AI Damage2007 Saturn Outlook: common problems
Owners of the 2007 Saturn Outlook filed 511 complaints with NHTSA, most often about exterior lighting and powertrain. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 511
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Exterior lighting 30% of all complaints
- 2 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 23% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 17% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 12% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 4% of all complaints
- Exterior lighting: 154 complaints (30% of all).
- Powertrain: 128 complaints (25% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 115 complaints (23% of all).
- Air bags: 88 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 60 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 2 complaints
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 511 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 154 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 128 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 115 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 88 | 3 | 0 |
| Steering | 60 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 36 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
On january29 2019 I was involved in an accident and the airbags on the passenger side it did not open and the impact was on that side opened that one that opened what's on the driver side and there was a lot of smoke coming off-the- airbag coming up and I couldn't breathe the accident happened on the street
I was driving my 2007 saturn outlook when the power steering went out and I went off the road hitting a culvert head on. The frontal air bags failed to deploy. The driver seat on impact broke off of the frame of the vehicle. The only thing that saved my life was my seatbelt.
The air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed. The contact sustained bodily and internal injuries to the left side of his body that required medical attention. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.
On 08/13/2011, I was traveling on northbound I-95 when a loud boom occured and the car began lurching out of control bringing the tires off of the ground. I managed to get the vehicle under control and discovered the bolts on the driveshaft had loosened and fell off, resulting in the driveshaft striking the pavement…
While the vehicle was parked a child's foot hit the gear shift and the vehicle rolled down the driveway. The vehicle crashed into a neighbor's parked vehicle. No injuries occurred and there was no police report filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 39,806.
Passenger headlight dim. Grand Street Batteey and Electric replaced bulb and states voltage to connector is good.the vehicle is available for inspection. Headlight is not bright enough to utilize at night as it should be for owner or traffic. No warning lamps light up on instrument panel.
I just purchased this vehicle & on my way home with it the check engine light came on. I hooked up the diagnostic code scanner on the car and it threw several different codes PO700, PO752, PO420. There are specific transmission issues with this particular year, make, and model.
Electrical problems caused by water include radio, lights; dashboard( shuts off for a few seconds then comes back on) and interior, door locks, stability track malfunction at which point the car will shake and shut itself off while being driven above 40 mph.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 726 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 2% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Outlook has 338 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 511, above average.
What to check before buying
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Saturn Outlook?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: exterior lighting, powertrain, electrical system. Total complaints: 511. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: headlights and tail lights (25%), warning lights, check engine (11%), steering or power steering problems (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2007 Saturn Outlook?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2007 Saturn Outlook from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2007 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.