NHTSA Complaint #10231535 — 2004 SATURN VUE

PROBLEM 1: MY 2004 SATURN AWD V6 SATURN VUE HAS DEVELOPED A "SHUDDER" IN THE DRIVE TRAIN THAT'S PREVALENT IN THE 20 -25 AND 30-35MPH RANGE UNDER MODERATE ACCELERATION OR COASTING. HOOKED UP TO A CODE READER, NO CODES APPEAR; HOWEVER, THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS SLIPPING AS IT DISPLAYS A READ OUT OF OVER 8,000 RPM'S WHEN THIS OCCURS AND THE TACHOMETER BOUNCES BACK AND FORTH WITH THE SHUDDER. FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE IS HIGHER IN HOTTER WEATHER AND WHEN CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. SLIGHT WHINE ALSO NOTICED BY THE TRANSMISSION MECHANIC. PROBLEM 2: THIS PROBLEM WAS NOTICED ON 03-28-08. VEHICLE WAS ALSO PURCHASED WITH DEFECTIVE HORN. TWO + WEEKS AFTER THE CAR WAS PURCHASED I WAS HIT IN THE REAR QUARTER PANEL BY A CARELESS TEENAGER THAT DID NOT LOOK BEFORE HE BACKED OUT OF HIS PARKING SPACE. I REALIZED SHORTLY AFTER THAT MY HORN WAS NOT PROPERLY WORKING. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE SOUNDED THE HORN TO ALERT HIM THAT HE WAS ABOUT TO BACK INTO ME IF HAD WANTED TO. HAD IT REPAIRED RECENTLY IN WHICH THE HORN WAS FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY NON-OPERATIONAL. ONCE REPAIRED, IT WAS APPARENT THAT ALL WAS WORKING WELL WITH THE HORN AS IT HONKS WHEN THE DOORS ARE LOCKED. WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE CAR WOULD DO THAT AT THE TIME THAT WE PURCHASED IT. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A BIG CLUE TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT IT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT SELLING A CAR WITHOUT A PROPERLY FUNCTIONING HORN IS A SAFETY VIOLATION. I'M APPALLED THAT THIS WAS NOT CAUGHT BY THE DEALERSHIP! MORE OVER, THEY STUCK ME WITH AN EXPENSIVE BILL TO REPLACE SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN OPERATIONAL AT THE TIME OF SALE! PROBLEM 3: REPAIRED ON 05-22-08. ALSO, BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS HAD TO BE REPLACED AS THEY WERE FOUND TO HAVE SEPARATED. MAJOR FRONT END NOISES HEARD PRIOR TO THIS GETTING FIXED AND SLOP IN THE FRONT END WHEN DRIVING. FELT LIKE CAR MIGHT LOOSE CONTROL WHEN CORNERING! *TR