2004 Saturn VUE

Typical pattern

5.8% of complaints about the 2004 Saturn VUE came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2004 vehicle — around the middle of the 236 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 6.5 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (93 complaints), typically at 5.9 yr or about 85,000 miles.

Complaints: 360
Median age at failure: 6.5 yr
Median mileage: 85,000 n=303
Crash / fire / tow: 11.9% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Power train

93 reports · 85,000 mi

5.9 yr

6.5%

Electrical system

82 reports · 85,000 mi

9.4 yr

4.9%

Suspension

34 reports · 70,100 mi

6.8 yr

17.6%

Air bags

18 reports · 74,000 mi

5.0 yr

61.1%

Other

17 reports · 139,300 mi

13.3 yr

Steering

16 reports · 102,000 mi

10.9 yr

18.8%

Engine cooling

16 reports · 85,987 mi

5.3 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

14V490000 2014-08-08

Electrical system:ignition

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible for the key to be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.

If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occup

03V519000 2003-12-19

Equipment:other:labels

CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.5L V6 (L66) ENGINES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 120, "TIRE SELECTION AND RIMS FOR VEHICLES OTHER THAN PASSENGER CARS." THE FRONT AND REAR WHEEL RIM SIZE SPECIFICATIONS ON THE TIRE/CERTIFICATION LABEL ARE NOT CORRECT. THE PRINTED WHEEL RIM DESIGNATION SPECIFIED A 16-INCH WHEEL WHEN A 17-INCH WHEEL DESIGNATION WAS REQUIRED.

IF THE WHEEL RIM SIZE IS INCORRECTLY PRINTED ON A TIRE/CERTIFICATION LABEL, A SERVICE TECHNICIAN WHO SOLELY USES THE TIRE/CERTIFICATION LABEL FOR SERVICE INFORMATION MAY ATTEMPT TO REPLACE A DAMAGED WHEEL WITH AN INCORRECT WHEEL.

In owners’ own words

Power train 400 mi 3 mo in service

RANDOM OBD CODE P0571 CRUISE/BRAKE SWITCH MALFUNCTION SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE ON 6 DEC 03. THE SWITCH HAS BEEN REPLACED. THE FOLLOWING HAS BEEN CHECKED SWITCH ALIGNMENT, CONNECTORS. NUMEROUS FAILURES CURRENTLY WAITING SINCE 29 JAN ON ENGINEER TO LOOK AT FREEZE FRAME DATA FROM THE COMPUTER. *JB

Power train 35,000 mi 10 mo in service

WHILE TURNING CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE. DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM PERTAINED TO THE REAR AXLE. HOWEVER, PROBLEM WAS NOT RESOLVED. *AK

Power train 8,102 mi 10 mo in service

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL. " MY CAR IS ONCE AGAIN IN THE SHOP FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE REAR WHEEL DIFFERENTIAL. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THE PROBLEM HAS ARISEN IN A SPAM OF 3 MONTHS. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE FIRST ONE, AND IS WORKING TO REPLACE IT A SECOND TIME. REAR DIFFERENTIAL MODULE REPLACED AT 8,102 MILES, THEN AGAIN AT 12.136 MILES.*JB

Air bags mileage not reported 9 mo in service crash / fire / tow

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. *AK

Other VUE model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.