2002 Saturn Vue Engine Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE TEMPERATURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT STOPPED TO CHECK THE ENGINE AND NOTICED THAT THE ANTI-FREEZE CONTAINED OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.

WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, VEHICLE STALLED,AND WOULD NOT RESTART. VEHICLE COASTED TO LANE OFF TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE. FAMILY OF FOUR IN VEHICLE. HAD A POLICE OFFICER SHUT DOWN LANE OF TRAFFIC. VERY VERY DANGEROUS. DIAGNOSIS: TIMING CHAIN. *TR

MY CAR SEIZED UP WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD I COULD BARELY TURN OR PUSH ON THE BRAKES! THANKFULLY I HAD JUST LEFT WORK SO I WAS ONLY DOING 10 MPH. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHOM SAID THE TIMING CHAIN WENT OUT, AND THAT WITH THAT TYPE OF MOTOR A V6 THAT IT MOST LIKELY BENT THE VALVES AND ID HAVE TO GET A NEW ENGINE!!! IM CURIOUS IF THIS HAPPENS OFTEN?????

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED AND THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHERE AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DIAGNOSED THAT THE TIMING CHAIN FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

LOSS OF POWER AND EVENTUALLY JUST STOPPED RUNNING. TOWED IT HOME. SUSPECTED TIMING CHAIN. TOOK OFF VALVE COVER AND TC COVER. NOTICED THAT BLACK PLASTIC GUIDE WAS BROKEN IN MAIN PIECES AND MUST HAVE BEEN FOR SOME TIME, FOR CHAIN WORE INTO SOME BOLTS AND COVER. CHAIN LOOKS BRAND NEW AND NO ISSUES WITH IT. REPLACED ALL TIMING COMPONENTS (TWO SPROCKETS, CHAIN, GUIDE, TENSION ARM, TENSIONER, CAM SPROCKET, ETC)., BUT IT WOULD NOT START. CHECKED COMPRESSION (0 PSI AT ALL CYLINDERS), DOUBLE CHECKED TIMING AND WAS CORRECT. ROLLER ROCKERS WERE LOOSE WHEN CAM IS NOT PRESSING ON THEM, SO SUSPECT ALL VALVES ARE BENT. FIX IS TO REBUILD THE "HEAD". I PRESUME THAT IF THE BLACK PLASTIC CHAIN GUIDE DID NOT BREAK, IT WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN OUT OF TIME AND BENT VALVES. THE RECALL SHOULD NOT BE ON THE TIMING CHAIN BUT THE PLASTIC GUIDE THAT IS USED FOR THE TIMING CHAIN. HAD THIS PART BEEN METAL, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. HAVE PICTURE TO SEND IF NEEDED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE VEHICLE STALLED FOR A BRIEF MOMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE REVERSE WAVE PLATE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.

I WAS DRIVING ON A ROAD WITH A 50 MPH LIMIT WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. I LOST ALL POWER TO THE CAR AND THANKFULLY WAS ABLE TO STEER IT INTO THE DRIVE WAY OF A BUSINESS ON THAT ROAD. THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON MY CAR AT THAT TIME AND THERE STILL ARE NO ENGINE RECALLS ON THIS CAR DESPITE THE OTHER RECALLS WHERE THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID I HAD A BAD SENSOR IN THE ENGINE AND CHARGED ME OVER $400 TO FIX. I AM LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED THE INCIDENT AND CHARGING ME WAS WRONG. *JS

WHILE DRIVING DOWN STREET ENGINE STOPPED. REPAIR SHOP SAID THAT TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND IT SHOULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED ON CAR. I CHECKED ON RECALLS AND THERE WERE RECALLS ON THIS PROBLEM FOR 2001 ENGINES! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED! GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS FAILURE! ALMOST $3000 LATER MY CAR WILL BE FIXED! PLEASE HELP? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE REPAIRS WERE UNKNOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 141,000. D

