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2009 Saturn Vue

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2009 Saturn Vue do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 276.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

99 reports with mileage · 19 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.

  • Steering. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 14 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports3 fire reports7 injury reports

Electronic Stability Control (esc) complaints

9 reports
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143,000 miles · Sep 11, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainUnknown Or Other

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING

NHTSA ODI #11354446

144,041 miles · Sep 6, 2020
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Power Train

TRACTION CONTROL STAYS ON AND TRANSMISSION ENGAGES THEN RELEASE SLIPPING ..ALSO HYBRID SYSTEM NIT WORKING AT ALL NEVER TURN OFF AND ANY STOP LIKE A HYBRID .

NHTSA ODI #11353451

Mileage unknown · Aug 31, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Steering

WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING WENT OUT. DIFFICULT TO CONTROL OR TURN WHEEL. ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. FORTUNATELY WAS DRIVING 25MPH ON CITY STREET WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE IF ON INTERSTATE.

NHTSA ODI #11252589

54,225 miles · May 6, 2019
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Service BrakesVehicle Speed Control

WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET GOING UP HILL, THE CAR WAS HAVING A PROBLEM ACCELERATING UP HILL. WHEN GOING DOWNHILL, THE CAR WOULD STOP, AND THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP. HAVE TO USE ACCELERATION WHEN GOING DOWNHILL IN ORDER FOR IT TO MOVE. FINALLY WHEN I MADE IT HOME AND PARKED THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE (LIKE SOMETHING WAS SCRAPING…

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WHILE IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET GOING UP HILL, THE CAR WAS HAVING A PROBLEM ACCELERATING UP HILL. WHEN GOING DOWNHILL, THE CAR WOULD STOP, AND THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP. HAVE TO USE ACCELERATION WHEN GOING DOWNHILL IN ORDER FOR IT TO MOVE. FINALLY WHEN I MADE IT HOME AND PARKED THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE (LIKE SOMETHING WAS SCRAPING AGAINST SOMETHING). AND THEN THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN I GOT OUT THE CAR, IT SMELLED LIKE BURNT METAL. WHEN I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM, IT APPEARS THAT A LOT OF SATURN VUE USERS HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUES AND IT APPEARS AS IF THE DEALERSHIPS ARE NOT SURE HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI #11205865

53,385 miles · Mar 29, 2017
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Power TrainSteering

PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH MILEAGE AT 25,394 5/28/2014 CURRENTLY TODAY, 3/29/2017 MILEAGE IS 53,588, AVERAGE USE PER YEAR 9,398. WITHIN THE MARCH 2017, 3/3/2017 HAD A TRANSMISSION REBUILT, 3/20/2017 CHECK ENGINE, STABILITRAK & TRACTION SIGNS FLASHING MAP SENSOR AND OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED, 3/29/2017, POWER STEERING LINE LEAK. U…

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PURCHASED VEHICLE WITH MILEAGE AT 25,394 5/28/2014 CURRENTLY TODAY, 3/29/2017 MILEAGE IS 53,588, AVERAGE USE PER YEAR 9,398. WITHIN THE MARCH 2017, 3/3/2017 HAD A TRANSMISSION REBUILT, 3/20/2017 CHECK ENGINE, STABILITRAK & TRACTION SIGNS FLASHING MAP SENSOR AND OXYGEN SENSORS WERE REPLACED, 3/29/2017, POWER STEERING LINE LEAK. UNDER 2009 SATURN VUE-V6 UTILITY 4D RED LINE AWD A RECALL #08284 WAS SITED ON SEP 16, 2008 WITH NHTSA ID# 08V470000. READING DESCRIPTION MY VEHICLE FALLS UNDER THE RECALL CONDITION BUT MY VIN# DOESN'T SHOW ANY RECALL ATTENTION REQUIRED. ON 3/20/2017, DEALER FOUND A RECALL 15806 ACTION 9102060 AND IT WAS CLEARED BUT I STILL CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLES STEERING. I CAN'T ACCELERATE AND HAVE DIFFICULTY STEERING TO LEFT OR RIGHT...

