS SUV WAS OPERATING NORMAL. I REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AFTER THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. NOW THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER WANTS $860 FOR THE PART PLUS PROGRAMMING CHARGES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10359068

Incident

Aug 15, 2009

Mileage

25,000 mi

I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 SATURN VUE AWD WITH THE GM VTI TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. TWO DAYS AGO I EXPERIENCED MY TRANSMISSION/ENGINE FAILING FOR THE FIFTH OR SIXTH TIME SINCE 2006. THE VERY FIRST TIME I TOOK MY VUE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN, TX WHERE I HAD TO ARGUE WITH FIRST MY SERVICE REP. FOLLOWED BY HIS MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THE FAULTY GM DESIGN WAS STILL RELATIVELY NEW, THEY ORIGINALLY BLAMED ME FOR POOR DRIVING, RESULTING A BAD BCM WHICH THEY MADE ME PAY IN SPITE OF MY ARGUMENT THE FAULTY GM DESIGN WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM. FIRST TIME IT COST ME $1500 TO REPAIR MY CAR THAT HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS HOWEVER WAS QUITE AN ORDEAL SINCE MY VEHICLE ACTUALLY LOST POWER ON THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I WOULD IMMEDIATELY GO TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE WITH WHAT I KNEW WAS THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER BUGGING THEM ALMOST EVERYDAY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THEY FINALLY ADMITTED GMS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION ON THE THIRD VISIT. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION LASTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR. IN 2007 I HAD RELOCATED WITHIN THE STATE AND WAS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND RELUCTANTLY CALLED MY LOCAL SATURN DEALERSHIP. HERE WE GO AGAIN ANOTHER $500 FOR ODDS AND ENDS AND THIS TIME IT WAS SUPPOSEDLY THE ECM AND OF COURSE IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM! THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINALLY REPLACED ON MY THIRD TRIP! HOWEVER THEY DID NOT PAY FOR MY LOANER CAR THOUGH I REQUESTED ONE. BRINGS US TO 2009, WHEN THE ABOVE MENTIONED DEALER HAD GONE OUT OF BUSINESS AND I OF COURSE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS! LUCKILY I FOUND A DEALERSHIP NEAR AND HAD MY CAR TOWED TO THEM. THEY CONFIRMED BY THAT AFTERNOON THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD! THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, AND CLOSED FOR BUSINESS WITHIN THREE DAYS. NO LOANER CAR AGAIN. HERE I SIT AGAIN WITH THE TRANSMISSION DANGEROUSLY GOING OUT, AND DREADING THE THOUGHT OF THE SATURN DEALERSHIP FIASCOES. AT WHAT POINT WILL GM TAKE THESE DANGEROUS 2002-2005 CARS OFF THE ROAD? *TR

NHTSA ID

10329399

Incident

May 6, 2010

Mileage

108,500 mi

2002 SATURN VUE AWD AND THE TRANSMISSION DIED. WE WERE ON TOP OF A HILL AND LUCKILY WERE ABLE TO FORCE IT UP BEFORE IT COMPLETELY FAILED. THERE WERE NO SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES AS WE WERE AT A STOP LIGHT WHEN IT APPEAR TO FAIL. WHEN CONTACTING SATURN WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT IT IS NOT A "RECALL" ALTHOUGH IT WAS ADMITTED TO BE A MANUFACTURE ISSUE. DUE TO AN ADDITIONAL MANUFACTURE DEFECT WITH READING THE MILEAGE THEY WILL NOT COVER THE COST TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10301703

Incident

Jan 17, 2010

Mileage

94,000 mi

2002 SATURN VUE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ON HIGHWAY. THE CAR MADE A LOUD SOUND AND THE SPEED DROPPED DOWN QUICKLY TO 5 MILES/HR. OVER THE PAST 4 WEEKS I HAD TO REPLACE THE ALTERNATOR AND PULLEY BELTS BECAUSE THEY STOPPED WORKING AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277221

Incident

Jul 17, 2009

Mileage

55,292 mi

SUDDEN, MASSIVE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK CAME INTO CONTACT WITH HOT EXHAUST MANIFOLD. WHILE TRYING TO GET IT OFF OF THE ROAD AFTER A STOP, CLUTCH FAILED. MANAGED TO DRIVE TO A SAFER LOCATION ABOUT 1/4 MILE AWAY. SO MUCH SMOKE WAS POURING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD THAT I WAS AFRAID TO OPEN IT. RETREATED TO A SAFE DISTANCE AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *TR

