Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Saturn Vue submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I WAS SITTING IN DRIVER SEAT AND I OUT MY KEY IN IGNITION AND TURNED IT TO 1 PAST THE ACC AND I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE IT STILL BEING TURN TO 1. WHILE IN PARK. I CAN ALSO TAKE MY KEY OUT OF IGNITION WHILE IT'S RUNNING WHILE IN DRIVE OR PARK ON THE 1 MARK AFTER ACC. *TR
EVERY TIME THE CAR HITS A BUMP THERE A SEVERE RATTLE FROM THE FRONT END. I HAD NEW STRUTS INSTALLED AND THAT IS WHEN THE MECHANICS TOLD AND SHOWED ME THAT THE BUSHINGS ON THE RACK AND PINION UNIT WERE GOING BAD. I HAVE CHECKED SINCE THEN AND NOBODY SEEMS TO SELL THE BUSHING. THEY WANT YOU TO BUY A NEW UNIT FOR 600ISH DOLLARS OR A REMANUFACTURED ONE FOR AS MUCH AS 300ISH DOLLARS. NOW WHEN YOU PURCHASE EITHER OF THESE UNITS IT IS SUGGESTED THAT YOU ALSO BUY THE NEW BOLTSAND CASTLE NUTS FOR IT WHICH LESS THEN 29 DOLLARS. THE UNITS HAVE NEW BUSHINGS INSTALLED SO I KNOW SOME ONE IS PRODUCING THEM AND YOU CAN BUY THE BOLTS FROM ALMOST ANYONE. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED SOONER THEN LATER WOULD BE BEST AS RACK MAY COME LOOSE FROM FRAME AND CAUSE A SEVER LOSS OF STEERING WHICH WOULD INCLUDE SEVERE BODILY HARM OR DEATH. AND GM DOES SELL RACK AND PINION MOUNT BUSHING FOR THEIR OTHER VEHICLES JUST NOT THE SATURNS FOR SOME REASON! START DATE IS APPROXIMATE THE FORUMS HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME SITUATION BUT NO SOLUTIONS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. WHILE REVERSING THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER (SOUTH POINTE CHEVROLET, 9146 S. MEMORIAL DRIVE, TULSA OK, 74133) STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000.
KEY IGNATION WILL NOT TURN OVER STEERING WHEEL IS LOCKED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE KEY FAILED TO TURN. ADDITIONALLY, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN AND SEIZED COMPLETELY AT ONE POINT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD INSPECT THE VEHICLE LATER AND THE CONTACT COULD POTENTIALLY NEED A NEW STEERING WHEEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 169,000.
MY 2005 SATURN VUE HAS HAD PROBLEMS FOR YEARS WITH THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AFTER PARKING AND TURNING IT OFF, SUCH THAT IT TAKES QUITE A BIT OF "JIGGLING" OF THE WHEEL IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE KEY TO TURN IN THE IGNITION COLUMN. ADDITIONALLY, THE KEY IS ABLE TO BE REMOVED WHILE ON. I HAD NOT THOUGHT TO SEE IF IT WAS RECALLED, BUT WAS TOLD THAT MY FATHER'S 2003 SATURN VUE DID HAVE THE STEERING/IGNITION COLUMN RECALLED AND REPLACED FOR EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUES AS I AM EXPERIENCING.