NHTSA ODI #10969422

134,000 miles · Nov 10, 2015
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineService BrakesInjury

THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DUE TO A CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS A SURE FIX, I PAID 700 TO REPLACE AND A DAY AFTER PICKING UP FROM MY MECHANIC IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. IT WAS HESITANT AT FIRST BUT THEN IT STARTED AGAIN AND GOT WORSE. THE RPM ACCELERATING BUT SPEEDOMETER SLOWING DOWN. I TOOK IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC, HE REA…

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THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DUE TO A CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS A SURE FIX, I PAID 700 TO REPLACE AND A DAY AFTER PICKING UP FROM MY MECHANIC IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. IT WAS HESITANT AT FIRST BUT THEN IT STARTED AGAIN AND GOT WORSE. THE RPM ACCELERATING BUT SPEEDOMETER SLOWING DOWN. I TOOK IT BACK TO MY MECHANIC, HE READ SOMETHING TO ME ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF CONVERTER, IT SAID TO DRIVE IT FOR 1 HOUR AT HIGH SPEEDS TO BURN OFF INSIDE THE NEW CONVERTER, RESET THE LIGHT WHICH SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAD ALREADY DRIVEN FOR 1 HOUR BECAUSE I LIVE AN HOUR AWAY. I HEAD HOME AND AS I'M GETTING ON THE ENTRANCE RAMP TO I-75 SOMETHING CAME THROUGH MY VENTS AND IN MY THROAT AND CHEST AND I START COUGHING REALLY BAD AND TIGHTNESS IN CHEST. I GOT UP TO 55MPH AND THE TRUCK STARTED JERKING AND I NOTICED THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND MY BRAKES LOCKED UP. IT WILL NOT GO MORE THAN 20-30MPH. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WHILE STILL IN DRIVE THE TRUCK WILL NOT MOVE. CHECK ENGINE, ABS AND TRACTION LIGHTS CAME ON. I CALLED MECHANIC AND HE SUGGESTED I ROLL DOWN MY WINDOWS AND GET SOME AIR BECAUSE I WAS COUGHING SO BAD AND HAVE IT TOWED TO BE SAFE. CALLED ONSTAR AND NOW ABS CODES, TOLD TO TAKE IN FOR SERVICE WITHIN 7 DAYS, I ADVISED HER CANNOT DRIVE OVER 20MPH AND REQUESTED A TOW. A STATE TROOPER STOPPED TO ASSIST ME, SAID TO GET IN SAFER PLACE SO HE HELD TRAFFIC AND DROVE BEHIND ME TO GET OFF INTERSTATE WHILE I WAIT FOR TOW TRUCK. 7:32PM IN THE MIDST OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND 50 MILES FROM HOME. I WAS HORRIFIED! I WAITED 2 HOURS FOR A TOW THAT NEVER SHOWED, HAD TO GET A RIDE HOME AGAIN. EVENTUALLY GOT VEHICLE TO A GM DEALER. I RCVD A CALL FROM THE SERVICE DEPT WITH A QUOTE OF $5K OF REPAIRS TO INCLUDE A BRAKE JOB BECAUSE REAR PADS WERE METAL TO METAL. HAD BRAKES CHECKED 1WEEK BEFORE AND HAD 30% LEFT, LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS BRAKE DUST MAKING ME SICK.

NHTSA ODI #10789501

120,000 miles · Apr 20, 2015
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CRUISING AT 70 IN THE FAR LEFT HAND LANE, AND SUDDENLY MY VEHICLE SPEED DROPPED TO 40 MPH AND ERROR CODES STARTED FLASHING ON THE DASH (DECREASE ENGINE, ENGINE, STABILITY TRACK SYSTEM, TRACTION CONTROL, AND OTHERS I DON'T REMEMBER). WITH SEMI TRUCKS AND A HIGH VOLUME OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND BLOWING…

