NHTSA Complaint #10137370 — 2002 SATURN VUE

9/15/04 VEHICLE LOST POWER WHEN ACCELERATING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. I ALMOST HAD A COLLISION FROM AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. VUE HESITATED AGAIN AND LOST POWER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO GET UP TO POSTED SPEED. I HAD THE ACCELERATOR FLOORED, RPMS SHOT UP TO 6000 AND I WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR DOWN THE ROAD. ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT VUE WOULDN'T EXCEED 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR. WITH 21,937 MILE, I DROVE TO SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) AND DROPPED OFF ADVISED DEALER THAT TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND ENGINE RACED. 9/16/04 SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) TECHNICIAN DROVE CAR AND FELT TRANSMISSION SLIP. TECHNICIAN DRAINED FLUID AND FOUND METAL IN FLUID AND BELT SLIPPING. DEALERSHIP CALLED TO ADVISE THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED! RETURNED TO OWNER ON 9/23/04. 9/27/04, WITH 22,060 MILES, BROUGHT VUE BACK TO SATURN OF ROCHESTER (MN) BECAUSE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT WAS ON. SATURN VIE WAS ONLY ABLE TO GO 20 - 25 MILES PER HOUR DOWN THE ROAD '' ONCE AGAIN, HAD TO TAKE BACK ROADS TO SAFELY GET TO DEALERSHIP. TECHNICIAN INDICATED THAT THEY HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION THAT THEY HAD REPLACED! WHEN I ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SATURN VIE THE SALES PERSON SAID HE HADN'T HEARD OF ANYTHING. THE GENERAL MANAGER MADE THE SAME STATEMENT. USING THE INTERNET I DISCOVERED NUMEROUS LISTINGS ON THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION WEB SITE. I PRINTED OUT THE INFORMATION AND PROVIDED IT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER - - HE PLEAD IGNORANCE. WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED I ASKED THE SHOP MANAGER IF THEY HAD EXPERIENCED ANY PROBLEMS AND HE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD REPLACED SEVERAL TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT WAS WIDELY KNOW THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. *NM