2009 Saturn VUE problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
118 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
80,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 99 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 37 of 118 complaints (31.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 39 | 33.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 21 | 17.8% |
| Braking behavior | 20 | 16.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 10.2% |
| Engine operation | 5 | 4.2% |
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 | 37 |
| Electrical System | 32 |
| Power Train | 14 |
| Air Bags | 10 |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 9 |
| Service Brakes | 9 |
| Engine | 7 |
| Unknown Or Other | 7 |
Steering: 37; Electrical System: 32; Power Train: 14; Air Bags: 10; Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 9; Service Brakes: 9; Engine: 7; Unknown Or Other: 7
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 10 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 13 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 24 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 25 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 24 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 13; 50,000 to 74,999: 24; 75,000 to 99,999: 25; 100,000 to 149,999: 24; 150,000 and above: 3
75,000 to 99,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 19 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 | 1 |
| 2010 | 7 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 21 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 8 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 9 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 |
2009: 1; 2010: 7; 2011: 3; 2012: 4; 2013: 6; 2014: 30; 2015: 21; 2016: 7; 2017: 8; 2018: 6; 2019: 8; 2020: 9; 2021: 2; 2022: 2; 2023: 1; 2024: 2; 2025: 1
Pattern summary
Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 39 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 21 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 20 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 10362930 · 2010-10-29 (October 29, 2010)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH AND EXITING THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CHECK ENGINE, BRAKE AND ABS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AFTER BEING TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AS THE PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OF…
Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10362930 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10476681 · 2012-09-21 (September 21, 2012)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWERING STEERING OCCURRED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DRIVE HOWEVER, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP AND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIANS ADVISED THAT THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND THE HOSE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS 08V470000 (STEERING: HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST: HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNEC…
Owner-reported narrative. 58,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10476681 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10359322 · 2010-10-05 (October 5, 2010)
MY 2009 SATURN VUE HYBRID HAS HAD 2 CAR BATTERIES DIE AND THE HYBRID BATTERIES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL. I PURCHASED THE VUE IN JULY OF 2009. THE FIRST CAR BATTERY WAS REPORTED DEAD BY THE LOU FUZE DEALERSHIP LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER MY PURCHASE AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. THE HYBRID BATTERIES WERE DEEMED "DEAD" BY THE LOU FUZE DEALERSHIP IN JULY 2010 AND REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. IN OCTOBER 2010, THE CAR BATTERY WAS AGAIN DEEMED "DEAD" AND REPLACED BY THE LOU FUZE DEALERSHIP. EACH TIME THE CAR BATTERY WAS REPLACED, I WAS TOLD BY THE …
Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10359322 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10362102 · 2010-10-24 (October 24, 2010)
MY 2009 SATURN VUE HYBRID WAS PURCHASES IN JAN 2009. SINCE THAT TIME MY CAR BATTERY HAS DIED 4 TIMES. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE SATURN DEALER IN SAVANNAH THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE BATTERY BUT MY HYBRID BATTERY HAD A RECALL. AFTER 10 DAYS THE VEHICLE WAS RELEASED BACK TO ME WITH A NEW HYBRID BATTERY HOWEVER, THE 12 V CONTINUES TO DIE. THE GM DEALER IN HINESVILLE GA SAID THAT BATTERIES WILL DIE IN EXTREME CONDITIONS. I LIVE IN SE GEORGIA. I HAVE NO GPS, RADAR DETECTOR, MPS PLAYER , DVD PLAYER ETC PLUGGED INTO MY VUE TO ACCOUNT FOR…
Owner-reported narrative. 19,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10362102 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10288795 · 2009-10-17 (October 17, 2009)
NO ACCIDENT. I'M REPORTING DESIGNFLAW: SATURN VUE SERVICE MANUAL STATES NOT USE TIRE CHAINS, BUT NO SUGGESTION OF WHAT TO USE IN SNOW. AFTER MANY PHONE CALLS I FOUND SATURN SELLS SPIKE SPIDERS FOR $470 TO MORE THAN $500 A POP. THESE SPIKES ARE SAID BY THE SPIKE SPIDER MANUFACTURER, NOT TO INTERFERE WITH SENSORS, BRAKES, SUSPENSION ON THE SIDE OF THE TIRE NEXT TO THE VEHICLE. MY SATURN DEALERSHIP WAS CAREFUL NOT TO RECOMMEND THESE VERY EXPENSIVE SPIKES. I HAD TO ASK THEM. BUT SATURN DOES SELL THEM AT THEIR DEALERSHIPS. WHEN CALLING THE NAT…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10288795 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10322884 · 2010-03-30 (March 30, 2010)
WHILE CHANGING A FLAT TIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE FRONT TIRE, THE FACTORY-SUPPLIED SCREW-TYPE JACK COLLAPSED, AND BENT ALMOST IN HALF. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, THE PARKING BRAKE WAS SET AND THE JACK WAS PROPERLY LOCATED. THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPLACE THE PART.
Owner-reported narrative. 17,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10322884 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10604732 · 2014-06-20 (June 20, 2014)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF PARK AND FAILED TO START. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR FACILITY. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000. UPDATED 08/14/2014*LJ UPDATED 08/23/2017*CT
Owner-reported narrative. 85,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10604732 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10606619 · 2014-06-28 (June 28, 2014)
MY VEHICLE IS SHIFTING EXTREMELY HARD. DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS A WAVE PLATE INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION AND WOULD REQUIRE AN OVERHAUL OF THE TRANSMISSION. RESEARCH HAS SHOWN MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE THAT MY VEHICLE HAS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 90,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10606619 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10577917 · 2014-04-07 (April 7, 2014)
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.
Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10577917 at NHTSA ↗