2003 Saturn Vue Air Bags & Restraints Problems

TAKATA RECALL. BRAKE FAILURE. MY BRAKES WENT OUT WHILE I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN OFF A FREEWAY EXIT RAMP. I TRIED TO BRAKE AND PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I HAD JUST HAD ROTORS AND PADS PUT ON THE VEHICLE THAT DAY. I STRUCK TWO VEHICLES AND THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. I STRUCK MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL AND MY LEFT KNEE ON THE DASHBOARD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE PARKED, THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT IN THE REAR SEAT WAS LOCKED AND BECAME INOPERABLE. THE SEAT BELT FRAME BECAME DETACHED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 6/18/15*CN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 11/18/15*LJ UPDATED 1/12/2016 *JS UPDATED 01/26/16.*JB

AFTER TALKING TO A SATURN CAR CARE SPECIALIST IN JANUARY 2014 BECAUSE OF A LOUD NOISE IN STEERING COLUMN, AND AFTER HAVING BEEN TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM I WAS EXPERIENCING, IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH LOCAL GM DEALERSHIP TO HAVE PROBLEM INSPECTED WHICH I DID. WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THERE IS A LOUD NOISE LIKE A RUBBER BAND IS BEING STRETCHED TO THE POINT OF BREAKING. THE FOLLOWING IS WHAT DEALERSHIP REPORTED ON REPAIR INVOICE: "STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG COIL MAKING A NOISE. THE NOISE IS DUE ONLY TO PLASTIC ITEMS MAKING CONTACT WITH ONE ANOTHER. THIS NOISE IS COMMON IN COLD WEATHER AND IS NOT AN AREA OF CONCERN AT THIS TIME". I LIVE IN A HIGH TEMPERATURE/HIGH HUMIDITY STATE AND THE PROBLEM IS CONSTANT - NOT ONLY IN WINTER. AFTER VISITING THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY INSPECTED, THE NOISE WAS GONE BUT THAT LASTED ONLY FOR A WEEK OR SO AND IT RETURNED AND IT STILL PERSISTS TO THIS DATE. I WAS THEN ADVISED BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER TO USE A DRY SILICONE SPRAY ON THE STEERING COLUMN/AIR BAG AREA AND THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT. OR, I COULD HAVE THE CURRENT DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG REPLACED AT MY OWN COST WHICH I OPTED NOT TO DO BECAUSE OF THE EXPENSE. I HAVE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AIR BAG PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME. IT ORIGINALLY STARTED WHILE I WAS STILL LIVING IN ANOTHER STATE UNTIL THREE YEARS AGO WHEN I MOVED TO MY CURRENT ADDRESS. MY QUESTION IS THIS: HAVE OTHER OWNERS OF VEHICLES WITH AIR BAG PROBLEMS ALSO EXPERIENCED THIS NOISE PRIOR TO THE AIR BAGS EXPLODING WITH SHARP METAL OBJECTS SERIOUSLY INJURING THEM? OR, WAS A NOISE LIKE THIS REPORTED TO FRIENDS/RELATIVES BY THOSE KILLED PRIOR TO THE INCIDENTS? OTHER COMMENTS BY SATURN OWNERS ON WEB SITE ALSO COULD NOT GET ANSWER FROM GM AS TO CAUSE OF THIS NOISE WHICH THEY WERE ALSO EXPERIENCING. AM I DRIVING A TIME BOMB??? *TR

CAR PARKED AT WORK - INFORMED HORN WAS BLOWING ON CAR. TURNED OFF ALARM - STILL BLOWING. THUMPED CENTER OF STEERING WHEEL - BLOWING STOPPED. HAPPENED ONE WEEK LATER - SAME SCENARIO. TWO DAYS LATER - BLEW HORN AT DOG WHILE DRIVING - HAD TO THUMP CENTER OF STEERING WHEEL TO MAKE BLOWING STOP. HAVE HAD SIX (6) MORE INCIDENTS SINCE APRIL '13 = SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN HEAT BUILDS UP IN CAR. THUMPING CENTER OF STEERING WHEEL STOPS BLOWING. AFRAID TO DISCONNECT HORN DUE TO SAFETY OF HAVING A HORN. HAVE READ MULTIPLE, SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET - FOCUSES MAINLY ON '02 AND '03 SATURN VUE. WONDERING IF THERE IS A RECALL? HAVE SEEN ESTIMATES FOR REPAIR OF HORN SWITCHES AND AIRBAGS ABOVE $700.00. SEEMS TO BE CHRONIC PROBLEM - COULD LEAD TO FIRE IN AIRBAG DUE TO FAULTY SWITCH???? VERY CONCERNED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO HER. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND THE CONTACT WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 128,000.

