Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
130–25K
2325–50K
2950–75K
2375–100K
33100–150K
16150K+
137 reports with mileage · 33 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
Electrical System. Review the 72 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Steering. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
15 crash reports3 fire reports9 injury reports
What owners actually said
170 reports
119,200 miles · Aug 26, 2014
Electrical System
ON AUGUST 22, 2014, THE IGNITION SWITCH ON MY 2005 SATURN VUE FAILED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW CAR KEY ENTRY TO START THE CAR. I HAD TO HAVE AAA TOW THE CAR ON A FLATBED TRUCK. I CONTACTED GENERAL MOTORS REGARDING THEIR RECENT IGNITION SWITCH RECALL (DATED 08/11/14) AND EXPLAINED THE CAR'S PROBLEM. GM INFORMED ME THAT MY 2005 SATUR…
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
NHTSA ODI #10628503
1,397,500 miles · Aug 24, 2014
Electrical SystemEngineSteering
I WAS LEAVING WORK, I ENTERED MY CAR, PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE KEY. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED AND THERE WAS NO UNLOCKING IT. I CALLED SEVERAL TOW COMPANIES AS THIS HAD HAPPENED A YEAR EARLIER AND A TOW COMPANY CAME OUT, SPRAYED THE IGNITION WITH WD-40 AND IT TURNED RIGHT AWAY.…
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I WAS LEAVING WORK, I ENTERED MY CAR, PUT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE KEY. THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN. THE IGNITION WAS LOCKED AND THERE WAS NO UNLOCKING IT. I CALLED SEVERAL TOW COMPANIES AS THIS HAD HAPPENED A YEAR EARLIER AND A TOW COMPANY CAME OUT, SPRAYED THE IGNITION WITH WD-40 AND IT TURNED RIGHT AWAY. I TRIED THE WD-40 BEFORE CALLING THE TOW COMPANY AND IT DID NOTHING. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, HE HAD MADE A STATEMENT THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS A LOT WITH THESE SUV'S. HE GOT THE KEY INTO THE AUXILIARY POSITION AND HIT IT THE KEY WITH THE HARD END OF A BUTT OF A KNIFE. THIS MADE THE IGNITION SLIP TO THE "ON" POSITION. I COULD THEN TURN THE KEY AND START THE TRUCK. I DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE THIS IGNITION REPLACED. I FEEL THAT THIS IGNITION SHOULD BE REPLACED AS JUST BECAUSE IT HAS NOT HAD AN ACCIDENT YET, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT WITH THIS IGNITION. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED UNTIL THE KEY COULD BE TURNED TO THE "ON" POSITION. I HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AT THIS TIME SO, THAT I CAN START THE TRUCK AND GET TO WORK. I AM TOLD IT WILL BE CLOSE TO $300 TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT!. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10627861
30,000 miles · Aug 22, 2014
Structure
DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM IN OR OUTSIDE. REFERRED TO GM DEALERSHIP THAT WAS DESIGNATED BY GM TO WORK ON SATURNS. AFTER 4 HOURS AND 441.00, THEY REMOVED THE ENTIRE DOOR AND REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WORKED SUCH AS DOOR LOCKS, HANDLES, WINDOWS AND SIDE MIRRORS. I ALSO HAVE AN IGNITION ISSUE…
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DRIVERS DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN FROM IN OR OUTSIDE. REFERRED TO GM DEALERSHIP THAT WAS DESIGNATED BY GM TO WORK ON SATURNS. AFTER 4 HOURS AND 441.00, THEY REMOVED THE ENTIRE DOOR AND REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WORKED SUCH AS DOOR LOCKS, HANDLES, WINDOWS AND SIDE MIRRORS. I ALSO HAVE AN IGNITION ISSUE AND CAN REMOVE THE KEY WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. WHY ARE SATURNS NOT PART OF THE IGNITION RECALL? JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER MANUFACTURED LIKE PONTIAC AND OLDSMOBILE? WHAT ABOUT OUR SAFETY? *TR
NHTSA ODI #10627608
Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2014
Electrical SystemSteering
KEYS GET STUCK IN IGNITION NOT ALWAYS INTERMITTENT AND FOR NO REASON 5 TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10627288
140,000 miles · Aug 19, 2014
Electrical System
THE IGNITION SWITCH ON OUR 2005 SATURN VUE IS MALFUNCTIONING AS DESCRIBED IN THE AUG 2014 GM RECALL AFFECTING OTHER MODELS. THE KEY IS DIFFICULT TO TURN TO START AND CAN BE REMOVED WHILE RUNNING. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10626426
90,000 miles · Aug 19, 2014
Electrical System
HAD KEY IN IGNITION CAR WAS RUNNING IN THE ON POSITION AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE KEY OUT. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10626406
100,000 miles · Aug 13, 2014
Electrical SystemSteering
I CAN REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS STILL RUNNING. ALSO, THERE ARE TIMES THE IGNITION WILL PHYSICALLY NOT TURN SO THAT I CAN CRANK THE VEHICLE. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10622046
115,000 miles · Aug 11, 2014
Electrical System
MY KEY CAME OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE IN DRIVE AND THE CAR DIDN'T SHUT OFF. SINCE THEN IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE KEY TO TURN THE IGNITION. THE KEY NEEDS TO BE WIGGLED AND PLAYED WITH TO TURN THE CAR ON EVERY TIME I WANT TO START IT. THE 2005 VUE NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE RECALL. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10621461
50,000 miles · Aug 9, 2014
Electrical System
THE IGNITION KEY BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN ON I HAD TO WIGGLE KEY AROUND TO FINALLY GET IT TO TURN. SINCE THAT TIME THE KEY HAS TO BE WIGGLED AROUND EVERY TIME YOU WANT TO START THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT WITHOUT SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF. IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH COMPLETELY OFF BEFORE…
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THE IGNITION KEY BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN ON I HAD TO WIGGLE KEY AROUND TO FINALLY GET IT TO TURN. SINCE THAT TIME THE KEY HAS TO BE WIGGLED AROUND EVERY TIME YOU WANT TO START THE VEHICLE. ALSO THE KEY CAN BE PULLED OUT WITHOUT SHUTTING THE VEHICLE OFF. IF YOU ARE NOT CAREFUL TO TURN THE IGNITION SWITCH COMPLETELY OFF BEFORE REMOVING THE KEY IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE KEY SLOT REALIGNED IN ORDER TO PLACE THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. THE KEY HAS ALSO FALLEN OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE DRIVING. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10621113
89,000 miles · Aug 8, 2014
Electrical System
WE CAN EASILY PULL THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IS RUNNING. WE HAVE A 2005 SATURN VUE WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE RECALL. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS BUT I JUST LISTED THE LATEST DATE AND TIME. WE CAN PULL OUT THE KEY AT ANY TIME. *TR
NHTSA ODI #10620992
Official recalls
0
No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2005 Saturn Vue Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year