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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, CRUISING AT 70 IN THE FAR LEFT HAND LANE, AND SUDDENLY MY VEHICLE SPEED DROPPED TO 40 MPH AND ERROR CODES STARTED FLASHING ON THE DASH (DECREASE ENGINE, ENGINE, STABILITY TRACK SYSTEM, TRACTION CONTROL, AND OTHERS I DON'T REMEMBER). WITH SEMI TRUCKS AND A HIGH VOLUME OF TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND BLOWING THEIR HORNS, I ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE LANES IN AN EFFORT TO PULL OVER ON THE RIGHT SHOULDER AS GEORGIA LAW STATES...BUT IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND CONTINUED TO DECREASE. IT WAS BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT I DID NOT GET HIT BY THE VEHICLES AND SEMI TRUCKS SLAMMING ON THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID HITTING ME. I NEARLY MISSED THE OFF RAMP. OFF ON THE EXIT RAMP WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE THE LIGHT SO PULLED OVER TO RIGHT SIDE. MY CAR MADE A HIGH PITCHED SOUND LIKE IT DOES WHEN I REALLY STEP ON THE GAS, IT WAS REVVING AND NOW PULLING FORWARD. IT CONTINUED TO MAKE THIS NOISE WHILE I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT, NOT MOVING, TRIED PUTTING IT IN NEUTRAL, PARK, NOTHING WOULD MAKE THE REVVING STOP. FINALLY, LIGHT TURNED GREEN AND THE CAR JERKED ME FORWARD BUT THEN WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AGAIN AS I ATTEMPTED TO MAKE IT TO THE GAS STATION OFF THE EXIT. I PULLED INTO THE LOT AND AGAIN WHEN I BRAKED TO PUT IN REVERSE TO PARK IT STARTED REVVING HIGH AND JERKED FORWARD AGAIN THEN BACKWARDS. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND LET SIT 10 MINUTES. TURNED IT ON, IT WOULD NOT GO AWAY THE ENGINE WAS IN REVVING SO HIGH I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BLOW. I TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED FROM 30+ MILES AWAY FROM HOME. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10706593

Mileage unknown · Dec 22, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

2009 SATURN VUE. DRIVER STATES THE ENGINE STALLED REPEATEDLY, KEYS BECAME STUCK IN IGNITION AND THE AIRBAG AND STABILITY LIGHTS CAME ON. *TA

NHTSA ODI #10660633

49,094 miles · Nov 3, 2012
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH PARTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THIS INCLUDED THE SPEEDOMETER, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE DID NOT CORRECT THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY A MILE TO HOME AND …

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WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH PARTS OF THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED. THIS INCLUDED THE SPEEDOMETER, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER. DRIVER PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. RESTARTING THE VEHICLE DID NOT CORRECT THE CONDITION. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY A MILE TO HOME AND SHUT OFF. STARTING THE VEHICLE LATER RESULTED IN THE COMPONENTS WORKING PROPERLY. NOTE THAT ON PREVIOUS OCCASIONS THE DIC (DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER) HAS RESET ITSELF. VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS MAINTAINED IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10483239

Official recalls

2

08V616000 · Steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm

Nov 24, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 2,149 MY 2009 SATURN VUE VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN BUILT WITH AN INCORRECT RIGHT AND/OR LEFT FRONT STEERING KNUCKLE. AS A RESULT OF THE INCORRECT KNUCKLE AND RESULTING INADEQUATE CLEARANCE, THE TIE ROD BALL STUD COULD PULL OUT OF, OR FRACTURE, THE TIE ROD HOUSING. THIS COULD CAUSE THE TIE ROD TO SEPARATE FROM THE KNUCKLE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: ALTHOUGH STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE COULD BE MAINTAINED AFTER A TIE ROD SEPARATION BY THE UNAFFECTED WHEEL ON SMOOTH ROADS OR DURING LIGHT BRAKING, WITH MORE SIGNIFICANT SUSPENSION OR BRAKING INPUTS, THE AFFECTED WHEEL COULD TURN OUT AND SKID. IF A VEHICLE BUILT WITH TWO INCORRECT STEERING KNUCKLES HAD BOTH TIE RODS SEPARATE AT THE SAME TIME, STEERING CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE LOST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING KNUCKLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE STEERING KNUCKLE(S) AND TIE ROD(S). THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 8, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

08V470000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections

Sep 17, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 42,408 MY 2008-2009 SATURN VUE VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH THE NUT SECURING THE POWER STEERING LINE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP MAY LOOSEN. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, THERE MAY BE A POWER STEERING FLUID LEAK.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE FLUID COULD CONTACT HOT EXHAUST COMPONENTS RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE NUT SECURING THE POWER STEERING LINE TO THE POWER STEERING PUMP. IF THERE ARE NO SIGNS OF A FLUID LEAK, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE NUT. IF A FLUID LEAK IS PRESENT, DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE NUT AND CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

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.