10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
95,680 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Saturn Vue:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #55

Aug 172019

Vue

  • 143,000 miles
The key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position. There was a recall (#14V490000 on 08/08/2014) for 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004, however, I have a 2005 Saturn Vue that has the exact same problem and there is no recall or remedy available.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #54

Mar 012019

Vue

  • 200,000 miles
Dashboard fire. The vehicle was stationary for two and half hours before it was noticed the dashboard was on fire.

- Traverse City, MI, USA

problem #53

Nov 192018

Vue

  • 87,000 miles
Key wont turn in ignition. Bought new key but problem has continued. Car is off and in park when this happens.

- Metairie, LA, USA

problem #52

Oct 012018

Vue

  • 65,000 miles
Key can be removed from ignition in the on position when in motion

- Arvada, CO, USA

problem #51

Jun 062017

Vue

  • miles
Ignition switch is faulty, and has been for some time. Sometimes the key will turn, other times it jams and will not allow the key to turn. My mechanic had two new factory keys made last summer as he was certain it was the keys, though I did not believe it and it certainly has nothing to do with the keys. My mechanic is now checking on getting another Saturn Vue ignition switch (has has my VIN). My mechanic has said (last summer and still now) that he believes this was a recall item on Saturn.

- Williamstown, NJ, USA

problem #50

Apr 232015

Vue

  • miles
My car has the ABS system light on, and there are tons of people with this problem! I have almost gone off the road tons of times when the roads have barely any snow or ice on them, and this is seriously a common problem that should have a recall! the ABS system on the Saturn Vues seems to go out all the time, which causes other problems, malfunctioning breaks, bearing degeneration too! I need to constantly change the breaks and now I need new bearings. My car only has 84K miles on it!!! and with my car, my transmission is also going out and that started at 60,000, miles and now its giving me real problems too! so the Saturn Vue 2005 AWD V6 car I have... has a common problem of cheap ABS system parts going bad, and bad transmissions! both need to be recalled, and addressed by GM.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #49

Aug 072016

Vue

  • miles
The key can be removed from the ignition while the vehicle is running or not in the off position. The vehicle can be stationary or moving. It has been doing this for months.

- Wake Forest, NC, USA

problem #48

Mar 012016

Vue

  • miles
Key comes out of the ignition when the car is running. Why isn't there a recall?

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #47

Dec 192015

Vue

  • 105,000 miles
Ignition cylinder - key can come out when not in "off" position. For now, it's just happening when parked and draining the battery, but it's unsafe

- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

problem #46

Mar 152015

Vue

  • 160,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while driving, the ignition key was able to be ejected. The contact also stated that when the ignition switch was turn to the off position, the electrical functions in the vehicle would remain on, even with the key removed from the ignition.the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

- Corpus Christ, TX, USA

problem #45

Jun 222015

Vue

  • 97,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. While driving at an unknown speed, the key ejected from the ignition switch independently and the engine continued to run. The contact was able to shut off the vehicle and restart it; however, the failure persisted and recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

- Washington D.C., DC, USA

problem #44

Dec 302013

Vue

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Saturn Vue. While driving approximately 55 mph, the key fell out of the ignition independently but the engine continued to run. The contact maneuvered to the emergency lane where the vehicle was shut off. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000. The VIN was not available.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #43

May 212015

Vue

  • 48,000 miles
Stiff ignition switch right from day 1 when car was new, key does not fall out but jams, also front strut sqeek and creek, sounds like a 100 year old wagon, suppose there was a recall for strut tower bushing, I was charged $410 for the repair in 2005, if anything made it worse, I hardly drove this car it has 81000 km, approx 48000 miles, curious the hatch lock has always been stiff as well and the key gets stuck, sounds to me like a lock problem from the start, did GM outsource the locks like Toyota did with the gas pedals?

