Problems · by component

2005 Saturn Vue power train problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Saturn Vue cite power train, 18% of all 170 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
18% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“WHEN TRAVELING AT 65 MILES AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY FOR AN HOUR AND A HALF AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP WHETHER IT'S IN TRAFFIC OR GETTING OFF THE FREEWAY THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKS VIOLENTLY BACK AND FORTH AND CLUNKING SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS SLIPPING THE CAR WILL ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST DIED AND STOP RUNNING.BY PUTTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL THE CAR WILL COME TO A STOP THE JERKING OF THE TRANSMISSION RELEASING THE GEARS”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 29, 2020Power trainODI 11322715
“MY CAR HAS THE ABS SYSTEM LIGHT ON, AND THERE ARE TONS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM! I HAVE ALMOST GONE OFF THE ROAD TONS OF TIMES WHEN THE ROADS HAVE BARELY ANY SNOW OR ICE ON THEM, AND THIS IS SERIOUSLY A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SHOULD HAVE A RECALL! THE ABS SYSTEM ON THE SATURN VUES SEEMS TO GO OUT ALL THE TIME, WHICH CAUSES OTHER PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONING BREAKS, BEARING DEGENERATION TOO! I NEED TO CONSTANTLY CHANGE THE BREAKS AND NOW I NEED NEW BEARINGS. MY CAR ONLY HAS 84K MILES ON IT!!! AND WITH MY CAR, MY TRANSMISSION IS ALSO GOING OUT AND THAT STARTED AT 60,000, MILES AND NOW ITS GIVING ME REAL PROBLEMS TOO! SO THE SATURN VUE 2005 AWD V6 CAR I HAVE... HAS A COMMON PROBLEM OF CHEAP ABS SYSTEM PARTS GOING BAD, AND BAD TRANSMISSIONS! BOTH NEED TO BE RECALLED, AND ADDRESSED BY GM. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 20, 2017Power train, Electrical system, Service brakesODI 10946575
“STARTED SMOKING THE 1ST TIME. REPLACED BRAKES,ROTORS AND BREAK CALIPER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE. RAN AND DROVE FINE FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK AND DID IT AGAIN. ALL BRAKES AND ALL THAT WAS REPLCED WERE SMOKING HOT AND BROWN IN COLOR LETTING ME KNOW THAT ALL PARTS OVER HEATED. MY CAR HAS BEEN PARKED SINCE 2014 AND NOT USED UNTIL I HEAR A RECALL. I ALREADY KNOW THIS PROBLEM WILL ARISE CONTINUALLY BY ALL THE INFORMATION I HAVE FOUND. DEALERSHIPS CAN'T EVEN FIND THE PROBLEM. WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 18, 2016Power train, Wheels, Service brakesODI 10860180
“I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 2005 SATURN VUE WITH 61K MILEAGE 2 WEEKS AGO TO A DEALERSHIP AND I AM FRUSTRATED WITH THE KEY TO IGNITION WHEN YOU PULL IT OUT. IT GET STUCK ALL THE TIME AND IT MAKES ME CRAZY EVERYDAY.THOUGHT ITS JUST THE KEY PROBLEM. SO I WENT TO DEALERSHIP TO MAKE A BRAND NEW ONE AND PAID $108.00 FOR THE KEY, KEY CUT AND KEY CODE. BUT THE ISSUE IS STILL THE SAME. CALL A CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS MODEL TYPE. WHAT DO I DO NOW? AND ONE THING MORE THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SMOOTH IN THE 1ST GEAR AND 2ND GEAR. IS THIS NORMAL FOR THE 2005 SATURN VUE V6 TRANSMISSION? *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 6, 2015Power trainODI 10692533
“WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30 AND 40 MPH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES A VIBRATION IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS ALLEGEDLY REPAIRED BY A GM DEALER AT NO CHARGE. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. AT LEAST 4 OTHER ATTEMPTS TO HAVE GM REPAIR THE VEHICLE WERE REFUSED BY GM DEALERS EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR BULLETIN WAS EXTENDED INTO 2015. NOT SATISFIED I CONTACTED SOMEONE AT GM AND ASKED FOR A REFERRAL TO ANOTHER DEALER IN MY LOCAL AREA. I RECEIVED IT AND TOOK IT THE REFERRED DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION. AFTER INSPECTING THE CAR THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THE VIBRATION ISSUE BUT SAID THAT BEFORE ANYTHING COULD BE DONE THE ENGINE BLOCK MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF APPROX. $1000. I THANKED THEM AND TOOK THE CAR TO MY TRUSTED REGULAR MECHANIC. I ASKED HIM TO CHECK THE ENGINE MOUNTS (WITHOUT TELLING HIM WHAT HAPPENED AT THE GM DEALER) AND GIVE ME A REPORT. UPON INSPECTING, HE STATED THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE ENGINE MOUNTS. AT THIS POINT, FRUSTRATED AND ANGRY WITH GM, I BASICALLY GAVE UP. FURTHERMORE, THIS OCCURRED AT THE TIME OF THE GM IGNITION SWITCH RECALL DEBACLE.OUR SATURN VUE ALSO HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION.ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WE WERE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2015Power train, Electrical systemODI 10691694
“I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WHEN THE TRANSMISSION STARTED MAKING A GRINDING SOUND. I PULLED OVER AND HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SATURN DEALERSHIP IN DURHAM NC. THEY FIXED THE TRANSMISSION AT NO COST EXCEPT I WAS OUT THE MONEY FOR TOWING. AT THIS TIME THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION SUIT AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST. FOR ME AND IF I SOLD IT. THE NEXT PERSON TO OWN THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AGAIN ON THE CAR. I ONCE AGAIN HAD IT TOWED TO THE DURHAM SATURN AND THEY FIXED IT AT NOT PRICE. IT HAS JUST GONE OUT AGAIN 1-6-2015 AND WHEN I CALLED THE GM DEALERSHIP, I CALLED TWO OF THEM THOMPSONS GM IN RALEIGH AND HENDRICKS IN RALEIGH THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WON'T FIX IT ANYMORE THAT THEY ONLY HAD TO FIX IT FOR 5 YEARS OR 75,000 MILES OR IT WAS THEN INCREASED TO 8 YEARS OR 100,000 MILES. SO I AM OUTSIDE OF EITHER OF THESE PARAMETERS SO THEY SAID IT WAS GOING TO COST 5000.00 DOLLARS TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION. 4000.00 FOR PARTS AND APPROX.1000.00 FOR THE WORK OR THEY WILL GIVE ME 5000 DOLLAR CREDIT FOR THE CAR AS A TRADE IN ON A BRAND NEW GM VEHICLE THAT I WILL HAVE TO BUY TO GET ANY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 7, 2015Power trainODI 10670686

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2005 Vue problem areas