NHTSA Complaint #10043130 — 2003 SATURN VUE

MAY 2003, BOUGHT 03 SATURN VUE. JUNE 2003: POINTED OUT RATTLE IN STEERING COLUMN. TOLD THE WRONG PART HAD BEEN INSTALLED, REPLACEMENT PART ORDERED/INSTALLED. *LA 7/03, REPORTED SAME RATTLING. TECHNICIAN SAID IT WAS SAME PROBLEM, BUT WROTE DOWN IT WAS A NOISE IN THE DASHBOARD. 9/03, RATTLE BACK. 9/28, STEERING SEEMED LOOSE, WENT OFF THE ROAD TWICE GOING AROUND CURVES. 9/29 DRIVING TO WORK, HEARD A LOUD RATTLE, THEN "THUNK", THEN THE STEERING PULLED & I HIT A PARKED CAR. TOLD SATURN DEALER ABOUT ACCIDENT, ASKED TO CHECK STEERING. DEALER SAID THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING AND "A PART" WAS BEING ORDERED. LATER CALLED, SAID WE HADN'T TOLD HIM CAR HAD BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT (WE HAD) AND THEY WOULDN'T TOUCH IT UNTIL ENGINEER LOOKED AT IT. DEALER REFUSED TO HONOR EXTENDED WARRANTY WE PURCHASED, PROVIDING RENTAL WHILE CAR WAS IN SHOP, UNTIL ENGINEERING TEAM LOOKED AT THE CAR. I WAS ALSO TOLD THE "RACK" HAD TO BE REPLACED. SATURN CALLED 10/10, 4PM. SAID ENGINEER WOULD LOOK AT CAR SOMETIME FOLLOWING WEEK. SAID THEY HAD "BACKLOG" AND COULDN'T GET TO IT SOONER. 10/13, CALL FROM ENGINEER SAYING NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STEERING, SATURN NOT AT FAULT FOR THE ACCIDENT, WOULD NOT REIMBURSE FOR RENTAL OR COVER DEDUCTIBLE. BUT THEY WOULD FIX THE STEERING UNDER THE WARRANTY - THE SAME STEERING THAT WAS NOT A PROBLEM?! I WAS TOLD THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP HAD BEEN REPLACED AT THE FIRST VISIT. THEN I WAS TOLD THAT THE STEERING COLUMN HAD BEEN REPLACED AT THE FIRST VISIT. OCT. 17, PICKED UP THE VUE FROM THE SATURN DEALER. SUPPOSEDLY, THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED. STEERING WHEEL IS NOW 20 DEGREES OFF CENTER. WHEN STEERING, THERE IS A FEELING OF NO CONTROL & WAY TOO MUCH PLAY. TURNING THE WHEEL PRODUCES A LOUD GROANING SOUND. I WOULD APPRECIATE KNOWING IF OTHERS ARE HAVING THESE SAME PROBLEMS. *LA