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY IN 55-MPH ZONE, FORCED TO LANE CHANGE BY MERGING TRAFFIC TRAVELING FAST. HAD TO COME BACK INTO FIRST LANE AS ANOTHER CAR SPED UP IN PASSING LANE AT SAME TIME WE MOVED OVER. NOWHERE TO GO; CAR SPUN OUT, ROLLED AND HIT HILL ON SIDE OF HIGHWAY. VEHICLE HAD FRONT AIRBAGS (DRIVER AND PASSENGER), AND SIDE CURTAIN AIRBAGS FOR FRONT AND REAR PASSENGERS. AIRBAGS NEVER DEPLOYED THROUGHOUT ACCIDENT. VEHICLE WAS TOTALLY DEMOLISHED. THANK GOD, WE ARE ALIVE, BUT TOTAL DEMOLITION WITH NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT? HOW AND WHY DID THIS MALFUNCTION? *KB

TAKATA RECALL THE AIR BAG IS BEING INFLATED AND MAKING THE HORN GO OFF NONSTOP AND I HAVE TO DRIVE WITH THE FUSE FOR THE HORN TAKEN OUT. TO PREVENT FROM EITHER THE HORN GOING OFF AND EXPLODING WHILE I DRIVE TO WORK OR ETC... I HAVE HAD THE HORN REPLACED A FEW YEARS AGO AND THE PROBLEM IS WORSE AGAIN ESPECIALLY WITH THE SUMMER HEAT IN GEORGIA.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT FAILED AND HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE DEALER ADVISED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL FOR THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,570 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 88,590. UPDATED 10/13/10. *LJ THE COSNUMER STATED THE REPAIRS WERE MADE BY A PRIVATE PARTY AND PAID FOR AT HER EXPENSE. UPDATED 10/19/10*JB

ON 9/7/09, I WAS INVOLVED IN A ROLLOVER ACCIDENT IN A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY ON THE PASSENGER OR DRIVER'S SIDE, CAUSING MY FACE TO HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. I BLACKED OUT BEHIND THE WHEEL AND THE CAR FLIPPED AND THEN WRAPPED AROUND A TREE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. AS A CONSEQUENCE, IN A SITUATION THAT WARRANTS, THE AIR BAGS MAY FAIL TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT IS AWARE THAT A SERIOUS INJURY COULD OCCUR IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A TECHNICIAN CONCLUDED THAT THE AIR BAG CONTROL MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, SINCE THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 57,632.

TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND AT APROX. 30-35 MPH ENTER BUSY URBAN INTERSECTION WHEN A CAR TRAVELING WEST BOUND RAN A RED LIGHT. I COLLIDED INTO THE PASSENGER SIDE OF HIS VEHICLE STRAIGHT ON (T-BONED). CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE COMPLETE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED BRUISING AND SORENESS FROM THE IMPACT. MY VEHICLE THE SATURN VUE WAS TOTALED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. *TR

AIR BAG AND SERVICE LIGHT ON. BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THE AIR BAG MODULE IS DEFECTIVE. DEALER SAID IT WOULD COST $750.00 TO REPAIR. TALKED TO LOCAL AUTO REPAIR SHOP THEY SAID THEY THOUGHT THERE WAS A LAW THAT MANUFACTURERS HAVE TO CORRECT A SAFETY ISSUE FOR UP TO 10 YEARS AFTER CAR IS MANUFACTURED AT NO CHARGE TO CONSUMER. CALLED DEALER THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS OF COURSE. STUCK WITH PROBLEM AND CONCERNED. *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT REMAINS ON- FOR A FEW YEARS. WHICH, IN TURN, KEEPS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. DEALER LOOKED AT IT A FEW YEARS AGO, AND SAID ALL THAT COULD BE DONE WOULD BE FIX THE COMPUTER. IT WOULD NEED A REPLACEMENT AND THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSIBILITY. IT WOULD COST WELL OVER $500. WONDER IF THERE IS A RECALL OR SOME WAY I WOULD NOT NEED TO PAY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE HORN ENGAGED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED SHE REMOVED THE FUSES FOR THE HORN HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE AIRBAG PADDING CAUSED THE FAILURE. AS OF APRIL 29, 2008, THE DEALER HAD NOT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLID ON ICE, TRAVELED DOWN A HILL, AND CRASHED HEAD ON INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER WAS WEARING A SEAT BELT, BUT SUSTAINED NECK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FRONT END AND SIDES OF THE VEHICLE WERE DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 89,000.