DRIVING TO MARYLAND FROM CHARLOTTE NC. I WAS ON THE HWY GOING APPROX. 65. CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, NO NOISE, NO WARNING. AS THE CAR SLOWED DOWN, I COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE HWY TO A STOP. LOOKED DOWN AT THE GEAR SHIFT, IT WAS IN DRIVE. THE IGNITION WAS IN THE ON POSITION. I PUT ON THE BREAK AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT OFF THE IGNITION. WAITING A FEW SECONDS, I TURNED THE KEY. THE CAR STARTED UP AND THE CHIME WENT OFF. IT WAS THE CHIME THAT THE CAR MAKES WHEN YOU OPEN THE DOOR AND THE KEYS ARE STILL IN THE IGNITION.( A SERIES OF QUICK DINGS) I DIDN'T OPEN THE DOOR. ALL I DID WAS START THE CAR UP. I CONTINUED, NO PROBLEM. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 29TH, 2014 ON THE HIGHWAY GOING AROUND THE SAME SPEED. THE CAR JERKED SLIGHTLY AND SHUT OFF. THIS TIME IT WAS AT NIGHT. I COASTED TO THE EXIT THAT WAS COMING UP. HAD TROUBLE STEERING BECAUSE THE STEERING WENT OUT, HEAD LIGHTS DIMMED. CAR SLOWLY CAME TO A STOP AT THE TOP OF THE EXIT. SAME SITUATION. IGNITION ON, CAR IN DRIVE. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE BREAK AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. TURNED THE IGNITION BACK ON. CAR STARTED UP AND THE CHIME THAT GOES OFF IF YOU OPEN UP THE DOOR WITH THE KEYS STILL IN THE IGNITION, WENT OFF AGAIN. THE SAME AS BEFORE. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY SATURN VUE'S KEY FELL OUT OF THE IGNITION. THERE IS NOTHING ON MY KEY RING BUT THEY KEY AND THE KEYLESS REMOTE. I WAS ABLE TO RE-INSERT THE KEY AND REGAIN STEERING CONTROL. WHEN THIS HAPPENED, IT MOVED FROM THE "RUN" POSITION TO THE "ACC" POSITION AND LOCKED MY STEERING COLUMN. THE ENGINE ALSO SHUT OFF. I SEE THAT THE 2002-2004 SATURN VUE HAS ALREADY BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT THAT HAS ALREADY CAUSED NUMEROUS CONFIRMED FATALITIES AND NEED TO POINT OUT THAT ACCORDING TO GENERAL MOTORS, THE 2005-2007 SATURN VUE'S HAVE THE EXACT SAME PART NUMBER IGNITION CYLINDER AND SWITCH. I AM ABLE TO REMOVE MY KEY WHILE DRIVING AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRESSURE, AND HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE THE VEHICLE GOING INTO "ACC" MODE WHILST MOVING. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT YOU WILL RECALL EARLIER MODEL YEARS, BUT NOT EVERY VEHICLE WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ABOUT 60 MPH AND NOTICED THERE WAS A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND THEN THERE WAS SMOKE. I EXITED THE FREEWAY AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND THE SMOKE WENT AWAY. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND WE COULDN'T GET THE CAR TO DUPLICATE THE SMELL OR SMOKE. I HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. *TR
I WAS UNABLE TO UNLOCK STEERING TO GET MY KEY IN. STEERING LOCKED UP. THIS HAS HAPPENED 3 OR 4 TIMES STARTING WHEN THE SUV WAS ONLY A YEAR OLD. ALSO MY KEY JUST COMES OUT WHILE SATURN IS STILL RUNNING, THIS STARTED HAPPENING IN 2009. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE KEY. I TRADED KEYS WITH MY HUSBAND. HE HAD THE SPARE. BUT IT IS STILL HAPPENING. I CAN PULL MY KEY OUT AND IT KEEPS RUNNING. THIS SATURN VUE 2005 SHOULD BE IN THE RECALL. I HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN THAT RIDE WITH ME. WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR A INJURY OR FATALITY? *TR
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. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH ATTEMPTING TO AVOID CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE BRAKES AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CRASHING INTO A METAL GROUND WIRE WHICH FLIPPED THE VEHICLE OVER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A BODY REPAIR SHOP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT MADE AWARE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V470000 (STEERING) AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V616000 (STEERING). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.
