2003 Saturn Vue power train problems

“This is more information related to Complaint 11761129: After online researching of other '03 2.2L Saturn Vue-owners stalling experiences, it appears that this vehicle has a long history of others like me: an unsafe, unpredictable stalling problem which carries no warnings or logging of error codes to trace the TRUE ORIGIN of problem. (How much did others spend on repairs that appeared to fix the problem by elapsing time enough for the problem to return to normal without the "repair"?) I stress that when all is working fine, the driver feels secure because there's no sign of a problem or trace left of the problem. The vehicle did run for years-at-a-time in a stable, reliable fashion. Once the stalling episodes pass, it felt OK to continue driving for years because everything is fine again. Looking back at the times when the stalling occurred, I was always lucky enough to recover and continue driving normally and trustfully for years before the next occurrence. Now I wonder what could have happened if the stall occurred while in more split-second decision, critical situations. I feel really stuck right now because I'm older with an undrivable vehicle. Please advise”

“Car stalled while driving in traffic XXX. Engine died. Warning lights ON. Restarted. Stalled 3 more times in traffic but luckily had space to pull off & engine restarted. Made it into my garage. Restarted, Check Engine Light was ON, but went OFF after time. Car would NOT move in gear. Retried several times. Presently (XXX) will crank but WON'T start. Battery good. Looking for anything else obvious. (Had similar problem after buying in 2006 on at least 4 different dates, but restarted after EITHER: left overnight or after battery disconnect/reset: No Check Engine Light after relearning cycles. Successfully passed all emission tests since ownership.) I have about 34,000 miles on odometer. Have had NO other memorable problems except stalling problems. After first stalling years ago, a Saturn dealer on [XXX] replaced VTi transmission fluid & "reprogrammed" the ECM. I have no receipts or records now & that dealer is long gone. Please advise. Thank you”

“The contact purchased a 2003 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that two days after purchasing the used vehicle, the vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood and from the gas tank location. A service warning light was illuminated. The contact stated while pulling to the side of the road, a bystander alerted the contact that there was a fuel leak. The contact and the other passengers of the vehicle immediately exited the vehicle. The contact stated that the fire started at the gas tank location and extended to the front of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The contact stated that the vehicle was significantly burned. The contact could not confirm that a fire department report was filed. There was no property damage. Neither the contact nor the other passengers of the vehicle sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot by the registered owner. The contact could not confirm whether the vehicle was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the…”

“Knocking/grinding noise from under vehicle and shift problems. Taken to automotive service provider for diagnostic and they're evaluation revealed internal fail in the cvt vti transmission.”

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OPERATED IN THE FORWARD GEARS BUT, FAILED TO SHIFT INTO REVERSE. THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.”

“GM AFTER BANKRUPTCY: GM'S TRANSAXLE (CVT M75) IN THIS VEHICLE IS KNOWN BY ALL OWNERS TO FAIL. THIS UNIT FAILED TO PROVIDE FORWARD MOMENTUM AND LEFT THE VEHICLE STRANDED HIGH HEAVY TRAFFIC IN PORTLAND, OR YEAR APRIL 2019. MULTIPLE CALLS TO GM FOUND THAT SERVICE PROVIDERS COULDNT EVEN ID THE PROPER TRANS AXLE THAT GOES IN THIS VEHICLE SO WE COULD GET A REPLACEMENT. WE BELIEVE GM IS IN PROCESS OF A NEW "CLASS ACTION SUITE" TO REPAIR DAMAGES TO THE SECOND OWNERS. IS, THIS TRUE - LET US KNOW IF YOU KNOW - PLEASE THX. THIS TRANS AXLE WAS BUILT DAMAGED.”