NHTSA ID

10242990

Incident

Sep 20, 2008

Mileage

92,000 mi

I HAVE A FAILED TRANSMISSION, ON A 2002 SATURN VUE WITH 56K MILES ON IT. I BROUGHT IT IN THREE MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING THEY CLAIMED THEY CHANGED THE FLUID, DID A TUNE UP ETC., BUT THE RIDE REALLY DIDN'T CHANGE. WELL THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY WENT OUT, AND THEY'RE ORDERING PARTS TO "FIX" THE TRANSMISSION INSTEAD OF REPLACING IT. IN FACT THEY DON'T MAKE THE TRANSMISSION ANYMORE (WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE, WHO WOULD CONTINUE TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T WORK) BUT NOW IF MINE GOES OUT I HAVE TO EITHER HAVE PARTS REPLACED, OR GET ONE OUT OF A WRECKED ONE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10162037

Incident

Jul 8, 2006

Mileage

56,300 mi

9/15/04 VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN ACCELERATING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I ALMOST HAD A COLLISION FROM AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. VUE HESITATED AGAIN AND LOST POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO GET UP TO POSTED SPEED. I HAD THE ACCELERATOR FLOORED, RPMS SHOT UP TO 6000 AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR DOWN THE ROAD. ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT VUE WOULDN'T EXCEED 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR. WITH 21,937 MILE, I DROVE TO SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) AND DROPPED OFF ADVISED DEALER THAT TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND ENGINE RACED. 9/16/04 SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) TECHNICIAN DROVE CAR AND FELT TRANSMISSION SLIP. TECHNICIAN DRAINED FLUID AND FOUND METAL IN FLUID AND BELT SLIPPING. DEALERSHIP CALLED TO ADVISE THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED! RETURNED TO OWNER ON 9/23/04. 9/27/04, WITH 22,060 MILES, BROUGHT VUE BACK TO SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) BECAUSE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WAS ON. SATURN VIE WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR DOWN THE ROAD '' ONCE AGAIN, HAD TO TAKE BACK ROADS TO SAFELY GET TO DEALERSHIP. TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THEY HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION THAT THEY HAD REPLACED! WHEN I ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SATURN VIE THE SALES PERSON SAID HE HADN'T HEARD OF ANYTHING. THE GENERAL MANAGER MADE THE SAME STATEMENT. USING THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED NUMEROUS LISTINGS ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WEB SITE. I PRINTED OUT THE INFORMATION AND PROVIDED IT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER - - HE PLEAD IGNORANCE. WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED I ASKED THE SHOP MANAGER IF THEY HAD EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED SEVERAL TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT WAS WIDELY KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10137370

Incident

Sep 15, 2004

Mileage

21,937 mi

DT: CONTACT STATES THE CLUTCH BECAME DISABLED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT CLUTCH CABLE SNAPPED OR THERE WAS PROBLEM WITHIN THE HYDRAULICS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS IN ANOTHER STATE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10127507

Incident

Jul 4, 2005

WHILE TRYING TO STOP BY APPLYING THE BRAKES WHEN APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION, THE ACCELERATOR WOULD NOT DISENGAGE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BE UNSTOPPABLE IN THAT SHORT DISTANCE. THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS OF THIS TYPE AND HAS BEEN REPORTED ON THE INTERNET AND BY OTHER OWNERS. THE RESULT WAS A COLLISION THAT TOTALED THE SATURN AND ANOTHER DRIVER'S VOLVO. *NLM

NHTSA ID

10018584

Incident

Apr 28, 2003

Mileage

9,750 mi

WHEN SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO FIRST GEAR, THE SHIFTER HAD BROKEN. TS THERE HAD BEEN A CHATTER IN THE SHIFTER WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS RELEASED, ALSO WHEN THE GAS WAS APPLIED, SOMETIMES CAUSING A SURGE IN THE FIRST GEAR. THE DEALER STATED THE SHIFT CABLE AND ADJUSTER HAD BROKEN. SCC

