2009 Saturn AURA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
390 owner complaints analyzed
4 distinct recall campaigns
100,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 331 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 208 of 390 complaints (53.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 208 | 53.3% |
| Braking behavior | 63 | 16.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 56 | 14.4% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 39 | 10.0% |
| Engine operation | 22 | 5.6% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 0.8% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Steering | 208 |
| Power Train | 62 |
| Electrical System | 59 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 59 |
| Service Brakes | 40 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 28 |
| Air Bags | 21 |
| Exterior Lighting | 20 |
Steering: 208; Power Train: 62; Electrical System: 59; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 59; Service Brakes: 40; Vehicle Speed Control: 28; Air Bags: 21; Exterior Lighting: 20
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 20 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 29 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 50 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 66 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 109 |
| 150,000 and above | 57 |
Under 25,000: 20; 25,000 to 49,999: 29; 50,000 to 74,999: 50; 75,000 to 99,999: 66; 100,000 to 149,999: 109; 150,000 and above: 57
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (109). 59 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 3 |
| 2010 | 3 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 25 |
| 2014 | 67 |
| 2015 | 70 |
| 2016 | 29 |
| 2017 | 32 |
| 2018 | 45 |
| 2019 | 37 |
| 2020 | 23 |
| 2021 | 20 |
| 2022 | 13 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 5 |
| 2026 | 4 |
2009: 3; 2010: 3; 2011: 3; 2012: 4; 2013: 25; 2014: 67; 2015: 70; 2016: 29; 2017: 32; 2018: 45; 2019: 37; 2020: 23; 2021: 20; 2022: 13; 2023: 3; 2024: 4; 2025: 5; 2026: 4
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 208 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 63 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 56 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10299841 · 2010-01-15 (January 15, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT WOULD TRAVEL OVER A ROUGH TERRAIN SHE COULD NOTICED A BUMPING SOUND UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A CHEVROLET DEALER WHO REPLACED THE STEERING COLUMN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 8200. UPDATED 02/23/10. *LJ UPDATED 08/12/10*JB
Owner-reported narrative. 8,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10299841 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10451493 · 2012-03-13 (March 13, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD BEGIN TO VIBRATE FOLLOWED BY THE POWER STEERING WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10451493 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10405759 · 2011-06-09 (June 9, 2011)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STOPPED WHEN HE SHIFTED IT INTO PARK. UPON RELEASING HIS FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ROLL FORWARD. IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SHIFTER CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED SINCE THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHT…
Owner-reported narrative. 42,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10405759 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10463541 · 2012-06-29 (June 29, 2012)
STOPPED AT A DRIVE-THRU WINDOW. WAS IN GEAR AND UNDER BRAKING. TWO LIGHTS CAME ON AT DASH: SERVICE ESC AND SERVICE TRACTION. LIGHTS RESET WHEN VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED. LIGHTS HAPPEN AT RANDOM TIMES DURING OPERATION. WHEN SERVICE LIGHTS OCCUR, BRAKE LIGHTS REACT OPPOSITE OF NORMAL OPERATION. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 52,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10463541 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10404563 · 2011-06-06 (June 6, 2011)
WHEN ACCELERATING, THE 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DOES NOT ENGAGE AND HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT TWICE FROM BEHIND WHEN MERGING ONTO HIGHWAY. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10404563 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10534605 · 2013-08-09 (August 9, 2013)
THE BRAKE LIGHTS ARE ON ALL THE TIME UNLESS I RIDE MY BRAKE PEDAL. THEY WONT COME BACK ON WHEN I PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL TILL I ALMOST LOCK UP THE BRAKES. LOTS OF ELECTRICAL GREMLINS IN THIS POS CAR. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 30,549 miles reported. Look up ODI 10534605 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10566552 · 2014-02-28 (February 28, 2014)
LOST BRAKE LIGHTS - ELECTRICAL ISSUE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 35,945 miles reported. Look up ODI 10566552 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10549039 · 2013-10-23 (October 23, 2013)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED INDEPENDENTLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE INTERMITTENT RELEASE OF ALL FOUR AUTOMATED DOOR LOCKS. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NOT A RECALL RELATED TO THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 61,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10549039 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10585374 · 2014-04-28 (April 28, 2014)
MULTIPLE AND FREQUENT TOTAL LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING. NO ONE HAS BEEN HURT. SEEN THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS SAME ISSUE, CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND GAVE THEM THE VIN, THEY RESPONDED WITH THE CAR HAS NO RECALL. I CALLED GM AT [phone removed] AND WAS TOLD THE SAME. I FIND THIS TO BE IRONIC THAT CARS MADE THE SAME YEAR AS MINE HAVE A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM I'M EXPERIENCING BUT MINE VIN DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE MAGIC NUMBERS OF THE RECALL. ANY HELP WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT…
Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10585374 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10663414 · 2014-12-10 (December 10, 2014)
I BEGAN HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CAR CONSTANTLY JERKING AS THE CAR ACCELERATED UP TO 40MPH. I ASSUMED I MUST HAVE PUT BAD GAS IN MY CAR SINCE I VISITED A GAS STATION I NORMALLY DO NOT FREQUENT. I TOOK THE CAR IN AND THEY CLAIMED IT WAS BAD GAS BUT HERE WE ARE A YEAR LATER WITH THE SAME ISSUES AND CLEARLY IT WAS NOT BAD GAS AND I GOT RIPPED OFF FOR REPLACING MY FUEL PUMP AND HAVING TO PAY FOR A RENTAL CAR. I HAVE WASTED OVER $2K TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE ISSUE IS WITH MY CAR AND I STILL HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS AS PROOF. THE CAR JERKS WHEN IT IS VE…
Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10663414 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10795095 · 2015-11-20 (November 20, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN AURA. THE CONTACT SMELLED FUEL COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING FUEL AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,100.
Owner-reported narrative. 90,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10795095 at NHTSA ↗