2003 Saturn VUE Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Saturn VUE, 10% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 53,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “timing chain” (15% of reports).
- 62engine and engine cooling complaints
- 53,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 29%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Timing chain: mentioned in 9 of 62 complaints (15%)
- Service engine: mentioned in 7 of 62 complaints (11%)
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 5 of 62 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 49 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 62 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
Saturn VUE engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Saturn VUE. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 saturn vue. While driving various speeds, smoke emitted from underneath the hood area. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. The contact noticed that oil leaked from the engine valve cover onto the exhaust manifold. The vehicle was…
This vehicle while going down the road the engine just cuts off, doesn't matter the speed you are traveling. It will start back up automatically but you loose speed .. It even cuts off when pulling away from stoplights and into traffic, then you have to put it in neutral and restart the engine. No…
I just purchased my 2003 saturn vue a month ago and a day after i got it the vehicle started shutting off while driving!! Sometimes it cranks right back up and then other times i have to just let it slowly roll to the side of the road so that i can crank it back up! I have my two children that ride…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Saturn VUEs have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 62 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Saturn VUE (10% of the 622 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Saturn VUE engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 53,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Saturn VUE?
The most frequent phrase is “timing chain”, in 9 of 62 complaints, followed by “service engine” (7).
Other 2003 Saturn VUE problems
- Power Train problems (316)
- Electrical System problems (124)
See all 2003 Saturn VUE problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all VUE years.