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

I HAD JUST LEFT A STOP LIGHT ON A BUSY STREET IN CHICAGO DRIVING ABOUT 15 MILES AN HOUR AND THE ENGINE JUST DIED. I TRIED TO RESTART THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK TO HAVE IT TAKEN BACK TO MY REPAIR SHOP. THE NEXT DAY I WAS TOLD THAT THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN AND CRUSHED THE CASING AND VALVES AND THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW ENGINE AT A COST OF $3,200.00. I SPOKE WITH THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN TINLEY PARK, IL AND THEY AGREED TO PUT A NEW ENGINE IN FOR $2,200.00. I SPOKE WITH THE SATURN MAIN OFFICE OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND THEY STATED THAT NO RECALLS WERE MADE ON THE 2002 SATURN VUE'S AND WOULD NOT HELP WITH THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT ENGINE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 SATURN VUE (4 CYL, 2.2 L ENGINE, MANUAL TRANSMISSION) ON THE FREEWAY. THE ENGINE STALLED AND THEN LOST POWER. I FORTUNATELY WAS ABLE TO COAST DOWN THE FREEWAY EXIT, AND I (WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF A FEW KIND HEARTED MOTORISTS) HAD TO PUSH MY CAR OUT OF THE EXIT LANE AND ON COMING TRAFFIC. MY CAR WAS TOWED THROUGH AAA TO A SERVICE GARAGE. THE MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE, AND IN TURN DAMAGED THE PISTONS, THUS REQUIRING ME TO REPLACE THE ENGINE IN MY VEHICLE. REPLACING THE ENGINE IS ESTIMATED TO COST BETWEEN $1,800 AND $2,800 DEPENDING UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF THE ENGINE IN MY AREA. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THROUGH READING TODAY THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS VERY ISSUE WITH THE SATURN 2.2 L ENGINES, BUT I WAS NEVER CONTACTED BY GENERAL MOTORS CONCERNING THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2.2 L ENGINE. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE FREEWAY SAFELY, THAT OTHER MOTORISTS WERE ABLE TO HOLD OFF TRAFFIC AND ASSIST ME PUSHING THE CAR TO SAFETY, AND THAT MY CHILD, OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS, AND I WERE NOT IN AN ACCIDENT OR INJURED DUE TO THIS FAILURE AT HIGH SPEED. *TR

2002 SATURN VUE; L61 2.2 LITER 4 CYL ENGINE; MILEAGE 59,323. AUGUST 3, 2008. PREPARING TO ENTER INTERSTATE VEHICLE STOPPED RUNNING. HAD IT TOWED TO OMAHA SATURN FOR REPAIR. SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THAT TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN, AND FALLEN DOWN INTO OIL PAN. ALONG WITH THIS VALVES WERE DAMAGED (BENT) DUE TO MINIMUM CLEARANCES IN CYLINDER HEAD DESIGN. REPAIR INVOLVED NEW CYLINDER HEAD AND TIMING CHAIN ($2650.94) PLUS THE $100.00 TOWING CHARGE. CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AND HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN HARD. *TR

RE: TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN; I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO STATE HOW BAD A 2002 SATURN VUE IS ON SAFETY. I JUST CAME IN FROM TRYING TO TOW MY SCOOTER MOBILITY TRAILER UP THE HILL IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. THE 'SERVICE ENGINE SOON' LIGHT IS ON LIKE IT ALWAYS IS. I HAVE TRIED TO GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT IT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO NO AVAIL. ONE THING IT SAYS IS THAT THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE THERMOSTAT IS STICKING. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST ME $400 TO REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A THERMOSTAT PROBLEM. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALWAYS STAYS ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD MARKS, WINTER OR SUMMER. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINTER AND SUMMER IS THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET FULLY WARMED UP. THERE IS A HILL BETWEEN MY COMMUNITY AND THE HIGHWAY. IT IS ABOUT MILE LONG. IN THE SUMMER, THE VEHICLE IS FULLY WARMED UP BY THE BOTTOM OF THAT HILL. IN THE WINTER, IT TAKES TO THE TOP OF THAT HILL BEFORE IT IS FULLY WARMED UP. I SPENT ABOUT #100 FOR A NEW THERMOSTAT AND ALL THE NECESSARY GASKETS TO REPLACE THAT THERMOSTAT AND I STILL HAVE THE LIGHT AND THE TEMPERATURE IS STILL 1.3 THE WAY BETWEEN THE SECOND AND THIRD MARKS. THE MAIN REASON FOR MY COMPLAINT OF SAFETY IS THAT THE VEHICLE WILL GO INTO 'LIMP MODE' AT ANY TIME, EVEN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY, AT FREEWAY SPEEDS, AND SUDDENLY I HAVE NO POWER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. ANY VEHICLE WITH A 'CHECK ENGINE SOON' LIGHT SHOULD GO INTO LIMP MODE ON STARTUP, NOT RANDOMLY WHILE DRIVING. *TR

