2008 Saturn Vue Electrical Problems

I noticed a few days ago that the wheel was getting harder to turn so I made a maintenance appointment for Saturday I was driving to work in Texas in Fort Worth coming from Arlington today and smoke started coming from under the hood I pulled over and it was smoking I was on the highway so to get off the highway in a safe area I had to drive about 5 more miles up the road to the next exit so I started driving it didn’t smoke right off so a couple of minutes into the drive it starts smoking so I finally get to the exit smoke is now coming through the vents , I hurry and pull over and go to open the door it wouldn’t open I then I climb over and get out the back door I go into the business parking lot at this point it’s engulfed in black smoke and then it starts burning.

NHTSA ID

11733687

Incident

Apr 24, 2026

Alternator I changed the starter I changed the alternator brand new it ran but then it stopped in mid drive and I won't just start and that's how I crashed into something now my car is wreck in the fridge and it won't start and if it does it stops

NHTSA ID

11612712

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

2008 Saturn vue AWD. Steering wheel is very difficult to turn while driving. There is a lot of resistance. No leaking fluid visible and no visible loss of fluid levels. Transmission was torn down/repaired in 2017 for metal bits present at 95,000 (approximate) miles. It is currently at 107,600 miles. Transmission gets stuck in lower gear and rpms Rev up without the vehicle gaining acceleration. The tear down/rebuild was due to bad 3 5 wave plate also and seems to be replicating the issue again. Check engine light comes on amd goes off intermittently and cannot get issue to replicate at the mechanics. Key has also gotten stuck in the barrel. Took almost 2 hours to try numerous ways to get it to release-also had to unlock manually on the door handle, none of the lights inside worked and when it was able to get started it was very slow and deliberate. Battery appeared to be dead but after jump starting and taking to have it checked, battery was found to be fine. These are serious concerns regarding the vehicle as 1 or all could cause serious damage to the driver and others on the road. It happened again today with the high rpms and low gear/not shifting to next gear.

NHTSA ID

11612064

Incident

Sep 2, 2024

OCTOBER 22 2020 MY HUSBAND AND I HAD PURCHASED A 2008 SATURN VUE (LIC PLATE # 6EZZ507)FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. ON MARCH 25 2021 THE CAR SUDDENLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES THEN EXPLODED. MY HUSBAND MANAGED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE IN JUST SECONDS BEFORE THE CAR EXPLODED. WE'VE COME TO FIND OUT AFTERWARDS THAT THIS PARTICULAR YEAR,MAKE,MODEL HAD BEEN RECALLED. IS THERE ANYTHING COULD POSSIBLY BE DONE?

NHTSA ID

11412911

Incident

Mar 25, 2021

Mileage

87,000 mi

I PUSH GAS PEDAL NO ACCEL THEN IT WOULD TAKE OFF. I HIT A TREE FROM THIS DOING THIS AND SL MM OST GOT HUT BY ANOTHER CAR FROM BEHIND

NHTSA ID

11399651

Incident

Mar 1, 2021

Mileage

216,000 mi

THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH ARE SOMETIMES ON, SOMETIMES NOT ON OR SOME OF THE LIGHTS COME ON BUT NOT OTHERS. WE THINK THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE ELECTRICAL/COMPUTER SYSTEM.

NHTSA ID

11328783

Incident

Aug 3, 2019

Mileage

179,000 mi

DROVE TO A STORE .5 MILES FROM MY HOUSE NOTICED MY CAR WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. DROVE BACK HOME, PARKED, AND TURNED THE CAR OFF, THEN RAISED THE HOOD AND THE WIRE HARNESS BY MY STARTER WAS ON FIRE.

