The Saturn Vue Is Back as the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport

This is a strange development to say the least. The somewhat popular but short-lived second-generation Saturn Vue is coming back to the United States as the 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport.

You’ll see it on the streets, but you won’t be able to buy one new, and you’ll probably see it at used-car dealerships over time. That’s because the Captiva Sport is coming for the sole purpose of fulfilling fleet orders, according to General Motors.

The Captiva Sport will be available in LS, LT and LTZ trims. All models will include 17-inch aluminum wheels, air conditioning, power windows and locks, and electronic stability control. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional. Up-level trims will offer features like leather seats, a rearview camera and sunroof.

The Captiva Sport is powered by a 172-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder on the LS trim and a 264-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 on the LT and LTZ trims. All models use a six-speed automatic transmission.

The Captiva is sold around the world except in the U.S. With huge demand on the retail side for the Chevrolet Equinox, the Captiva Sport fleet option could take pressure off the popular crossover in the U.S.

As far as we know, this is the only vehicle you’ll see in rental fleets that you can’t buy at a dealership. The Captiva Sport will become available to fleet customers late this year. We had thought this model may be coming, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has already tested the vehicle, giving the Captiva Sport a four-star rollover rating; frontal and side crash-test ratings aren’t yet available.

Should this car be available to regular car buyers, too? Tell us in the comments below.

Should GM Have Recalled the Saturn Ion Over Steering Issues?

Last March, General Motors recalled 1.3 million 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt and 2007-10 Pontiac G5 vehicles over a faulty power-steering system. Now, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether the Saturn Ion should have been a part of that recall.

In the affected vehicles, the electric power assist could fail, increasing the risk of a crash, according to NHTSA. The Ion wasn’t part of the recall, but after 638 complaints and 1,444 warranty claims of electric power-steering loss, the agency is rethinking a potential recall for all 384,000 2004-07 Ions.

General Motors rebukes the need for a recall. According to the automaker, a power-steering failure shouldn’t increase the risk of accident; the car should still be controllable despite the increased steering effort. GM also says the Ion failure rate has been much lower than that of the recalled Cobalts and G5s, and if the Ion experiences power-steering failure, the system will be repaired free-of-charge if the vehicle is under warranty. In April, the automaker made NHTSA aware of the Saturn Ion issue, which was one month after the Cobalt and G5 recall.

Eleven crashes and three injuries have been tied to the power-steering failures, according to NHTSA. The agency will continue to closely monitor the situation. According to the New York Times, the level of complaints and accidents may now warrant potential recall action.

Should G.M. Have Recalled Saturn Ions for Steering Failures? (New York Times)

GM Plays Matchmaker for Pontiac, Saturn Owners

Saturn and Pontiac were officially dissolved at the end of October when GM terminated all franchise agreements with its dealerships for the brands. To keep Pontiac and Saturn owners in the GM universe, the automaker has set up websites that play matchmaker for them and their next car.

On each site, GM will match your current ride with a new vehicle. The catch is it will only match you with a new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle, which leads to some interesting matches. For instance, selecting a Saturn Aura will match you to a Chevrolet Malibu, Buick LaCrosse, Buick Regal and Cadillac CTS. The Malibu and Regal are the closest to the Aura in terms of cost. If you have a Pontiac Montana, the website will suggest GM’s large to midsize crossovers such as the Chevy Traverse and GMC Terrain. GM currently has no minivan offerings.

Recall Alert: 207,000 GM Crossovers

GM announced today it is recalling 207,210 of its crossovers —  including the 2009 and 2010 model year Buick Enclave, Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook — due to a faulty piece of trim on the second row of seats.
 
This trim can make it harder to return the second row to an upright position after being folded flat. The seat belt buckle can also come in contact with the frame, and if there is enough pressure, the red release button could be partially depressed. As a result, the seat belt may not properly restrain the passenger in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
 
The recall will begin on or before Aug. 31, and dealers will modify the trim shields on the second row and replace and belt buckles if they’re damaged. Owners can call Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, Buick at 866-608-8080, GMC at 866-996-9463, Saturn at 800-972-8876 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s hot line at 888-327-4236.

2010|Buick|Enclave

2010|Chevrolet|Traverse

2010|GMC|Acadia

GM to Recall 1.3 Million Vehicles Over Heated Windshield Wiper System

Do you have a heated windshield wiper system on your 2006-2009 GM vehicle? If so, it’s likely part of a wide-ranging recall of 1.36 million vehicles including 18 different models of Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Hummer and Saturn cars, trucks and SUVs.
 
The defect is a new one, and it follows a previous recall of the same system in the same vehicles. So if you’ve already had one recall performed, this is another you’ll need to address. Even if you’ve had the previous recall performed, the system may still have significant heat and melting issues that could lead to fire.
 
GM will be removing these systems completely from the vehicles and reimbursing owners $100. The systems will not be reinstalled, and GM no longer offers this option on new vehicles. The recall will begin on or before Monday. In the meantime, do not use the system.

The full list of vehicles is below, as are the customer service numbers for each division and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

GM Adds 2005-2010 Saturns to Certified Used Vehicle Lineup

Although it didn’t make the brand cut, Saturn can at least take solace that 2005-2010 model year vehicles will survive as GM Certified Used Vehicles and will remain available for purchase at GM dealers for the foreseeable future.

This means customers will get the 12-month or 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty backed by GM, as well as the fully transferable 100,000-mile/five-year powertrain warranty.

Because the Saturn brand is finished, consumers may find good deals on used Saturn vehicles, which include several vehicles that are worth a look. If you’ve ever had your eye on a Vue crossover or Aura sedan, this might be a good time to check out GM’s Certified Used Vehicles inventory.

Pontiac, Saturn Go on Fire Sale

With the fates of Pontiac and Saturn sealed, GM will face the prospect of moving the last vehicles of those brands off lots, and that’s good news for consumers. The automaker will offer extremely nice incentives to put you in a car from one of the discontinued brands.

This could both inflate GM’s December sales and cut the cost of a Pontiac or Saturn vehicle by as much as 46% off the sticker price.

The end-of-brand fire sale was sparked by a Dec. 23 letter sent from GM to its dealers saying it would pay them $7,000 for every new Saturn or Pontiac that is moved to rental-vehicle or service-vehicle fleets of the dealers. The vehicles then would have to be described as used to customers because the dealer will technically be the first owner. But the discount could still be tremendous.

The cost of the program to GM will be considerable, and Ward’s Auto estimates that as of December, GM still has 14,500 new Pontiacs and Saturns on the lots. GM has not commented on the financial impact. All deals on parts, service and warranties remain covered by GM.

If you’re looking to capitalize on the deal, you’d better hurry. The offer expires Jan. 4, the last day of the December car-sales month.

GM Plans Pontiac Fire Sale (Wall Street Journal)

Recall Alert: 52,937 GM Compact Cars

GM has issued a recall for 52,937 vehicles, including the 2006-2007 Chevrolet Cobalt, 2007 Pontiac G5 and 2006-2007 Saturn Ion, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall is for vehicles sold or currently registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Texas and is due to a plastic supply or return port on the modular reservoir assembly that could crack. If either of these components cracks then fuel will leak, which could cause a fire if it ignites. The fuel leak may be visible depending on the size of the crack.

Dealers will replace the fuel pump module for free. Even if you do not own a vehicle sold or registered in the aforementioned states, check with your dealer all the same. Some vehicles from the same timeframe in other states may be eligible for special warranty coverage.

Owners may contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438, Saturn at 800-972-8876 and Pontiac at 800-620-7668 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

2007|Chevrolet|Cobalt

2007|Pontiac|G5

2010|Saturn|Ion

GM to Offer Free Oil Changes to Pontiac, Saturn Owners

You read that right. General Motors wants to make sure current Pontiac and Saturn owners consider a new GM vehicle for their next car purchase by offering free oil changes at a Chevy, Buick or GMC dealer. That way the freebie takers will peruse new GM products from brands the company didn’t kill off in bankruptcy while they’re waiting for their car’s oil to be changed.

Final details on the offer will be released next week, including if it’s just a single oil change per customer or more. It sounds like a good idea to us, and most people we talk to like free things. What do you think?

GM Eager to Retain Pontiac-Saturn Customer Base (WardsAuto.com)

Consumer Reports' Top 10 Automakers

Today, Consumer Reports released the results of its annual car reliability survey, which includes more than 1.4 million vehicles. This is one of the most important publications of the year for consumers interested in a car’s reliability. There were few surprises in terms of which makes are most and least reliable, with Scion maintaining the top spot. Porsche, Saab, Suzuki and Pontiac saw the biggest gains while Lincoln and Mini took the biggest hits. Check out Consumer Reports full report if you’re a subscriber. We list the top 10 most and least reliable automakers below.