MY VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT EXCEED 10 MILES AN HOUR. *TR

APPROXIMATELY 6-9 MONTHS AGO MY 2002 SATURN VUE, 4 CYL, WITH APPROX 55,000 MILES STOPPED WORKING. SATURN OF BOWIE, NOW CLOSED, TOLD ME THAT THE TIMING CHAIN BROKE AND ENGINE WAS NOW NO GOOD. THEY SAID THE ONLY WAY TO FIX VEHICLE WAS TO REPLACE ENGINE AT MY EXPENSE. APPROXIMATELY $6,500. I COMPLAINED AND AFTER MY DISCUSSIONS WITH A SATURN HQ PERSON, THEY REPLACED THE ENGINE AND CHARGED ME APPROXIMATELY $5,500. I HAVE EXACT FIGURES IN MY FILES. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM AND SATURN RESPONDED THAT IT WASN'T KNOWN PROBLEM. THIS MORNING AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH, ON THE INTERNET, RELATING TO ANOTHER PROBLEM WITH MY SATURN VUE REGARDING THE FUEL GAUGE, I LEARNED THAT SATURN WAS AWARE OF THE TIMING CHAIN PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE SENT ME A RECALL NOTICE. THEY CHARGED ME ALOT OF MONEY TO FIX SOMETHING THAT WAS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE OF POOR ENGINEERING. *TR

OVER THE PAST YEAR, I HAVE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES WHERE THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS DOWN AND WON'T START UP. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COME ON AND WAS LEAKING ANTI-FREEZE, WHICH I KEPT ON FILLING UP. ONCE IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WHEN THEY WENT TO LOOK AT IT THE NEXT MORNING, IT STARTED RIGHT UP AND THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. ANOTHER TIME I LEFT IT AND WHEN I CAME BACK, IT STARTED RIGHT UP. IN BOTH OF THOSE INSTANCES, I WAS DRIVING LESS THAN 40 MPH AND WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY. THE 3RD TIME THAT THE CAR DIED, I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY DIED, WITHOUT ANY WARNING. I HAD JUST ENOUGH TIME TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AVERT AN ACCIDENT. I BOUGHT A NEW CAR, BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS ONE AND IT HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR 8 WEEKS. I RECENTLY HAD THE VUE TOWED TO A DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THAT I NEED A NEW TIMING BELT AND WATER PUMP. THEY ALSO SAY THAT I NEED TO HAVE AN I-BOLT PULLEY, BELT TENSIONER, ALTERNATOR, AND SERPENTINE BELT REPLACED. OTHER REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED ARE A FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS AND THE BEARING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT. THIS CAR HAS ONLY 92,000 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE LOW POWER LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS HAVING TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 07V519000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 125,000. UPDATED 6/9/08 *CN UPDATED 06/09/08

I BEGAN TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ENGINE NOISE THAN NORMAL, LIKE A TAPPING NOISE. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AS I DID REGULARLY AND WITHIN MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDATION. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID IT WAS THE TIMING CHAIN AND TO CONTINUE WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES. CAR DIED WHILE TRAVELING AT 40 MPH LOCALLY ON THE WEEKEND, BUT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE TRAVELING 65MPH ON MY WAY TO WORK IF IT WAS A WEEKDAY. LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL IMMEDIATELY INTO A SIDE STREET AND HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO LOCAL GOODYEAR SERVICE CENTER. I'VE SEEN INTERNET POSTINGS CITING THE SAME PROBLEMS ON SATURN MODELS WITH THE SAME ENGINE. THERE MAY EVEN BE A RECALL FOR THE L-CLASS SATURN CARS WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND NOT THE VUE? *TR

THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO WARNING PRIOR TO CAR TURNING OFF: NO INTERIOR WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON PRIOR TO CAR STOPPING AND NO NOISES WERE HEARD PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. I WAS UNABLE TO START THE CAR BACK UP AND MOVE OFF OF THE ROAD. THIS CAR HAS ALL OF IT'S ROUTINE MAINTENANCE UP TO DATE. DEALERSHIP SYSTEM DIAGNOSTICS SHOWS THAT IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE "CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR." *TR