2004 Saturn Vue problems
NHTSA has received 360 complaints about the 2004 Saturn Vue, and 23% of them involve electrical system. After that come drivetrain & axles (15%) and transmission (11%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 360 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 23% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 36 and 7
- Injuries and deaths
- 33 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 85,000 miles 303 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 44 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 30 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 37 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 37 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 43 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 30 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 27 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 22 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 18 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 4 |
| 200k+ miles | 11 |
What the data shows
Among the 303 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 85,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 85,000 miles (71 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 36 complaints mention a crash; 7 complaints mention a fire; 33 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 3rd most-complained-about out of 8 model years of the Saturn Vue with enough data (175 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 2 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
When driving at 35 MPH another vehicle did not stop at a stop sign. This caused consumer's vehicle to t-bone the other vehicle on the passenger's side. Passenger's side air bag did not deploy directly in the middle of the seat, but air bag deployed towards the left of the seat. Consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer.
I was stopped at a stop sign behind another vehicle in my 2004 saturn vue when a suburban rear-ended me at approximately 40+ miles per hour. I then hit the SUV that was stopped in front of me - and we both went approximately 100 feet forward from the stop sign. The impact totaled my truck to the point of the rear was crushed to the back seat and the front frame was broken in half with about a 1 inch gap.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. While attempting to shift gears, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the front driver's side near the engine. The check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 78,000.