There are 11 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2005 Saturn Vuein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
CAR STALLED AND WOULDN'T RESTART. TOWED TO GARAGE WHERE THEY DETERMINED THE TIMING CHAIN FAILED. *TR
WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY ON FRONT OF ENGINE PARTIALLY SEPARATED FROM IT'S HUB, CAUSING A DRIVE BELT MIS-ALLIGNMENT OF THE PULLEYS FOR CRANKSHAFT, ALTERNATOR, AND AIR CONDITIONER. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVE BELT RUNNING OF THESE PULLEYS TO SHRED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE DRIVING. WHILE LOOKING FOR A REPLACEMENT PART TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE, I FOUND OUT THAT GM HAS DISCONTINUED THIS PART, GM PART 12606927. ALSO, I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF THESE CRANKSHAFT DAMPNER PULLEYS ARE NOW FAILING, DEPLETING THE REMAINING GM PARTS STOCK TO ZERO IN THE USA, SUGGESTING A DEFECTIVE PART DESIGN. THIS DAMPNER-CRANKSHAFT PULLEY FITS SATURN VUE 2004 THRU 2007 WITH L66 3.5L 6 CYLINDER ENGINES, AS WELL AS OTHER GM CAR LINES. THE RESULTING LOSS OF ALTERNATOR POWER WILL QUICKLY RESULT IN DROP IN SYSTEM VOLTAGE DUE TO DISCHARGE OF BATTERY, CAUSING THE CAR ENGINE TO UNEXPECTEDLY SHUT DOWN. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED BY GM TO CORRECT THIS CONDITION. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE MAKING AN ABRUPT LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED INTO THE PARK POSITION AND TURNED OFF FOR FOUR SECONDS. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THERE WERE NO DIAGNOSTIC TEST COMPLETED BY THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 104,000. UPDATED 08/19/14*LJ
WHILE IN OUR DRIVEWAY GETTING READY TO LEAVE IN OUR SATURN VUE, MY HUSBAND PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE AND STARTED TO BACK UP. AT THIS TIME THE LANYARD ON THE KEY CHAIN GOT HOOKED AND TUGGED THE KEY A BIT. THE ENTIRE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF.UPDATED 06/09/14 *BF AFTER HEARING OF THE RECENT GM RECALLS AND REMEMBERING THIS HAPPENING WITH MY VUE, WE TRIED TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM WHILE IN MY DRIVEWAY, BUT NOT IN PARK OR NEUTRAL. BY TUGGING ON THE LANYARD, THE ENGINE TURNS OFF WHEN THE CAR IS IN DRIVE PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE KEY COME COMPLETELY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE DRIVING, BUT AS LONG AS IT COMES STRAIGHT OUT AND DOES NOT PULL AT AN ANGLE TO TURN THE STARTER, THE CAR STAYS ON AND CONTINUES TO DRIVE WITH NO KEY IN THE IGNITION. GM NEEDS TO LOOK AT THIS MODEL AS WELL AS THE OTHERS. IF WE CAN EVEN REPLICATE THE ISSUE ON DEMAND, THERE DEFINITELY IS A PROBLEM. I CAN PRODUCE VIDEO OF THIS HAPPENING WITH MY CAR ON REQUEST. UPDATED 06/12/2014 *JS *TR
I OWN A 2005 SATURN VUE AND IN JUNE 2011 I EXPERIENCED A/C FAILURE THAT TOOK MY MECHANIC SEVERAL WEEKS TO DIAGNOSIS THE PROBLEM. WE ORDER THE PARTFROM MILTON RUBEN CHEVY DEALER AND THE PART WAS REPLACED ON MY VUE AT THE END OF JUNE 2011. AS OF YESTERDAY I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SMOKE STARTED TO RISE OUT FROM UNDER MY VUE. I PULLED OVER AND NOTED AS LONG AS THE MA/C WAS OFF THAT THE SMOKE STOPPED. MY HUSBAND TOOK IT TO OUR MECHANIC WERE THE SAME PART AT THE SAME PLACE SPLIT AGAIN NOW MY A/C DOES NOT WORK AND IT IS STILL 100 PLUS DEGREES AND THE PART IS NOT EVEN NINETY DAYS OLD. I BELIEVE WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE READ ON THE A/C SATURN PROBLEMS THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS PART . *TR