THE SWITCH IN THE AIRBAG MODULE GETS STUCK AND THE HORN BLOWS CONTINUOUSLY AND WHEN IT WANTS TO; IT HAS FAILED FOR ME AT LEAST 6 TIMES IN ONE DAY BEFORE BURNING OUT THE HORN. THEN AFTER A BODY CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED (NOT NEEDED) AND THE HORN THE FOLLOWING TUESDAY THE HORN BEGAN TO BLOW OUT OF CONTROL AGAIN. I HAVE HAD TO DISABLE THE HORN (A SAFETY FEATURE OF A CAR) TO KEEP FROM IT BLOWING MORE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CONTACT VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO SEVERAL TREES. THE VEHICLE ROLLED AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT INJURED HER NECK AND HER VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN, PURCHASE DATE, AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

IT STARTED WITH HAVING STRANGE CLICKING IN THE TURN SIGNALS. THEN THE TEMP LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE NEEDLE WOULD BURY ITSELF INTO THE RED PORTION OF THE DIAL. WE NOTICED NO SMELL OR PROBLEMS WITH DRIVING THE CAR AND THE RADIATOR AND COOLANT RESEVIOR CHECKED OUT TO BE FINE. NEXT CAME THE OIL LIGHT ON AFTER WE HAD ALREADY HAD THE OIL CHANGED. THEN THE AIR BAG LIGHT WOULD STAY ON LONGER AFTER STARTING THE CAR. THEN AS SUDDENLY AS THINGS STARTED, EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL EXCEPT THE TURN SIGNALS. A FEW WEEKS LATER IT BEGAN. THIS TIME WITH THE HORN GETTING STUCK, THEN THE SERVICE LIGHT COMING ON AND STAYING ON ALONG WITH THE OIL LIGHT. THEN THE AIRBAG LIGHT STARTED STAYING ON LONGER AND LONGER. BY THIS TIME IT IS WINTER AND I'M HEARING STRANGE SOUNDS FROM THE FRONT OF THE CAR. ONE DAY WE NOTICE THE HORN IS NO LONGER WORKING AND THE FRONT END SOUND LIKE IT'S GOING TO FALL OFF. WE'RE AFRAID TO USE THE HEATER DEFROSTER TOO MUCH FOR FEAR THE CAR MAY OVER HEAT. I TAKE THE VEHICLE IN FOR OIL CHANGE AND DIAGNOTIC. IT WAS NOT BOUGHT AT A SATURN DEALER. I AM TOLD THAT THE HOUSING FOR THE OIL FILTER IS BROKEN AND NEEDS REPLACING. I PAY FOR HALF OF THAT. I NEED NEW LINKS IN THE FRONT. THE HORN WORKS. THE TEMP GAUGE IS GOING INTO THE RED. AFTER I EXPLAINED WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE GAUGES. IT WAS SUGGESTED I TAKE IT TO A SATURN DEALER. I WENT TO MY LOCAL SATURN DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE FRONT LINKS. THEY DIAGNOSED THE OTHER PROBLEMS AS: AIRBAG STEER WHEEL CONTACTS COLLAPSED - $800.00, SHORTED BCM- $449.00, HORN SHORTED- $101.00, FUSE BLOWN-$23.60, NOT INCLUDING LABOR. SPOKE WITH SATURN CORP, THEY HAVE AGREED TO PAY $500.00 TOWARD REPAIR OF AIRBAG AS LONG AS WE GO TO THE SATURN DEALER. PRESENTLY WE'RE SEEKING MONETARY ASSISTANCE FROM THE SELLING DEALERSHIP WHICH HAS MOVED OVER 50 MILES AWAY. THIS CASE IS STILL PENDING.