NHTSA ID

11289378

Incident

Dec 16, 2019

Mileage

119,179 mi

FOR THE LAST YEAR, WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, AND WHILE STOPPED WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF. IT WON'T RESTART FOR A FEW MINUTES, SOMETIMES IT WILL RESTART ON FIRST TRY. THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (I'M GUESSING) MAKES A LOT OF CLICKING NOISES-FROM THE ENGINE AND INSIDE THE CAR-DASHBOARD LIGHTS WILL FLICKER, ELECTRIC DOOR AND WINDOW LIGHTS ON DRIVER SIDE DOOR WILL FLICKER, AIRBAGS, HAZARDS, RADIO LIGHTS WILL ALL FLICKER, AND WINDOWS WON'T GO UP OR DOWN, OR WILL SLIGHTLY, DOOR LOCKS WON'T OPERATE, ETC. ELECTRICAL ISSUES STARTED THE SAME NIGHT I PURCHASED IT SEPT. 2017 WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE AND THE ENGINE DIED AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL LIGHT FLICKERED. THE DEALER HAD IT HOOKED UP TO A BATTERY CHARGER THE NEXT DAY AND THE BATTERY DIED. IN ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, WE OPEN AND SHUT DOORS, TRY TO USE ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS (WINDOWS, DOOR LOCKS ETC.), AND THAT SEEMS TO HELP, AS AFTER A FEW MINUTES IT WILL START, SEEMINGLY FROM OPENING AND CLOSING DOORS AND THE HATCHBACK. THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK VIA THE DOOR LOCK/UNLOCK BUTTON ON THE KEY FOB. WHEN DOORS ARE LOCKED AND ALARM IS SET VIA KEYFOB (LIGHTS WILL FLASH AND ALARM NOISE WILL GIVE NOISE TO CONFIRM IT), HOWEVER, THE DOORS WILL OPEN BY JUST PULLING ON THE HANDLE, AND ALARM WILL GO OFF. THE STEERING HAS A LEAK THAT LEAKS OUT ALL THE FLUID IN A DAY OR TWO, AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11287918

Incident

Dec 3, 2019

Mileage

70,000 mi

VEHICLE HASN'T RETAINED CORRECT AMOUNT OF FUEL. VEHICLE HAS ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL ISSUES OUT OF NO WHERE. DRIVER SEAT HAS ISSUES THAT WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THE SEAT TO INCLINE BUT ONLY RECLINE WHICH HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND I'VE ONLY HAD IT FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS.

NHTSA ID

11282295

Incident

Nov 15, 2019

Mileage

154,000 mi

BOTH HEADLIGHT WIRING MELTED. REPLACED BOTH SIDE HEADLIGHTS AND AFTER 2 YEARS THE WIRE HARNESS MELTED AGAIN THE PARKING PAWL GETS STUCK OFTEN. WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN REVERSE THE PARKING PAWL GETS STUCK. THEN IT WILL EVENTUALLY GO INTO REVERSE BUT THE CAR JERKS AND MAKES A CLUNKING NOISE. THE LIGHT ISSUE I'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS NOW. THE PARKING PAWL ISSUE HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.

NHTSA ID

11266537

Incident

May 15, 2016

THE KEY WILL NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE SHIFTER IS PUT IN PARK. THE KEY STUCK IN THE KEY LOCK CYLINDER AND WOULD NOT TURN. ALL LIGHTS STAY ONE IN THE VEHICLE

NHTSA ID

11205411

Incident

May 1, 2019

THE KEY GETS STUCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN I PARK MY CAR. I HAVE THE BARREL TWO TIMES 2017 AND 2018. MY KEY CHAIN ONLY HAS MY CAR KEY AND THE REMOTE AND I'M THE ONLY DRIVER. I HAVE CHANGED THE BARREL TWO TIMES AND APPARENTLY I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN. THIS REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND I FEEL VERY UNSAFE AND I WASTE A LOT OF TIME WAITING FOR THE SWITCH TO RELEASE MY KEY. I'M AFRAID I MAY DAMAGE THE GEAR.

NHTSA ID

11194102

Incident

Apr 5, 2019

Mileage

90,000 mi

WHEN MY VEHICLE IS STOPPED I CANNOT ROTATE THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF POSITION. THE PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED BY THE DEALER AS A FAULTY TRANSMISSION PARK SHIFTER. THE CAR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT POSITION THE SHIFT SELECTOR SWITCH IS "IN" AND DOESN'T SIGNAL THE IGNITION. THE WINDOWS WON'T COME DOWN WITH THE CAR STARTED, BECAUSE THE POSITION OF THE CAR IS NOT CORRECT OR NOT RECOGNIZED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DEFECT, WHEN YOU CAN'T LOWER YOUR WINDOWS OR MUST LEAVE THE CAR RUNNING, FOR FEAR OF AUTO THEFT. THE OTHER SAFETY IMPLICATIONS ARE NOT KNOWN AS FAR AS DRIVING AND CAN'T LOWER WINDOWS OR OTHER MISHAP BASED ON THE UNKNOWN TRANSMISSION SELECTOR SWITCH POSITION. THERE IS A BULLETIN OUT #14633C, BUT IT DIDN'T COVER MY VIN #, BUT I BELIEVE THE RECALL OR SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT SHOULD BE EXPANDED.