8-10-2011 WELL I DRIVE A 2005 SATURN VUE REDLINE, I HAVE SMALL BABY SO WHEN IT COMES TO COLD AIR MY A/C IS VERY IMPORTANT. IN HOUSTON RIGHTNOW ITS BEEN 3-DIGIT TEMPATURES....IN MAY OF 2011 MY A/C STARTED ACTING UP. WHEN MY SUV IS IDLEING IT BLOWS VERY HOT AIR, BUT WHEN I'M DRIVING IT GETS COLDER, SO WHEN I STOP AT A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN I HAVE TO TAKE OFF PRETTY QUICK TO GET IT BLOWING COLD. IT IS TO HOT OUT TO BE WITHOUT AN A/C EXPECIALLY FOR MY DAUGHTER. I'VE BEEN ONLINE READING HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS JUST LIKE MINE FOR THE SATURN VUE. MANY HAVE PAID ENORMUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO TRY AND FIND OUT THE PROBLEM WITH THESE A/C SYSTEMS AND MOST STILL DONT HAVE THEIRS WORKING RIGHT. I CANT AFFORD TO SPEND SPEND AND SPEND TRYING TO FIND THE PROBLEM ONLY FOR THE PROBLEM TO KEEP HAPPENING. SO PLEASE SOMEONE, ANYONE IF YOU READ THIS HELP US TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE WE PURCHURED THESE VEHICLE WITH OUR HARD EARNED MONEY SO WE DESERVE TO GET WHAT WE'VE PAYED FOR AND I AM STILL PAYING ON MINE. 354 A MONTH AND FINAL BILL AROUND 17,500. I LIVE A BLOCK AWAY FROM A GM DEALERSHIP BUT CANT AFFORD TO PAY THEM TO DIAGNOS THE PROBLEM.... *TR
OUR 2005 SATURN VUE 4 CYLINDER TIMING CHAIN BROKE WITH ONLY 36,000 MILES ON IT. UPON RESEARCHING THIS I HAVE FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL ON 1999-2001 SATURN L-SERIES FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. THE VUE 4 CYLINDER, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE EXACT SAME MAKE UP AS THE L-SERIES THAT THE RECALL WAS ON. ALSO UPON MY INVESTIGATION I HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TIMING CHAIN ON THE VUE IS WIDESPREAD. OVER AND OVER AGAIN I HAVE RUN ACROSS THE SAME ISSUE THAT I AM CURRENTLY HAVING WITH MY VUE FROM PEOPLE ACROSS THE U.S. ON TOP OF THAT THE FIX FOR THIS ISSUE IS COSTING US 1,500.00 AND SATURN HAS TOLD ME IT IS NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
WHENEVER THE CONTACT STARTS THE VEHICLE HE CAN HEAR A CLUCKING SOUND COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VALVE COVER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES BEFOREHAND, THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 57000. BML UPDATED 11/06/09 *BF THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUD BROKE OFF THE CYLINDER #1. UPDATED 11/09/09
PURCHASED 2005 SATURN VUE 02/20/08 WITH 13,000 MILES. ON 03/19/09 MY SATURN VUE BROKE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SATURN HONOLULU AND SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE DAMPER PULLEY. THE SATURN MECHANIC EXPLAINED THAT THE DAMPER PULLEY HAD WALKED AWAY FROM THE BLOCK WHICH CAUSED THE SERPENTINE BELT TO SHRED. THE SHREDDED PIECES GOT INTO THE TIMING BELT COVER CAUSING THE TIMING BELT TO SKIP AND BENDING ALL OF THE VALVES. THE SATURN MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE AND HAD AGREED THAT THE PART (DAMPER PULLEY) WAS DEFECTIVE. BECAUSE THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT, I THOUGHT THAT SATURN WOULD CONTACT THE MANUFACTURER GENERAL MOTORS AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED. ESTIMATE COST FOR REPAIR ($7,000) DOLLARS. I WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A DIFFERENT DEALER THAT SATURN WOULD NOT COVER THE DAMAGES. I ALSO WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE DID HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANT ON IT PURCHASED BY THE ORIGINAL OWNER, BUT, BECAUSE THE WARRANTY WAS NOT CHANGED TO ME FOR THE $25. DOLLAR FEE, I COULD NOT USE THE WARRANTY. I REALLY NEED SOME HELP. THANKS. *TR
IGNITION CONTROL MODULE FAILED ON MY 2005 SATURN VUE, EQUIPPED WITH 2.2L L4 ENGINE. CYLINDERS 2 & 3 MISFIRED, CAUSING SECONDARY FAILURE OF THE OXYGEN SENSORS AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER AFTER DRIVING IT ONLY 10 MILES TO DEALERSHIP AFTER PRIMARY FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS IS IDENTICAL TO THE PROBLEM THAT IS THE SUBJECT FOR RECALL OF SEVERAL OTHER SATURN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME ENGINE. THE REPAIR COST ME APPROXIMATELY $250 FOR THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, $150 FOR OXYGEN SENSORS AND AN AS YET UNDETERMINED AMOUNT FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. *TR
TIMING CHAIN BROKEN ON A 2005 SATURN VUE AT 67,000 MILES. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026