NHTSA Complaint #10925762 — 2003 SATURN VUE

IN OCTOBER 2016 MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. AS HE TURNED A CORNER IN THE CITY HE HEARD A CRACK AND THE VEHICLE STEERED INTO A CURB. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO PEDESTRIANS NOR OTHER VEHICLES NEAR BY. HE WAS ABLE TO GINGERLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME (1 MILE). DURING A TEST DRIVE, IT WAS APPARENT THE VEHICLE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE WITH THE SUSPENSION. INVESTIGATION INDICATED ALL BALL JOINTS, SWAY BARS AND EQUIVALENT WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. AFTER TAKING IT INTO A SUSPENSION SHOP THEY ADVISED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT SUB FRAME RUSTED THROUGH CAUSING THE UNSTABLE STEERING. THEY NOTED THE PASSENGER SIDE IS ALMOST RUSTED THROUGH AND THE VEHICLE IS NOT ROAD WORTHY. LIKEWISE WITH THE AMOUNT OF RUST UNDER NEITHER REPLACING THE SUB FRAME WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. RESEARCHING THIS CONDITION ON THE INTERNET IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE IN CERTAIN REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES. UP UNTIL THIS SUMMER I USED TO DRIVE THIS DOWN THE INTERSTATE DAILY. I'M THANKFUL I STOPPED AND LIKEWISE THAT MY SON WAS NOT ON AN OPEN ROAD. THE CONSUMERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS CONDITION AND ALL MECHANIC SHOPS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATING FOR THIS PREMATURE FRAME FAILURE. INJURY ACCIDENTS WILL BE A GUARANTEE AT HIGHER SPEEDS.