2008 Saturn VUE engine problems

ENGINE

the transmission will not shift out of first gear

NHTSA complaint #11663992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Sweet smell coming from vents, suspect there is a coolant leak in the heater core, only 98000 miles and the heater core is failing.

NHTSA complaint #11447965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My 2008 Saturn vue Engine size 3600cc, 6 cylinders has been feeling like the transmission is slipping when you get up to a certain speed and this could be very harmful to other drivers that are driving.. Sometimes the car won't go into park or reverse and I feel that since there are 3 RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED THAT THE GM PLACE SHOULD HAVE TO FIX THIS Because someone could get hurt really badly if the transmission locks up while going down the road.

NHTSA complaint #11427977 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. HAVE BEEN TOLD BY SEVERAL MECHANICS THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. SEVERAL YEARS AGO SPENT OVER &1000.00 ON IT ( TRANSMISSION) AT A GM DEALER ONLY TO HAVE THE ISSUE TO STILL EXIST. NEVER BUYING A GM VEHICLE AGAIN.

NHTSA complaint #11372920 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY THE CAR WOULD BEEP 3 TIME WHILE LIGHTS FLASH ON THE DASH. I WOULD LOSE POWER STEERING AND THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF. ... USUALLY WOULD START BACK UP IF I WAITED LONG ENOUGH. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME QUITE A FEW TIMES. I HAVE BEEN ALSO ON A STREET GOING 35 MILES AN HOUR AND SAME THING WOULD HAPPEN. THE LAST TIME I TRIED TO DRIVE IT I PUT MY KEYS IN AND CANT GET THEM OUT. .

NHTSA complaint #11361453 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MY CAR STEERING GOES IN AND OUT LOUD WHINING NOISE LIKE I'M GONNA LOSE CONTROL GOT RAN AND PINION REPLACED AND POWER STEERING PUMP SO WHAT CAN STILL BE THE PROBLEM ALSO JUST REPLACE CONTROL MODULE FOR TRANSMISSION AND NOW LIGHT JUST CAME BACK ON 3 MONTHS AFTER GETTING FIXED SAME CODE P0700

NHTSA complaint #11361220 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

MY VEHICLE'S TIMING CHAIN BROKE WITH ONLY 88,000 MILES. CAUSING ME TO BE STRANDED AND NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THIS SHOULDN'T HAPPEN. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE.

NHTSA complaint #11340066 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 complaint #11287918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 complaint #11155431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 complaint #11151510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION NOW EVERY TIME I KILL THE ENGINE I HAVE TO START THE VEHICLE WITH A JUMP STARTER CAMSHAFT AND TIMING ADVANCES PROBLEMS

NHTSA complaint #11080985 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

VEHICLE WON'T SHIFT GEARS ONE I GET TO THIRD. WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF WAVE PLATE SPECIAL WARRANTY AND NOW I'M 4000 MILES PAST ACCEPTED MILES. GM SUGGESTS THAT I WAIT UNTIL FULL RECALL IS FORCED ON THEM. PLEASE HELP

NHTSA complaint #11063316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

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 complaint #11043306 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY TRANSITION. I KNOW THERE WAS A RECALL AND WAS NEVER NOTIFIED. WHEN I CALLED ABOUT THE RECALL THE WOMAN ON THE OTHER END SAID I WASN'T ABLE TO BE INCLUDED THAT'S WHY I WASN'T NOTIFIED. THE RECALL STATED ANY OWNER. AS EVEN THOUGH I WAS SOLD THE CAR AS NEW, THERE HAD BEEN A PREVIOUS OWNER. I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 420 MILES. MY CAR WILL NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR SOMETIMES, WHEN IN PARK IT ROLLS ABOUT 8 TO 10 INCHES. WHEN MY CAR WON'T SHIFT MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I USE THE TIPTRONIC SHIFT AND WHERE THERE SHOULD BE A 1 FOR FIRST GEAR THERE IS NOTHING. ON THE HIGH WAY WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS MY CAR WON'T SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR TO PICK UP SPEED

NHTSA complaint #11019968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

"TAKATA RECALL" MY 2008 SATURN VUE HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR 3 ITEMS, ALL OF WHICH I AM EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH BUT ACCORDING TO MY VIN NUMBER MY VEHICLE DOES NOT APPLY FOR THESE RECALLS. I DID RECEIVE A NOTICE A FEW YEARS AGO BUT SINCE MY VEHICLE WAS STILL OKAY AT THE TIME, I NEVER BROUGHT IT IN. THE 3 RECALLS ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH, 2. POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, 3. STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT MIKE ANDERSON CHEVROLETT DUE TO THESE ISSUES BUT THE ONLY ITEM THAT'S APPEARING COVERED IS THE TRANSMISSION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MY VIN HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE RECALL WHEN ALL THE 2008 SATURN VUE'S ARE MADE WITH THE SAME PARTS. I WOULD LIKE AN INVESTIGATION TO BE MADE DUE TO MY VEHICLE FALLING UNDER THE RECALL CATEGORY BUT NOT FALLING UNDER THE CORRECT VIN NUMBER CATEGORY. MY VEHICLE CURRENTLY WON'T ALLOW ME TO GO PASS 40MPH, MY STEERING WHEEL GETS LOCKED MAKING IT HARD FOR ME TO TURN AND THERE IS A LEAK, ALSO WHEN MY LOCKS ARE UNLOCKED THE HANDLES STILL WON'T OPEN AS IF IT'S STILL LOCKED. IMMEDIATE ATTENTION IS RESPECTFULLY REQUESTED.

