AI Damage2009 Saturn VUE: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Saturn VUE filed 118 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 118
- involving a crash
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Steering 32% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 30% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 8% of all complaints
- 6 Electronic stability control 8% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 6% of all complaints
- Steering: 38 complaints (32% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 35 complaints (30% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 14 complaints (12% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 10 complaints (8% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Service brakes: 10 complaints (8% 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.
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 1 complaints
- 3.6 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- 2.4 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- 3.6 L · hybrid · 6 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- automatic, 6-speed
- CVT
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 118 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 38 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 35 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 14 | 2 | 0 |
| Air bags | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 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.
"stabilitrak" warning light has not turned off. I have lost control of my vehicle while driving twice but was able to pull over after a few seconds. The vehicle will lose power to the dash. When I am turning the steering wheel gets very hard to turn and will turn off the radio.
' tamara recall' when coming to a stop, the brake pedal goes to the floor and sticks and when released the car darts away and makes it hard to stop. I have been in an accident because of this and have received two tickets because of the brakes .
The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, another vehicle crashed into front and rear driver's side of the vehicle causing the contact to crash into a fire hydrant. The air bags did not deploy. The contact sustained injuries to the head that required medical attention. A police report was filed.
However, the contact stated there was a knocking noise emitted from the steering wheel. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number 08v616000 (steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vin was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 111,952.
The side airbag did not deploy, and the driver suffered a concussion when her head struck the interior of the vehicle.
Fire dept needed to use jaws of life to get me out.. I was unconscious and taken to trauma..no airbags deployed..hits were also noted to front panel and rear..car was totaled.
There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn and was inoperable while attempting to reverse. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.
Stalls stops, with Engine power reduced, stabilitrak off. After turning or braking. Engine light with down arrow. Accident probability. DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IF ON HIGHWAY OR COUNTRY RD!
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 3,170 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 9% most complained about).
On average one model year of the VUE has 236 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 118, below average.
What to check before buying
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- 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 2009 Saturn VUE?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 118. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (24%), warning lights, check engine (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (8%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.