NHTSA ID

11181488

Incident

Feb 15, 2019

A/C UNIT WILL STOP BLOWING HOT AIR, THIS WILL FOG UP WINDOWS IN MORNINGS AND ON RAINY DAYS CAUSEING YOU NOT TO SEE AND CRASH NO VISABLE OUT OF WINDSHIELD, CAN NOT SEE..VERY DANGEROUS

NHTSA ID

11166623

Incident

Nov 1, 2018

Mileage

158,000 mi

CAR GOES INTO REDUSED ENGINE POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. ENGINE SHUTS DOWN COMPLETELY. PULL OVER SHUT OFF CAR WAIT AND RESTART CAR. SOMETIMES IT HAPPENES AGAIN RIGHT AWAY SOMETIMES IT DOESNT HAPPEN FOR MONTHS LATER.

NHTSA ID

11155431

Incident

Nov 30, 2018

Mileage

130,000 mi

WHILE THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY IN PARKED LIKE MODE, WHEN GOING TO START THE ENGINE, THERE IS NOTHING. NO CLICKING, NO SOUND. OTHER TIMES IT WILL START BUT STRUGGLE AND OTHER TIMES WITHIN SECONDS OF THE FIRST 2 EXAMPLES ABOVE, IT WILL START RIGHT UP.

NHTSA ID

11151510

Incident

Nov 14, 2018

Mileage

113,600 mi

ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 26, 2018, MY BATTERY DIED. I HAD IT REPLACED AFTER THE TOW COMPANY DIAGNOSED IT. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS MALFUNCTIONG. MY CAR ON A BUSY INTERSECTION JUST DIED WITH ON COMING HEAVY TRAFFIC. I COULD NOT MOVE OR PUT IT IN NUETURAL TO MOVE IT. IT HAD TO BE JUMPED IN ORDER TO CLEAR THE DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY CONCERN THAT THE CAR JUST LOCKED UP, NO POWER OR ABILITY TO MOVE. I COULD NOT USE MY HAZARD LIGHTS. A VERY UNSAFE SITUATION. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND THEN I WAS ACCELERATING THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN EVERYTHING WENT DARK. PLEASE ADVISE OF WHAT TYPE OF DOCUMENTATION YOU WILL NEED FOR THIS FILE? I AM JUST WRITING BECAUSE THIS WAS A SAFETY RELATED MALFUNCTIONING THAT WAS LIFE THREATENING.

NHTSA ID

11144514

Incident

Oct 27, 2018

Mileage

194,000 mi

MY DOOR LOCKS DO NOT LOCK OR UNLOCK INTERMITTENTLY. IT MAY BE THAT THE DRIVERS DOOR UNLOCKS BUT NONE OF THE OTHERS AND AT TIMES NONE BUT THE REAR HATCH UNLOCK AND I HAVE TO CRAWL THRU THE SUV TO GET DOORS OPENED. WHEN NONE OF THE DOOR LOCKS OPEN, THE KEY WILL NOT UNLOCK THE DOOR EITHER. ALSO, ABOUT 1/3 OF THE TIME WHEN YOU USE THE CLICKER TO LOCK THE DOORS, THE HORN SOUNDS INDICATING IT LOCKED BUT WHEN I CHECK, SOME OR NONE LOCKED. WHEN I SHIFT INTO GEAR FROM PARK OR BACK TO PARK, THE LOCKS DO NOT ENGAGE OR DISENGAGE OR ONLY SOME DO. I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID IT MIGHT BE THE LOCK ACTUATORS BUT HE SAID THAT IT COULDN'T BE IF THEY OPEN THE DOORS LOCKED OR UNLOCKED THE DOORS SOME OF THE TIME. HE SAID HE HAD ALSO HAD CUSTOMERS THAT OWNED GM CARS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS AND THAT THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OF GM MODELS TO CORRECT IT. I JUST WANT TO KNOW MY LOCKS ARE WORKING PROPERLY. I WON'T LEAVE ANYTHING IN THE CAR WHEN SHOPPING OR PARKED BECAUSE I CAN'T TRUST THAT THE DOORS LOCKED. IF I FELT UNSAFE FOR ANY REASON GOING TO MY CAR, I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO GET IN AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN I COME OUT, IF SOMEONE IS ALREADY IN MY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11121870

