2004 Saturn VUE Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other VUE years
- About as many complaints as other years 5th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 276 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Saturn VUE. That ranks 5th out of 9 VUE model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (93 complaints, 34%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 23 crashes, 5 fires, 20 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 276owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 23complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 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 | 93 | 34% | 85,000 | “vti transmission” (8%) | $7,350 |
| Electrical System problems | 78 | 28% | 78,250 | “ignition switch” (29%) | — |
| Suspension | 33 | 12% | 70,100 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 7% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 6% | 139,300 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 16 | 6% | 81,019 | — | — |
| Steering | 16 | 6% | 102,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 4% | 79,994 | — | — |
| Engine | 8 | 3% | 154,170 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 8 | 3% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 3% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 3% | 9,250 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 2% | 50,250 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 2% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 2% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 1% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 1% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 1% | 135,990 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 2,650 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 67,275 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 107,650 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 52,400 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | 172,244 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 55,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Saturn VUE recalls (2)
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.
Equipment:other:labels
Problem: Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5l v6 (l66) engines fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for vehicles other than passenger cars." the front and rear wheel rim size specifications on the tire/certification label are not correct. The printed wheel rim designation specified a 16-inch wheel when a 17-inch wheel designation was required.
Risk: If the wheel rim size is incorrectly printed on a tire/certification label, a service technician who solely uses the tire/certification label for service information may attempt to replace a damaged wheel with an incorrect wheel.
Fix: Owners will be provided with a corrected label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on december 15, 2003. Owners should contact saturn at 1-800-553-6000.
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
- 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.
The contact owns a 2004 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the light on the instrument panel was abnormally dim. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds over a bumpy road surface, the rear end of the vehicle was swaying from side to side. Additionally, the contact stated that the…
The ignition (key) has stopped working again after being recalled a few years ago, and being replaced. The key will not turn and start the car.
Transmission has Lube issues for Honda and TRANSGO HONDALK fixes that but requires several hours labor pulling transmission. Transmission and torque converter overheat causing failure. Mine overheated and stalled crossing traffic, wouldn't go into gear. Caused accident.
My Father's car key can be taken out of the ignition when it is not in the off position but his specific VIN is not listed as part of the recall.
Rusted front subframe/ engine cradle i carried my saturn vue to have the catalytic converters replaced and my master-mechanic discovered the rusted subframe and brought it to my attention. He showed it to me and explained the the danger in operating this vehicle.
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 | 276 | 2 |
| 2003 VUE | 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 2004 Saturn VUE?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, suspension problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 93 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Saturn VUE?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 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 2004 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.