AI Damage2003 Saturn VUE: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Saturn VUE filed 622 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 622
- involving a crash
- 29
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 51% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Engine and cooling 10% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 8% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 7% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 7 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 316 complaints (51% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 124 complaints (20% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 62 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Suspension: 48 complaints (8% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 45 complaints (7% of all), 2 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.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 6 complaints
- 3 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 5-speed
- CVTnamed in 10 complaints
- manual, 5-speednamed in 2 complaints
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 622 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 316 | 5 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 124 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 62 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 48 | 7 | 0 |
| Steering | 45 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 41 | 13 | 0 |
| Engine | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 20 | 2 | 0 |
| Visibility | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 13 | 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.
I was in a front end collison on 3 12 2019. The driver seat track broke upon collision causing me and the seat to be sent forward into the dash causing personal injury. The lever that moves the seat disconnected and the whole mechanism came toward the dash
Brake failure. My brakes went out while I was making a right turn off a freeway exit ramp. I tried to brake and pushed the brake pedal to the floor but nothing happened. I had just had rotors and pads put on the vehicle that day. I struck two vehicles and the airbag did not deploy.
While in park, the vehicle rolled down the street and struck another vehicle. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was repaired, but the issue recurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Next thing I know is that is popped out of gear(parking brake cable had broken prior to this) and it took a "minor" shot on the drivers side. Scratching the fender, turn lights, and bumper cover. The ignition has always been a little weird since I purchased it however, it make more sense know.
The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled which also caused the brakes to fail as the contact approached a stop sign. As a result, the contact went through the stop sign and crashed into another vehicle. The air bag failed to deploy.
The vue has lost power multiple times with no warning! 3 times while driving in the freeway with my 3 children!!! I have taken the car with multiple mechanics, invested about 2,700 trying to fix the problem with no luck.
The air bags did not deploy and the contact was injured. The vehicle was destroyed. A police report was not filed. The vin was not available. The failure and the current mileage was 128,000.
There was a loud popping noise and black smoke came pouring out and everything shut down. I have since noticed there is a recall for this same thing but was told it is not for my specific vin number.
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 544 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 1% most complained about).
On average one model year of the VUE has 236 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 622, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Saturn VUE?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, electrical system, engine and cooling. Total complaints: 622. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: transmission slipping (11%), warning lights, check engine (9%), stalls while driving (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 Saturn VUE?
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 2003 Saturn VUE 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 2003 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.