NHTSA Complaint #10210631 — 2003 SATURN VUE

2003 SATURN VUE, AWD, V6,UPON PULLING OUT OF INTERSECTION, ACCELERATING, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NOT UP SHIFTING ON ACCELERATING. LOSS OF POWER. ENGINE ACCELS BUT VEHICLE MOVEMENT SLOWS. TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE. DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE "DUMMIED UP". VEHICLE IS NOT USE TO A DIFFERENT DRIVER. CAN NOT PULL OUT OF INTERSECTION FAST. GOOD CAR FOR VERY VERY SLOW PERSON.. NOT "VTI" TRANSMISSION. DEALERSHIP HAS DUMMIED UP COMPUTER MANY TIMES. SEEMS TO HELP FOR A WHILE BUT AFTER A WHILE WE ARE JUST USE TO ACCELERATION SLOW TO LET THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT BEFORE APPLYING ADDITIONAL GAS PEDAL. REAR DRIVE UNIT GRINDING ON TURNING. DEALER STATES THAT THIS A KNOWN PROBLEM AND HAS A "KIT" READY WITH ALL PARTS NEEDED TO MAKE THE REPAIRS IN THE REAR END UNIT. PRICE IS OVER $1000.00... I WAS NOT REIMBURSED FOR ANY COSTS. FAILURE ON REAR UNIT OCCURRED AT 70,000 MILES. VEHICLE PURCHASED NEW AND MY WIFE DROVE, TILL 75,000 MILES. NOW I AM DRIVING THE VUE AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACCELERATE A LITTLE MORE QUICKLY OUT OF SOME INTERSECTION. SPARK PLUG FAILED AT 50,000 MILES. THEY ARE TO LAST TO 100,000 MILES. VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR TO REPLACE THE SPARK PLUG, HAVE TO TEAR OFF THE TOP END OF INTAKE MANIFOLD TO GET TO IT. MANY EXPENSIVE REPLACEMENT GASKETS HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE LABOR ALSO. I USED MY PERSONAL CERTIFIED MECHANIC TO SAVE SOME MONEY. BAD DESIGN. *TR