NHTSA complaint #10981721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

REFERENCE # 10945589, FORGOT TO MENTION VEHICLE IS NOT AND HAS NOT SHOW WARNING LIGHT ABOUT THIS.... EXP..NO CHECK ENGINE...

NHTSA complaint #10945826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

ONCE I START DRIVING MY AUTOMATIC 2008 SATURN VUE AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE MUCH. ITS LIKE THE SHIFTS GET STUCK AROUND 3RD OR SO AND IT SMELLS LIKE BURN.

NHTSA complaint #10945589 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

THERE WAS A RECALL BULLETIN ISSUED FOR MY MODEL YEAR VEHICLE: HTTP://WWW-ODI.NHTSA.DOT.GOV/ACMS/CS/JAXRS/DOWNLOAD/DOC/UCM472842/RCRIT-14V614-0055.PDF HOWEVER, WHEN I CONTACTED MY CLOSEST GM DEALER THEY SAID THAT MY VIN WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RECALL. THIS IS CONCERNING AS THE RECALL IS DESCRIBING THE EXACT PROBLEM W/ THE CAR AND HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A SERVICE PROFESSIONAL. ONE OF THE CONNECTORS ON MY ECM SOMEHOW HAS BECOME CONTAMINATED AND IS CAUSING THE CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY DIE WHILE IN USE. ALSO AS A RESULT, THE TCS/ESP/AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ALL COME ON AND REMAIN ON UNTIL THE COMPUTER CAN BE RESET. IT HAS DONE SO TWICE WHILE MY WIFE HAS BEEN DRIVING IT ON THE HIGHWAY, CREATING VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS. IT STRANDS HER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD UNTIL WE CAN GET THE CAR STARTED AGAIN AND OFF THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR IS IDLING, AND WHILE TRAVELING AT LOW SPEEDS OFF THE HIGHWAY. I UNDERSTAND THAT ONLY CERTAIN VINS ARE INVOLVED IN CERTAIN RECALLS, BUT SINCE THE PROBLEM IN THE RECALL BULLETIN LINKED ABOVE IS HAPPENING TO OUR VEHICLE AND OUR VEHICLE'S VIN IS NOT LISTED, I AM CONCERNED THERE COULD BE OTHERS THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS AND COULD BECOME SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF.

NHTSA complaint #10939647 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. ALSO, THE DOORS WOULD SUDDENLY LOCK AND UNLOCK AND THE LIGHTING ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FLASHED. THE CONTACT STATED THERE WERE MANY OTHER ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS THAT WOULD OCCUR WITHOUT WARNING. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO FUNCTION CORRECTLY, THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

NHTSA complaint #10918506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO BECOME STUCK IN GEAR AND WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS ON IT OWN. I WOULD HAVE TO PULL OVER TO SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TURN CAR COMPLETELY OFF ALLOW THE CAR TO SIT FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND RE-CRANK THE CAR FORCING CAR TO RESET TO GEAR 1. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES WHILE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON HIGH WAY AND DURING PULL OFF.

NHTSA complaint #10882223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

CAR IS NOT SHIFTING APPROPRIATELY WHEN GOING INTO REVERSE. ALSO NOTICE ISSUES WHEN DRIVING WHERE CAR APPEARS TO STRUGGLE SHIFTING TO THIRD GEAR. HAS STALLED OUT.

NHTSA complaint #10644385 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

THE C5 PLATE IN THE TRANSMISSION SNAPPED CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO NOT SHIFT INTO GEAR. NO REVERSE EITHER. CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 30, RPM'S WERE HIGH. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. COST TO FIX $1794. RESEARCHED PROBLEM, BUNCH OF COMPLAINTS CAME UP, SAME PROBLEM, SAME MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR. TRANSMISSION EXCHANGE IN LACKAWANNA NY VERIFIED THAT HE HAS DONE SIMILAR VEHICLES WITH SAME TRANSMISSION, SAME PROBLEM. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER NEEDING TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LABELED A RECALL BEING IT'S A MANUFACTURER MALFUNCTION.

NHTSA complaint #10640919 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING, WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. AFTER VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED, IT WOULD SHIFT INTO DIFFERENT GEARS BUT WOULD NOT MOVE. DEALER REPAIR SERVICE CENTER STATES: "38909 TRANSMISSION 3-5-R WAVED PLATE BROKEN AND DAMAGED" PARTS REPLACED: SEAL KIT, GASKETS, NUT, VALVES, COVER, SPRING, PISTON, HOUSING, PISTON, PLATE KIT, PLATE TIMES 2

NHTSA complaint #10631168 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.