- Merced, CA, USA

problem #42

Feb 152015

Vue 6-cyl

  • 130,000 miles
After a year of complaints both here and to GM with videos proving my Saturn Vue 2005 had the ignition switch issue, Saturn finally recalled it. Myself and others have gotten the notice however it came in a white envelope with black writing that looked similar to junk mail. Also I see it is not noted on your page. GM has confirmed the recall when I contacted them. Why are they not following recall protocol" why is it not listed on your page"

- Binghamton, NY, USA

problem #41

Mar 022010

Vue 6-cyl

  • 76,348 miles
While driving between 30 and 40 mph the vehicle experiences a vibration in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was allegedly repaired by a GM dealer at no charge. The problem was not resolved. At least 4 other attempts to have GM repair the vehicle were refused by GM dealers even after the repair bulletin was extended into 2015. Not satisfied I contacted someone at GM and asked for a referral to another dealer in my local area. I received it and took it the referred dealer and explained the situation. After inspecting the car they acknowledged the vibration issue but said that before anything could be done the engine block mounts had to be replaced at a cost of approx. $1000. I thanked them and took the car to my trusted regular mechanic. I asked him to check the engine mounts (without telling him what happened at the GM dealer) and give me a report. Upon inspecting, he stated there was absolutely nothing wrong with the engine mounts. At this point, frustrated and angry with GM, I basically gave up. Furthermore, this occurred at the time of the GM ignition switch recall debacle.our Saturn Vue also has a problem with the ignition.on multiple occasions we were not able to remove the ignition key from the ignition switch without pliers and a lot of time. It took over an hour on several occasions to remove the key. We found information online where GM acknowledged there was a problem with the Vue ignition switches, but several attempts to have the switch replaced resulted in refusals by GM dealers. I thought this was odd given the huge recall of ignition switches by GM at the time. We basically received the same treatment concerning the rear end powertrain vibration after the initial repair even though the maintenance bulletin extended the repair period. There was an alternate repair if the first repair failed, but the dealer wouldn't honor it.

- Leavenworth, KS, USA

problem #40

Jul 212008

Vue

  • 35,734 miles
First occurrence - July 21, 2008 at 35734 miles: The ignition key could not be removed after it was turned to the off position nor could it be turned to the accessory or start position. Saturn of troy, mi replaced the housing, ignition cylinder and keys. Cost was covered by warranty. 2nd occurrence - June 21, 2011 at 57550 miles: Repeat of 1st occurrence. Suburban Cadillac Buick of troy, mi replaced the ignition cylinder and keys. Since I had purchased a extended warranty, my cost was $100. 3rd occurrence - September 28, 2012 at 63,597miles: Intermittently ignition key would not release from the ignition switch without a lot of jiggling and force. Technician at Suburban Cadillac Buick stated that we were not turning the key far enough to release it from the ignition. No action was taken at that time. 4th occurrence - November 3, 2014 at 75778 miles: After hearing a report concerning a GM recall for vehicles which allowed removing the ignition key while the engine is running, I attempted and was able to do this on my Vue. I went to Suburban Cadillac Buick where the technician conformed that this was a fact. He checked the VIN against the recall data base and informed me that Vue was not on the list but that I should have the repair made. The parts had to be ordered and the repair was made on December 15, 2014. The ignition lock cylinder and (2) keys were required. Total cost: $330.36.

- Birmingham, MI, USA

problem #39

Nov 062006

Vue 6-cyl

  • 7,000 miles
We have had trouble with the ignition since we've had it. At first we couldn't get the key out of ignition, had to jiggle steering column to remove key. Had the ignition switch cleaned. Now key just falls out of ignition while running. It's difficult to get anyone's attention on this matter since Saturn is no longer available. Rohrmans in lafayette, in. Use to take care of our problems with it, when Saturn went out G.M. directed us to defouws in lafayette. We had a 2003 Saturn before and had no problems with it, so please help us with this problem. Thank you: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Kokomo, IN, USA

problem #38

Dec 032012

Vue 6-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
Overall for last several years, ignition key can be removed from the lock cylinder while the engine is running. Also will sometimes jam and not allow the removal of the key without resetting the lock cylinder to the lock position. This is the same problem that GM has issued recall# 14506 for 2003 Saturn Vue's. contact with GM dealer confirms the problem. GM executive customer relations refuses to offer assistance for repair due to the fact that this vehicle is not part of the recall and the age and mileage on the vehicle. I believe that the above recall#14506 should be extended to cover 2005 Saturn as well.

- Schaumburg, IL, USA

problem #37

Dec 092014

Vue

  • 141,000 miles
Key will come out of ignition while driving vehicle. The key is not locked into ignition at all.

- Salem, VA, USA

problem #36

Nov 032014

Vue

  • 166,000 miles
Took my car into the shop for the second time in three years to get the ignition fixed. I could pull the key out when the car was running and it became increasingly difficult to turn the key to turn on the car it got to point where it would not turn and wore the key down. As I stated - this is the second incident for this issue and it is not a cheap fix.

- Abingdon, VA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »