Buy Saturn Vue Disc Brake Calipers

A disc brake caliper (also called a brake caliper, sliding caliper, or caliper assembly) is the clamp that squeezes your brake pads against the rotor to slow your Saturn Vue. Press the pedal → brake fluid pushes a piston in the caliper → the pads grab the rotor → you stop. Most everyday SUVs like the Vue use a ÒfloatingÓ (sliding) caliper design. (HowStuffWorks, bremboparts.com)

• Model years: Saturn Vue was sold for the 2002-2010 model years. The Saturn brand was discontinued after 2010. (Wikipedia)
• Brake layouts by generation:
  • Many 2002-2006 Vues were built with front disc / rear drum brakes-so calipers are on the front only. The 2004 and 2006 owner's manuals state this clearly. (dezosmanuals.com)
  • 2008-2010 second-gen Vues have disc brakes (many trims use four-wheel discs, so there are front and rear calipers). The 2008 owner's manual notes disc brakes and built-in pad wear indicators. (ManualsLib)

A floating caliper has one or two pistons on the inboard side. When you brake, the piston pushes the inner pad; the caliper slides on its guide pins to pull the outer pad in too. It's a simple, light, and reliable setup for daily driving. For a deeper dive, see HowStuffWorks: How Brake Calipers Work and Brembo's quick primer on floating vs. fixed calipers. (HowStuffWorks, bremboparts.com)

Common signs your Vue's front (or rear, if equipped) caliper is failing: vehicle pulls to one side when braking, brake drag or overheating smell, uneven pad wear (one pad worn much thinner), or a wheel that gets very hot after a short drive. Haynes explains seized-caliper symptoms and causes (stuck piston, seized slide pins, pads stuck by rust). See: Haynes: How to unseize a brake caliper.

• Dust boots & seals crack → piston corrosion → sticking.
• Guide pins dry or rust → caliper can't slide freely.
• Hoses collapse internally → hold pressure and keep a pad dragging.
  These are the usual root causes behind noise, pulling, or hot brakes. Haynes details these failure modes and how to diagnose them.

Your Vue uses DOT-3 brake fluid. Do not spill it on paint. Only add fluid when you're servicing the brake system, and always use new, sealed fluid. That guidance comes straight from the 2008 Saturn VUE Owner's Manual (PDF). Also, glycol-based brake fluids (DOT 3/4/5.1) are hygroscopic (absorb water), which lowers boiling point over time-one reason fresh fluid matters. See Brake fluid. (GMC, Wikipedia)

• If you disconnect the brake hose at the caliper's banjo bolt, use two new copper crush washers (one on each side of the hose fitting). Many brake manufacturers call this out in their instructions, for example Wilwood and StopTech. See Wilwood's notes here (PDF) and StopTech's step showing two copper washers here (PDF). (Wilwood, Late Model)
• Bleeding after install: Air must be bled from the system. On ABS-equipped Vues, GM service info calls for a manual/pressure bleed first, and if the pedal is still soft or a lot of air entered, perform the ABS automated bleed with a scan tool. See this service description of the ABS Automated Bleed Procedure for Vue. (charm.li)
• After any brake work, pump the pedal before driving, check for leaks at the hose connection, and bed-in the pads per the pad maker's directions.

Never pour used brake fluid down the drain or on the ground. Treat it like household hazardous waste and dispose of it through your local HHW program. See the U.S. EPA's guidance on Household Hazardous Waste.

Replace the caliper if the piston is pitted, the bore is corroded, the slide pin bores are worn, or a rebuilt unit keeps sticking. Haynes notes that even if you free up a sticky caliper, it often seizes again if corrosion is the cause-making rebuild or replacement the smarter long-term solution. (Haynes Manuals)

• Saturn VUE owner manuals: 2004 (PDF), 2006 (PDF), 2008 (PDF). (dezosmanuals.com, GMC)
• How it works: HowStuffWorks: Calipers, Brembo: Floating vs fixed. (HowStuffWorks, bremboparts.com)
• ABS bleeding reference: Vue ABS Automated Bleed (service info).
• Check recalls by VIN or model: NHTSA Recall Lookup.
• Brake fluid basics: Wikipedia: Brake fluid.

• Confirm your rear brake type (disc vs drum) so you order the right parts. (dezosmanuals.com)
• Use DOT-3 fluid and keep it off paint. (GMC)
• Replace crush washers at the banjo bolt. (Wilwood, Late Model)
• Bleed properly; run ABS automated bleed if needed. (charm.li)
• Dispose of old fluid through an HHW program. (US EPA)

Disc brake caliper, brake caliper assembly, sliding caliper, brake piston housing, front brake caliper, rear brake caliper, brake hydraulic clamp, caliper bracket, guide pins, bleeder screw, banjo bolt, brake hose, brake pads, rotors.