Incident

Dec 1, 2017

AFTER SITTING FOR AWHILE, I TRIED TO USE THE KEY FOB TO UNLOCK THE CAR. IT DID NOTHING. I USED THE KEY THEN TO UNLOCK THE DOORS AND THE DOME LIGHTS DID NOT WORK. HOWEVER, THE CAR STARTED UP WITH THE SECOND TURN OF THE KEY. AFTER DRIVING HOME, THE KEY FOB WORKED AGAIN ALONG WITH THE DOME LIGHTS. WHILE DRIVING AT SEVERAL OTHER TIMES, THE RADIO WILL SHUT OFF AND THE CLOCK WILL RESET TO MIDNIGHT AND THE CALENDAR WILL RESET. THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AS WELL AS WHEN THE ENGINE IS FIRST STARTED. THIS WILL HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS NOW.

NHTSA ID

11113375

Incident

Jul 24, 2018

Mileage

85,000 mi

THIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM AND, STABILITY, ANTISKID LIGHTS STAY ON CONSTANTLY. THE CAR WILL DIE AND RESTART W HIKE DRIVING. THE AC BLOWS FROM BOTTOM HEATER VENTS. BATTERY WILL ACTS AS IF DEAD UNTIL I BANG TERMINAL WITH A HAMMER

NHTSA ID

11104133

Incident

Feb 14, 2009

Mileage

35,000 mi

NOW THIS IS LIKE THE 5TH TIME I THINK I HAVE WROTE A LETTER TO THIS COMPANY AND NO ONE HAS ANSWERED ME I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY CAR BEING PARKED ON A HILL AND IT ROLLS BACKWARDS WHEN NO ONE'S INSIDE OF IT AND OTHER LITTLE THINGS THATS ON THE SATURN RECALL BUT MY CAR IS NOT ON THE LIST. BUT NOW I'M HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY BACK DOOR NOT SHUTTING WHEN I SHUT IT IT OPENS UNEXPECTENTLY. IN THE WORDS OF CAR TALK IT'S CALLED 1. TRANSMISSION CASE POROSITY AT PARK PAWL 2. OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLE STICKS/BIND. ALSO THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ON THE TRANS STICK IS OUT, MY WARNING DASH BOARDS LIGHT COME IN FOR NO REASON 1ST IT WAS OIL LIGHT WHICH I RECEIVED AN OIL CHANGE A MONTH AGO AND NOW IT'S THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, CAR ALARM GOES OFF WHEN THE BACK DOOR ACTS UP. NOW I HOPE TO HERE FROM SOMEONE SOON. I MIGHT GO TO THE NEWS CAUSE I NEED HELP AND YOU PEOPLE NOT HELPING SO THAT MIGHT MAKE U MOVE FASTER. BUT IF I DIE OF MY CAR ROLLS AWAY AND KILLS ONE OF THESE KIDS OUTSIDE I WILL SUE YOU PEOPLE SO HARD. WAITING FOR AN AWSER BYE. FYI IVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE I BOUGHT IT IN 2014.

NHTSA ID

11085014

Incident

Apr 4, 2018

Mileage

115,000 mi

MY AIRBAG LIGHT WON'T TURN OFF. MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS WON'T RESET. THE STAIRCASE LIGHT IS ON, THE OIL LIGHT, THE SUSPENSION LIGHT. I'VE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASING THE CAR WHICH NOW HAS 99,972 MILES ON IT.

NHTSA ID

11051641

Incident

Nov 1, 2017

Mileage

99,995 mi

TAKATA RECALL THIS AFTERNOON, THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I WAS NOT MOVING. PREVIOUSLY, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WENT OUT AND WAS COSTLY TO REPAIR, HAD TO BE TOWED FROM PITTSBURGH TO CLEVELAND.

