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2008 Saturn Vue XR

19K views 40 replies 19 participants last post by  RONWEILER 
#1 ·
Hey everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted. My wife has had numerous problems at 85000 miles with her Saturn:

1. Broken engine mount
2. Leaking transmission
3. Leaking AC line
4. Faulty battery
5. Faulty gas tank grounding line (drained battery)
6. Leaking AC line again
7. Broken engine mount again
8. Failed ABS/Traction control module
9. Failed wheel speed sensor

I'm not sure what to do. In comparison, my car is a 2004 Toyota 4Runner with 201K miles - all that failed on it is an interior light. Needless to say, my wife has correctly concluded that GM makes terrible cars.

I am not interested in any GM cars, due to their very poor quality. I know that many of you would argue that "GM is turning it around" but this nonsense has been said for the last three decades. The Camry, while superior to a Malibu, doesn't really do it for me. What midsize cars would you suggest?
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Suggest? Get a Honda...



BTW, the '08 VUE was among the most troublesome cars that GM has built in the past decade, if not the most... First year for the body style, which was being built in a factory that did not produce the previous generation VUE or any Theta vehicle for that matter. The 2009 model is/was much better, as were most of the previous generation after they scrapped the experimental VTi transmission... But the '08s were bad. As a former Saturn associate, I advise my friends and family to avoid the '08 models when they are looking for a used vehicle... However, the '08 VUE certainly doesn't represent the majority of GM vehicles produced over the past 7-8 years.

You're free to do as you wish, but posting on a GM fan site about how bad GM vehicles are (even in the "complaint" section), then asking for suggestions as to which car you should choose that is not a GM vehicle is pretty silly... There are plenty of other "non-denominational" automotive forums out there...

Gotta go... I've got to head over to the Katy Perry site to tell her fans how inferior her music is and to ask if anyone knows of any better music I may like...
 
#4 · (Edited)
As you noted, it's under the complaint section. What did you expect, compliments about how GM is awesome and everyone should just accept that a failed wheel speed sensor, engine mount, AC, etc. is a "feature" informing the driver to buy another GM vehicle?

The fact that its a first year vehicle doesn't excuse GM's failure. If GM can't make it right, they shouldn't make it at all. That's how you lose customers. That's how you head to bankruptcy (again).

Get a grip newbie . . .
 
#6 ·
We have a 2009 Saturn Vue XR that has been problem free so far. Only about 38K miles, but so far, we absolutely love it. sorry you have had troubles with yours, but I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
 
#8 ·
Dear 4runner Toyota now make cars that kill accidentally their owners and by the way case for your beloved company isn't over ..... Overall GM make great vehicles for their owners but as any car company sometime their make lemons even famous japan car makers that release such great vehicles as avensis with oil leaking engine yes later(3 or 4 years) they fix problem, weak suspension stays till next generation, in which they fix this, but add some fun with problematic electronics , because users are bored with previous problem and need new one ... , x-trail with problematic transmission and electronics which they fix 4 year later, primera which was so "good" quality car that was last one ending nameplate and get no replacement model ... , GM at last fix it in 1 year if they get some lemon.....
 
#10 ·
The guy has a right to bring up his problems. My perception of reliability is what my car does. If my (whatever) car is a problem mobile, I don't care how many are on the road with no problems. My time, my safety, my family's safety and then my wallet are all that matter. And, I would bet, this rule is correct for everybody. Besides, everybody in GMI (including me) harps about CR's bias for Toyotas and Hondas so doing it here doesn't make it any better. With this, I would not rule GM out but I would also not perceive Toyota or Honda (for examples) as any better. I just had a recent post about Honda's transmission problems of which I was unaware. So, past reputations may skew you in the wrong direction.
 
#14 ·
I thought the Saturn Vue had a Honda drivetrain.
 
#15 ·
I feel your pain dude, I have a 2006 HHR, its the best vehicle I have ever owned, my Toyotas had problems, I know, I have owned a total of 6 Toyotas, including a Supra and a Celica

that Is how I ended up at Chevy... I like my HHR so much, I just got a 2012 Equinox, really nice compared to a rav4, inside out totally superior in all ways, drives superior, superior price, equipment, technology, warranty, etc etc...

You have a UAW special.
 
#18 ·
Hey everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted. My wife has had numerous problems at 85000 miles with her Saturn:

1. Broken engine mount
2. Leaking transmission
3. Leaking AC line
4. Faulty battery
5. Faulty gas tank grounding line (drained battery)
6. Leaking AC line again
7. Broken engine mount again
8. Failed ABS/Traction control module
9. Failed wheel speed sensor

I'm not sure what to do. In comparison, my car is a 2004 Toyota 4Runner with 201K miles - all that failed on it is an interior light. Needless to say, my wife has correctly concluded that GM makes terrible cars.
I am not interested in any GM cars, due to their very poor quality.
I know that many of you would argue that "GM is turning it around" but this nonsense has been said for the last three decades. The Camry, while superior to a Malibu, doesn't really do it for me. What midsize cars would you suggest?
That's just an ignorant comment, plain and simple.
 