NHTSA ID

10004167

Incident

Jan 14, 2002

Mileage

10,000 mi

IN JULY I BOUGHT A 2002 SATURN VUE. OVER CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS I NOTICED IT WAS LEAKING TRANSIMISSION FLUID FROM A CONNECTION IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS AMAZED TO FIND THESE LINES TOTALLY UNPROTECTED AND VULNERABLE TO ROAD HAZARD DAMAGE. DUE TO THEIR PROXIMITY TO THE EXHAUST I'M CONCERNED WITH A RUPTURE AND FIRE. I HAVE PICTURES AVAILABLE TO SHOW THE LOCATION OF THESE LINES BUT AM UNABLE TO ATTACH THEM TO THIS TYPE OF FILE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN!

NHTSA ID

10000798

Incident

Dec 25, 2002

Mileage

8,871 mi

I HAVE ALSO FOUND A METAL CLANKING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER''S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WHEN SHIFTING THE CAR OUT OF PARK, OR REVERSE. IT STILL CONTINUES TO HAVE PROBLEMS BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 12 TO 30 MPH, AGAIN THE PROBLEM PRESENTS ITSELF MOSTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COASTING AND LOSING MOMENTUM. THE VEHICLE WOULD BE SLOWING DOWN WITHOUT ANY AID OF BRAKING OF ANY KIND AND AS THE VEHICLE WOULD ATTEMPT TO DOWN SHIFT, IT WOULD SOMETIMES MAKE A CLANKING NOISE, OR BUCK, OR IN THE MOST EXTREME CASES COMPLETELY STALL OUT. ALSO THE WIPER SPRAYERS HAVE BROKEN TWICE, AND THE DEALER EXPECTS THEM TO BREAK AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

10000748

Incident

May 12, 2002

Mileage

1,000 mi

I HAD MY 2002 SATURN VUE PARKED IN A NEIGHBOR'S DRIVEWAY. TWENTY TO THIRTY MINUTES LATER, MY CAR POPPED OUT OF GEAR, BACKED UP, TURNED, AND ROLLED OFF AN EMBANKMENT, LANDING IN BETWEEN TREES AND ONTO SHOULDERS. WHEN I CALLED THE WEEK BEFORE THE ACCCIDENT, I EXPLAINED TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT I HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS GETTING MY CAR INTO GEAR. I ASKED THEM TO CHECK THAT OUT AND I ALSO SCHEDULED AN OIL CHANGE AT THAT TIME. WHILE SERVICING THE VEHICHLE, THEY TOLD ME THAT THE GEAR PROBLEMS HAD BEEN A FLUKE OF THE VUE. PRIOR TO THAT, I HAD NO GEAR PROBLEMS OTHER THAN A NOISE WHEN I SHIFTED THAT I REPORTED TO THE DEALER IN SEPTEMBER. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE FRONT AXLE NUTS WERE NOT TORQUED PROPERLY. THEY WERE RETORQUED PER BULLETIN 02T52. THE HOUSE THAT MY CAR HAD BEEN PARKED AT HAS A SENSOR IN THE DRIVEWAY, SO I KNOW THE CAR TOOK AT LEAST 20-30 MINUTES BEFORE IT POPPED OUT OF GEAR. I REPORTED THE PORBLEM ON THE MORNING AFTER MY ACCIDENT AND WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER TO CALL THE CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO REPORT THE PROBLEM, I HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT SOMEONE FROM THE SATURN CORPORATION COME TO LOOK AT MY VEHICLE, AND THE SCENE OF THE ACCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSMISSION/ AND PERHAPS THE TRANSMISSIONS OF OTHER SATURN VUE'S. DT

NHTSA ID

770664

Incident

Nov 22, 2002

WHEN COMING TO STOPS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SURGE AS IF BEING HIT FROM BEHIND. AFTER THE INITIAL SURGE THE VEHICLE ACTS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL, STOP OR CUT OFF. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN LOOKED AT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. CONSUMER DOESN'T FEEL THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE TO OPERATE, CONSUMER BELIVES THIS IS TRANSMISSION RELEATED ,HOWEVER THE DEALER IS STATING IT IS A COMPUTER CHIP THAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM.*JG

NHTSA ID

567762