2002 Saturn Vue

Defect. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible for the key to be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

Risk. If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.

Remedy. GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to see if the key can be pulled out when the ignition is off. If it can, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and keys, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14506. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.

Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." SOME VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH REAR OUTER SEAT BELT SHOULDER GUIDE ANCHOR BOLTS THAT WERE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED.

Risk. IF THESE BOLTS WERE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED, THEY WOULD NOT WITHSTAND THE LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD. IF AN ANCHORAGE FAILED IN A CRASH, THE OCCUPANT WOULD NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED AND COULD HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR SHOULDER GUIDE ANCHOR BOLTS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 19, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-553-6000.

CAR POWER SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING, UNABLE TO START AGAIN IN ANY TRAFFIC OR ROAD CONDITIONS TO MOVE CAR TO A SAFE AREA. FULL LOSS OF POWER UNEXPECTED, VEHICLE SIMPLY STOPS RUNNING. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 'USED' FROM A PRIVATE SELLER I SUSPECT WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT DIDN'T EXPOSE IT. $2300 SPENT SO FAR WITH NO FINDINGS AS TO WHY THE PROBLEM OCCURS. ONLY AN ADDED 30 MILES TO THE ODOMETER SINCE PURCHASE. PRESENT READING IS 107,251.

AIR INTAKE THROTTLE IS FAULTY. MAKING THE ENGINE RUN ROUGH AND CAUSING OTHER PROBLEMS SUCH AS EXCESSIVE FUEL CONSUMPTION. *TR

THE IGNITION IS FAULT. THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED WHEN VEHICLE IS IN ON POSITION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SEVERAL DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED, INCLUDING THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED OPERATION TEMPORARILY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. ALSO, WHILE TRAVELING UP AN INCLINE, THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR FLASHED AND THEN TURNED OFF WHEN DRIVING ON LEVELED GROUND. A FAX WAS SENT TO THE VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFETY AT GENERAL MOTORS IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 120,000. *JS

2002 SATURN VUE. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR VEHICLE AMOUNT. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE FRAME WAS BROKEN AND RUSTED MAKING VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED AT AN IMPOUND YARD. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE REPAIRED. *JS

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

STARTED THE CAR, TURNED AROUND IN MY DRIVEWAY AND STARTED PULLING OUT ONTO THE ROAD, VEHICLE JUST STALLED AND REFUSED TO START AGAIN, ENGINE CRACKS AND TURNS OVER BUT WONT START. THANK GOD THERE WASNT ANY TRAFFIC OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN T BONED. I WAS ABLE TO PUSH THE VEHICLE BACK OFFF THE ROAD. VEHICLE STILL WONT START

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?????

I HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH SINCE BUYING THIS VEHICLE AS NEW, SO THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON DEC 2008 AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I PAID FOR. I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO A GM DEALER PER THE RECALL IN 2015 AND WAS TOLD ALL IS GOOD, SO I COULD CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE 2008 REPAIR. TO DATE, AFTER FILLING IN THE REQUIRED FORMS AND SUBMITTING THEM TO A LOCAL GM DEALER, AND CORRESPONDING WITH GM CORPORATE, THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE ME FOR THE REPAIR BECAUSE THEY DID NOT KEEP ANY SATURN MAINTENANCE RECORDS WHEN THE DIVISION WAS SHUTTERED, EVEN THOUGH CORPORATE WAS THE OFFICE THAT NOTIFIED ME OF THE EXACT DATE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH REPAIR SO I COULD SUBMIT MY CREDIT CARD STATEMENT AS PROOF. THE LAST CONTACT FROM CORPORATE WAS 15 DEC 2015 WITH NO RESPONSE FROM SEVERAL MESSAGES LEFT WITH THEIR CASE MANAGER, PAULA (866-790-5700, EXT. 5913223).

ABS LIGHT REMAINS ON; MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS FAULTY; MY BLINKERS WORK AT WILL. MY FUEL LINE SENSOR CAUSES MY VEHICLE TO SHUT OFF AFTER DRIVING A DISTANCE. THERE IS A NOISE WHEN I REVERSE. MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT IS NOW APPEARING AND THE WHEEL LOCKS AND HARD TO TURN. READ THE MANUAL; VEHICLE DOES NOT REQUIRE POWER STEERING FLUID. MUST CONTACT A DEALER PER THE MANUAL. WILL CALL TODAY. FUEL LINE ISSUES SEPTEMBER 2015 OTHER ISSUES TO DATE 12/28/2015.

I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER. NEVER IN MY 40 YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE I EVER "TESTED" HORN OPERATION... SEEMS I SHOULD HAVE AS THE HORN DOESNT WORK. I FOUND AND REPLACED THE FUSE FOR THE HORN AND AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON ALL 2002 SATURN VUE VEHICLES.... WHY THIS ISNT A RECALL ISSUE I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THE HORN AND AIR BAG WORK OFF THE SAME POWER LINE AND THE CONTACT FOR THE HORN IS THE PROBLEM HORN WISE. I TOOK MY CAR TO A CHEVY DEALER TO GET AN ESTIMATE ON THE "FIX" AND IT WOULD COST ME 1100 BUX TO REPLACE THE FAULTILY DESIGNED UNIT GUARANTEED TO FAIL WITH ANOTHER FAULTILY DESIGNED UNIT GUARANTEED TO FAIL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V490000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), THE KEY FAILED TO RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND HEARD A CLICKING NOISE WHEN REMOVING THE KEY. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SMOKE EMITTED FROM THE TOP OF THE STEERING WHEEL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNAL ARM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. MA 10/5 UPDATED 10/8/15*JB

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.

2002 SATURN VUE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION CYLINDER AND KEYS REPLACEMENT RECALL ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL IN OCTOBER 2014 REGARDING AN ISSUE WITH THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE WORK HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE AND THEREFORE, THE CONSUMER SENT IN THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK FOR REIMBURSEMENT. EVEN THOUGH THE GM HAD THE PROOF THE WORK WAS DONE, THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED, TO MAKE SURE THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS INSTALLED PROPERLY. ONCE IT WAS VERIFIED, THE CONSUMER NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THE GM REPRESENTATIVE. *JB

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.

THE TIMING CHAIN RUINED THE ENTIRE ENGINE AS A RESULT OF THE CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING FROM LACK OF OIL BEING APPLIED. APPARENTLY AS SOON AS I HEARD THE CLANGING SOUNDS IT WAS TOO LATE. I AM BUYING A WHOLE NEW ENGINE WHICH HAS REPLACED THE OILING MECHANISM THAT WAS FAULTY IN THE 2002-2003 MODELS OF THE SATURN VUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY FAILED TO TURN IN THE IGNITION SWITCH AND NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS HAD TO BE MADE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD START. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V490000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). HOWEVER, THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

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

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE IGNITION KEY RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED IF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.