NHTSA Complaint #10426571 — 2008 SATURN VUE

THE SATURN VUE I OWN IS A 4 CYLINDER AND THE HEATER CORE IS CRACKED JUST AS GM'S DOCUMENT ID[XXX] DESCRIBES. I STARTED TO SMELL ANTIFREEZE COMING FROM THE VENTS, ON ABOUT 9-3 WE HAVE GONE TO A RESTAURANT THAT NIGHT AND WHEN WE CAME OUT TO GO HOME, THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS FOGGED UP, I TRIED TO USE THE DEFROST SETTING TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT, I HAD NO RAG TO WIPE THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD SO I WIPER IT WITH MY HAND TO GET SOME VISIBILITY, I WAS FORCED TO STOP SEVERAL TIMES ON THE WAY HOME TO CLEAR THE WINDSHIELD BY HAND. I CALLED SATURN GM CONCERNING THE ISSUE AND THEY HAD ME TAKE THE CAR TO A GM DEALER WHO CONFIRMED THAT THE HEATER CORE IS CRACKED. GM CLAIMS THEY HAVE A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM TO FIX THIS ISSUE SO THE HEATER CORE WILL NOT CRACK BUT THEY CLAIM THAT MY CAR IS NOT IN THE PROGRAMS GROUP. THE PROGRAM REROUTES THE HEATER HOSES SO THAT INTERNAL PRESSURE BUILD UP IS REDUCED TO A SAFE LEVEL AND PREVENTS THE HEATER CORE FROM CRACKING THE PROGRAMS NUMBER IS #09206A. FROM WHAT I CAN FIND OUT THE PROGRAM STARTED IN 2009 AND WAS TO END 1-2011 BUT IT HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED TO 1-31-2012. AS I SAID ABOVE THEY CLAIM THAT THE DEFECT IS FOR A GROUP OF VUES WITH SERIAL NUMBERS 8S500002 TO 8S645537 WHICH WOULD NOT INCLUDE MY CAR. IF YOU READ #09206A IT DESCRIBES WHAT HAS HAPPEN TO MY HEATER. THEY STATE IN THIS DOCUMENT " WE HAVE LEARNED THAT YOUR 2008 MODEL YEAR SATURN VUE, EQUIPPED WITH A 4-CYLINDER ENGINE, MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH A HEATER CORE THAT COULD EVENTUALLY FRACTURE DUE TO PRESSURE FLUCTUATIONS WITHIN THE HEATER CORE. IF THE HEATER CORE FRACTURES, YOU WOULD NOTICE A STRONG COOLANT SMELL, VAPOR OR MIST COMING OUT OF THE HEATER VENTS, AND OR AN OILY FILM ON THE WINDSHIELD." THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO MY VUE CONFIRMED BY THE GM DEALER AND REPORTED TO GM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).*TR