#19 ·
Toyota case sadly isn't over even main reason which disturb why it happen isn't clear even today, court as well isn't over ... And no one can confidently make statement that these defects isn't hiding somewhere in news Toyota car even in today proaduction models. These car models that I mention was available in EU market and never see US soil.
 
#21 ·
Do you want to know what's really sad about this whole thing? My wife's dearly departed father was a pipe fitter at Hamtramck assembly. She always bought GM cars out of blind devotion because she felt it was important to support GM. Now, she won't even consider a GM car due to her bad experience. GM may be profitable today, but they will be bankrupt tomorrow,
 
#22 ·
The previous generation Vue had a Honda powertrain
That was an agreement so Acura could put On Star technology under another name in there cars and paid GM with Honda 3.5l engines and MDRA/MDPA 5 speed transmissions. Don't say this was a better unit than you have, I've rebuilt plenty of them and they are expensive. Most times the gearing goes out of them and Honda rapes you bad.
 
#29 · (Edited)
I posted this a while back in regard to the problems we had with out 2008 Vue. This list was from after the vehicle was only about 6 months old (2008 3.6 V6 Vue redline purchased brand new):

-Shifter, when put into 'manual mode' stuck in the downshift position and didn't spring back.

-Front passenger seat headrest wouldn't raise/lower (fabric from the seat was stuck in the track)

-one of the screws holding the driver side visor came out (it fell to the floor when I was driving it after having the car for about a week)

-something was leaking into the grill. The big red Saturn logo in the middle of the front end grill was getting discolored. The dealership had to order a new part and replace it.

-a hose for the windshield washer fluid had to be replaced. About the time we got our first oil change, the washer fluid stopped working.

-The steering wheel has started "creaking" pretty badly when making a turn. Kinda sounds like something is rubbing when you turn the steering wheel (almost like 2 pieces of plastic or rubber rubbing together.)

-Follow up on steering issue..took it to the dealership when I had my last oil change, they told me they put some kind of oil in a part near the steerign wheel. The problem was solved for 24 hours..the very next day it started creeking and has been doing so since.

-the seat has just developed a bit of a tear where the threads are coming loose. I certainly am not a big heavy guy, so there isn't a lot of pressure that I put on it, yet that is an issue now.

-just 2 weeks ago, a ticking noise developed from the AC vents after running the AC unit (even when you turn the car off). If you put the vent controlls on defrost, it isn't there, but if it is on the vent or floor positions, it ticks.

-Below the headlight controlls, there is a small compartment with a spring loaded door. I sometimes keep my cell phone in there. I opened it the other day, and it opened but it wouldn't close (the spring seemed to come loose). I tried to open and close it a few more times, and then the entire compartment (it's about 2 inches by 3 inches) just fell right out and now there is a whole in the bottom part of the dash where it used to be.

-there seems to be something wrong with the rear wiper (maybe an electrical issue) also. When you put on the rear wiper and turn it off, sometimes the wiper goes back down to its 'off' position on the bottom of the window...other times it goes there and then 'kicks back up' a few inches and stops part way up the window.

-there was a crackling noise coming from the vents when the AC was on (and even sometimes after the car was off), it took the dealership a long time to diagnose, but it turns out it was a bad actuator that needed to be replaced.


Since then the vehicle has been to the dealer for many other problems, most of the NOT mechanical, until just recently. The vehicle now has almost 80,000 miles on it, but in the last year we had a couple problems with the suspension that cost us about $700 total, plus one of the motors in the power mirror broke.

We still have the car and for now it is running OK...and it never got to the point where there were multiple problems at the same time....but when I look back at it..the history of problems with the vehicle was terrible....if someone had the problems with this vehicle that I had, I can understand them not ever wanting to buy a GM product again. BUT, on the other hand, we had a 2008 Malibu and 2009 Traverse that had virtually no problems at all (with close to 100,000 miles on them between them) and now have a Dodge Avenger (2011 V6 model) that all the magazines say is not a good car but we are happier with it than any car we have had (including the Malibu and the Traverse).....so a lot of the problems people have are not because a brand is 'good' or 'bad', but are very random.
 
#36 ·
Well, to add to the list of our 2008 Vue woes, a couple just came up this weekend. The drivers side visor doesn't stay up agains the header anymore, it just flops down and swings in front of the driver....I think a spring broke in it...and the very next time we started the car, the check engine light came on. Checked the gas cap, filled it up with fuel..but it is still on. Granted, the vehicle has 80,000 miles on it, but these problems are something like #15 and #16 on the list with our 08 Redline.
 
#38 ·
If you need a replacement I would definitely check out the fusion. My mother traded her camry for a loaded 2012 sel and absolutely loves it. Shes recommends that car to everyone.
 
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