NHTSA Complaint #10256954 — 2008 SATURN VUE

ON 9/24/08 I PURCHASED A 2008 SATURN VUE XR AWD WITH 5945 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. IT WAS A CORPORATE FLEET VEHICLE PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE. IT HAS A "PREFERRED PACKAGE" INCLUDING A FACTORY-INSTALLED REMOTE START. IN THE SHORT 4 MONTHS I OWN IT I HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL AT LEAST 10 TIMES OR MORE. SPECIFICALLY, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAY DOES NOT ILLUMINATE AT ALL. NO SPEEDOMETER, NO FUEL GAGE, RPM'S OR TURN SIGNALS YET THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE AND RUNNING. WHAT I'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHEN I USE THE REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY (RKE) TO REMOTE START THE VEHICLE & PARTICULARLY WHEN IT'S EXTREMELY COLD OR THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING OVERNIGHT FOR SEVERAL HOURS. I REMOTE START THE VEHICLE THEN WITHIN 6-8 MINUTES I ENTER THE VEHICLE USING THE UNLOCK KEY ON THE REMOTE. I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND TURN IT TO THE "ON" POSITION WHICH SHOULD THEN ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO OPERATE NORMALLY ONCE IT IS PUT IN GEAR. MY VEHICLE'S INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL IS COMPLETELY DARK WITH NO DISPLAY WHATSOEVER YET THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING AND IN MOTION. ONE DAY I TRIED TO REMOTE START IT AS I USUALLY DO BUT IT WOULD NOT WORK EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN RANGE AND THEN WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IT STILL WOULD NOT START. ON ANOTHER DAY I WAS DRIVING WHEN SUDDENLY THE DASHBOARD JUST WENT COMPLETELY BLACK FOR ABOUT 5 SECONDS AND THEN CAME BACK ON AGAIN. I HAVE BROUGHT MY VUE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES ALREADY AND THEY SAY THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY CAN DO. I JUST HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. UNACCEPTABLE RESPONSE ON SATURN/GM'S BEHALF. I KNOW THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BUT THEY WON'T LISTEN TO ME. I HAVE ALSO HAD A CONTROL ARM BUSHING REPLACED ALREADY. THE REAR WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID DOES NOT COME OUT WHICH THEY SAY WAS CLOGGED & FIXED. THANKS TO NHTSA'S WEBSITE I WAS ABLE TO FIND A POWER STEERING RECALL THAT THE DEALER DIDN'T ADDRESS - MY ENTIRE RESERVOIR NEEDED REPLACEMENT. *TR