2009 Saturn VUE

No clear pattern

0% of complaints about the 2009 Saturn VUE arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2009 vehicle, but with only 171 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is steering (40 complaints), typically at 6.8 yr or about 88,700 miles.

Complaints: 171
Median age at failure: 6.3 yr
Median mileage: 77,500 n=145
Crash / fire / tow: 16.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

08V616000 2008-11-24

Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm

GM IS RECALLING 2,149 MY 2009 SATURN VUE VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT RIGHT AND/OR LEFT FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE. AS A RESULT OF THE INCORRECT KNUCKLE AND RESULTING INADEQUATE CLEARANCE, THE TIE ROD BALL STUD COULD PULL OUT OF, OR FRACTURE, THE TIE ROD HOUSING. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TIE ROD TO SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE.

ALTHOUGH STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE MAINTAINED AFTER A TIE ROD SEPARATION BY THE UNAFFECTED WHEEL ON SMOOTH ROADS OR DURING LIGHT BRAKING, WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT SUSPENSION OR BRAKING INPUTS, THE AFFECTED WHEEL COULD TURN OUT AND SKID. IF A VEHICLE BUILT WITH TWO INCORRECT STEERING KNUCKLES HAD BOTH TIE RODS SEPARATE AT THE SAME TIME, STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE LOST, IN

08V470000 2008-09-17

Steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connections

GM IS RECALLING 42,408 MY 2008-2009 SATURN VUE VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE NUT SECURING THE POWER STEERING LINE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY LOOSEN. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THERE MAY BE A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.

THE FLUID COULD CONTACT HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 49,094 mi 4.2 yr in service

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH PARTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THIS INCLUDED THE SPEEDOMETER, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE DID NOT CORRECT THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY A MILE TO HOME AND SHUT OFF. STARTING THE VEHICLE LATER RESULTED IN THE COMPONENTS WORKING PROPERLY. NOTE THAT ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS THE DIC (DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER) HAS RESET ITSELF. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS MAINTAINED IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. *TR

Electrical system 45,000 mi 4.4 yr in service

TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE ELECTRONICS IN THE DASHBOARD OF THE VEHICLE WOULD TURN OFF AND ON CAUSING THE WARNING SENSOR LIGHTS TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT THE DEFECT OCCURRED MORE OFTEN WHILE DRIVING AND COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER AND THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND NO SOLUTION WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. RK

Electrical system 30,000 mi 2.1 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE SHE RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IF FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

Steering 85,000 mi 5.7 yr in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THERE WAS A COMPLETE LOST OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHO STATED THE STEERING COLUMN AND ELECTRICAL ASSIST NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN ORDER TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

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.

2009 Saturn VUE

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other VUE model years

How to read this