NHTSA ID

11045394

Incident

Nov 11, 2017

Mileage

139,000 mi

OVER THE PAST YEAR AND HALF I'VE HAD NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES. HEAD LIGHTS DIMMING AND FLASHING AT VERY HIGH INTERVALS ALMOST LIKE A DIM STROBE. RADIO NOT TURNING ON. INTERIOR LIGHTS NOT COMING ON. ODOMETER LIGHT DIMS. RANDOM DINGING NOISE. TURN SIGNAL NOT ALWAYS WORKING OR WORKING SPORADICALLY. FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS NOT ALWAYS COMING ON AND WHEN THEY DO IT'S SPORADIC. REAR WINDSHIELD NOT COMING ON BUT WILL AFTER AN ENGINE RESTART. KEY STUCK IN THE IGNITION. HAZARD LIGHTS NOT WORKING WHEN ENGINE IS OFF. ALL THIS HAS HAPPENED SLOWLY OVER THE LAST YEAR AND HALF. I'VE REPLACED THE BATTERY TWICE AND HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP MULTIPLE TIMES AND THEY CAN'T FIND AN ISSUE. EVERYONE WITH THESE PROBLEMS WILL TELL YOU THAT A MECHANIC CAN'T RUN A TEST FOR THE PROBLEM IF IT'S NOT HAPPENING AT THAT TIME. WE ALSO ALL KNOW TOO WELL THESE PROBLEMS COME AND GO VERY QUICKLY AND SOMETIMES TEMPORARILY FIX THEMSELVES WITH JUST AN ENGINE RESTART, DRIVING OVER A BUMP (WHICH ALSO BRINGS ON THE ISSUES) OR SHAKING THE WIRE HARNESS ON TOP OF THE BATTERY. SO TAKING IT TO A SHOP TO RUN A TEST IS ALMOST MEANINGLESS UNLESS TOWED AND EVEN THEN IT'S NOT 100% CHANCE YOU'RE GOING TO GET A CODE(S) TO READ. THE LAST FEW MONTHS THE PROBLEMS HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. THE BIG OCCURRENCE CAME WHEN I WAS JUST TWO MINUTES DOWN THE ROAD FROM WHERE I LIVE, I HAD THE VUE NOT START UP OR EVEN TURN OVER AND THE KEY WAS LOCKED IN THE IGNITION. I OPENED UP THE HOOD, TAPPED ONCE ON THE BLACK BOX ON TOP OF THE BATTERY AND THE VUE STARTED DINGING AND WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON. I THEN DROVE TO MY HOUSE AND THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON ME AND RESTARTED TWICE WITHIN THAT TWO MIN DRIVE. I LOST TOTAL POWER AND VERY LIMITED CONTROL OF THE STEERING WHEEL. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AND COMPLAINED ABOUT HUNDREDS OF TIMES ON THE INTERNET AND HAS YET TO BE INVESTIGATED. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ELECTRICAL ISSUE. -11.4.17

NHTSA ID

11043306

Incident

Nov 4, 2017

Mileage

65,000 mi

ALL OF MY DASHBOARD LIGHTS INCLUDING MY BRAKE LIGHT IS ON MY EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHT BEEPS WHILE I'M DRIVING BUT IT'S NOT ENGAGED MY SHIFTING IS VERY CHOPPY AND I'M HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THE TIRE PRESSURE AS WELL A FEW WEEKS AGO I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD I WENT TO A AUTOMOBILE PLACE THEY ERASE ALL THE CODES SO WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH IT AND EVERY SINGLE THING THAT COULD GO WRONG WITH IT THEY'RE SAYING IT'S WRONG WITH IT BUT IT STILL DRIVES IT HAS A HARD TIME SHIFTING AND THIS IS AN AUTOMATIC SO I'M NOT IN CHARGE OF THE SHIFT IT'S VERY CHOPPY WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO DIFFERENT GEARS THE AUTOMOBILE PLACE THAT IT'S EITHER THE COMPUTER OR THE TRANSMISSION THIS CAR HAS MILE NUMBER 134380 ON IT IT ALWAYS HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FLUIDS IN IT I ALWAYS GET OIL CHANGES ON TIME I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THIS CAR

NHTSA ID

10960412

Incident

Feb 9, 2017

Mileage

134,005 mi