2003 Saturn VUE Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other VUE years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 622 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Saturn VUE. That is the most of any VUE model year in the database (9 years). The most reported problem area is power train (316 complaints, 51%), typically at around 75,000 miles. Complaints mention 29 crashes, 9 fires, 27 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 622owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 29complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Saturn VUE problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 316 | 51% | 75,000 | “vti transmission” (17%) | $7,750 |
| Electrical System problems | 124 | 20% | 82,400 | “ignition switch” (10%) | $1,250 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 62 | 10% | 53,000 | “timing chain” (15%) | — |
| Suspension | 48 | 8% | 34,854 | — | — |
| Steering | 45 | 7% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 41 | 7% | 65,100 | — | — |
| Engine | 29 | 5% | 99,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 23 | 4% | 39,450 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 21 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 20 | 3% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 18 | 3% | 15,679 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 16 | 3% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 15 | 2% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 15 | 2% | 54,883 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 13 | 2% | 24,653 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 9 | 1% | 80,100 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 1% | 95,483 | — | — |
| Tires | 6 | 1% | 2,501 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 59,919 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 1% | 17,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 0% | 95,483 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 0% | 74,285 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 185,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0% | 119,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 2 | 0% | 7,003 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Saturn VUE recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible for the key to be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
Risk: If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to see if the key can be pulled out when the ignition is off. If it can, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and keys, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14506. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Timing chain failure (PE06006) — opened Jan 24, 2006, closed Jun 6, 2006.
- Rear suspension toe control link (PE04052) — opened Jul 22, 2004, closed Nov 1, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
This is more information related to Complaint 11761129: After online researching of other '03 2.2L Saturn Vue-owners stalling experiences, it appears that this vehicle has a long history of others like me: an unsafe, unpredictable stalling problem which carries no warnings or logging of error codes…
Car stalled while driving in traffic XXX. Engine died. Warning lights ON. Restarted. Stalled 3 more times in traffic but luckily had space to pull off & engine restarted. Made it into my garage. Restarted, Check Engine Light was ON, but went OFF after time. Car would NOT move in gear. Retried…
The contact owns a 2003 Saturn Vue. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V490000 (Electrical System). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who performed the recall repair; however, the new ignition keys provided under the remedy failed to start the vehicle. The contact had…
2003 Saturn Vue ignition switch. The switch was replaced under a recall with a switch that has the same defect; the key can be removed while the vehicle is in operation. The dealers refuse to replace it saying the car had the recall completed. They do not acknowledge the replacement has the same…
The contact purchased a 2003 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that two days after purchasing the used vehicle, the vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood and…
Other Saturn VUE years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 VUE | 6 | 0 |
| 2009 VUE | 118 | 2 |
| 2008 VUE | 406 | 3 |
| 2007 VUE | 286 | 0 |
| 2006 VUE | 300 | 0 |
| 2005 VUE | 170 | 0 |
| 2004 VUE | 276 | 2 |
| 2003 | 622 | 1 |
| 2002 VUE | 167 | 2 |
See all Saturn VUE problems by year, every Saturn model, or the VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Saturn VUE?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 316 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Saturn VUE?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 Saturn VUE a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other VUE model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.