I WAS LEAVING WORK, I ENTERED MY CAR, PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE KEY. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED AND THERE WAS NO UNLOCKING IT. I CALLED SEVERAL TOW COMPANIES AS THIS HAD HAPPENED A YEAR EARLIER AND A TOW COMPANY CAME OUT, SPRAYED THE IGNITION WITH WD-40 AND IT TURNED RIGHT AWAY. I TRIED THE WD-40 BEFORE CALLING THE TOW COMPANY AND IT DID NOTHING. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, HE HAD MADE A STATEMENT THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS A LOT WITH THESE SUV'S. HE GOT THE KEY INTO THE AUXILIARY POSITION AND HIT IT THE KEY WITH THE HARD END OF A BUTT OF A KNIFE. THIS MADE THE IGNITION SLIP TO THE "ON" POSITION. I COULD THEN TURN THE KEY AND START THE TRUCK. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THIS IGNITION REPLACED. I FEEL THAT THIS IGNITION SHOULD BE REPLACED AS JUST BECAUSE IT HAS NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT WITH THIS IGNITION. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED UNTIL THE KEY COULD BE TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION. I HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AT THIS TIME SO, THAT I CAN START THE TRUCK AND GET TO WORK. I AM TOLD IT WILL BE CLOSE TO $300 TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT!. *TR
KEYS GET STUCK IN IGNITION NOT ALWAYS INTERMITTENT AND FOR NO REASON 5 TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. *TR
I CAN REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS STILL RUNNING. ALSO, THERE ARE TIMES THE IGNITION WILL PHYSICALLY NOT TURN SO THAT I CAN CRANK THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE VEHICLE WOULD HESITATE TO DRIVE FORWARD. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHO ADVISED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,000.
THE KEY WILL NO LONGER TURN IN THE IGNITION. IT'S AS IF I AM USING THE WRONG KEY ENTIRELY. IT HAS STRANDED ME NUMEROUS TIMES. *TR
SATURN VUE WITH SPORADIC ELECTRONIC FAILURE. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FAILURE CONSISTS OF THE BRAKE LIGHTS AND GAUGES GOING TO ZERO. ALSO WHEN THE LIGHTS MALFUNCTION THE POWER STEERING IS DECREASED OR STOPS COMPLETELY. *KB
LAST JAN. 2004 MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2004 SATURN VUE AWD V6. FROM DAY ONE IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS, DRIVE TRAIN, FRONT END ETC.( WE HAVE A COPY OF ALL RECORDS) THE LAST REPAIR WAS A STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENT AROUND JUNE 04. IN JULY 04 SATURN TOOK THIS VEHICLE BACK AND REPLACED IT WITH A 04 VUE. THIS PAST OCTOBER 05 IT DEVELOPED A RATTLE IN THE FRONT END AND SATURN REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. AFTER REPAIR THE RATTLE IS STILL THERE AND I HAD A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP CHECK THE VEHICLE AND ONCE IT WAS ON THE LIFT THEY WERE ABLE TO MOVE THE STEERING COLUMN WITH THEIR HAND. SATURN HAS SAID THIS VEHICLE AND THE LAST ONE ARE SAFE TO DRIVE BUT MY CONCERN IS TWO VUE'S AND BOTH HAVING THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED AND TOLD THERE IS NO PROBLEM. I CAN'T BE THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS REPAIR OR PROBLEM AND I FEEL SATURN IS GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND. *NM
LAST JAN. 2004 WE PURCHASED A 04 SATURN VUE, THE VEHICLE ENDED UP BEING IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS SUCH AS SUSPENSION, DRIVE TRAIN, WHEEL BEARINGS ETC. THE LAST REPAIR WAS THE STEERING COLUMN AND SATURN AGREED TO REPLACE THE M/V. IN JULY 04 WERE RECEIVED OUR NEW 04 VUE. ON SATURDAY WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND TO CHECK A RATTLE IN THE FRONT END. WE ARE NEW SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACE IN THIS M/V. SATURN STATED THAT THE M/V IS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT MY CONCERN IS TWO (2) 04 VUE'S WITH STEERING COLUMN REPLACEMENTS AND SATURN NOT TELLING ME IF THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THESE M/V'S. WHAT ARE THE ODDS THAT THIS COULD ONLY HAPPEN TO US NOT ONCE BUT TWICE.*JB
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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