2009 Saturn Vue: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2009 Saturn Vue
On the 2009 Saturn Vue, the failure owners report most often is other steering problem, and the reports cluster around 90,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other electrical problem, reported by a median of 50,000 miles. Overall it scores 69 out of 100, high risk for a 2009.
High risk for a 2009 — 175th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. 171 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2009 Saturn Vue
Owners have reported 39 named failure modes on the 2009 Saturn Vue, and the three most-reported carry 33% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other steering problem leads with 25 reports, about 1.2 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 72k to 100,000 miles.
Other electrical problem follows with 21 reports, usually reported between 36k to 70,000 miles. 1 of those report mention a fire.
Other body or interior problem follows with 11 reports, usually reported between 42k to 65,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into steering (37), electrical (34) and engine (23).
When these failures get reported
144 of the reports on the 2009 Saturn Vue came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 75,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 24% by 50,000 miles, 72% by 100,000 miles and 97% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 50,000 and 60,000 miles, which alone holds 15% of the dated reports.
15% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: other electrical problem around 49k, other body or interior problem around 55k and other steering problem around 89k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 39. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 12 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 11 an injury and 1 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.63, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other steering problem at $350–$2,400, other electrical problem at $250–$2,000, other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000 and no-start or intermittent start failure at $200–$1,800. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
21% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other steering problem | steering | 25 | 21 | 72k | 89k | 100k | 1.2 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 21 | 20 | 36k | 49k | 68k | 1.0 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 11 | 10 | 42k | 55k | 65k | 0.5 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 8 | 7 | — | 80k | — | 0.4 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Other engine problem | engine | 8 | 7 | — | 84k | — | 0.4 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 8 | 7 | — | 84k | — | 0.4 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 5 | 4 | — | 107k | — | 0.2 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 4 | 1 | — | 30k | — | 0.2 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 4 | 3 | — | 56k | — | 0.2 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 4 | 2 | — | 105k | — | 0.2 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Power steering pump or fluid leak | steering | 4 | 4 | — | 36k | — | 0.2 | $350–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Catalytic converter failure | emissions | 4 | 4 | — | 134k | — | 0.2 | $900–$3,500 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 4 | 4 | — | 60k | — | 0.2 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 4 | 4 | — | 132k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Oil leak | engine | 3 | 3 | — | 119k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| Fuel gauge or level sensor failure | fuel | 3 | 3 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Parasitic battery drain | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 19k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 160k | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 53k | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Airbag inflator rupture | airbag | 3 | 2 | — | 59k | — | 0.1 | $0–$0 | Critical |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 3 | 3 | — | 68k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 3 | 3 | — | 64k | — | 0.1 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 59k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Instrument cluster or gauge failure | infotainment | 2 | 2 | — | 49k | — | 0.1 | $350–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 63k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Airbag failed to deploy in a crash | airbag | 2 | 2 | — | 77k | — | 0.1 | $1,000–$5,000 | Critical |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 101k | — | 0.1 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 2 | 2 | — | 85k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Wiper or washer failure | glass | 2 | 1 | — | 80k | — | 0.1 | $120–$800 | Moderate |
| Heater core failure | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $700–$2,400 | Moderate |
| Transmission slipping | transmission | 1 | 1 | — | 121k | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$5,500 | High |
| Complete transmission failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $2,800–$8,000 | Critical |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 1 | 1 | — | 101k | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Control arm, ball joint or bushing failure | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,200 | High |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 69k | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Other suspension problem | suspension | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 1 | — | 10k | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 7 | 6 | — | 94k | — | 0.3 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2009 Saturn Vue draws about 8.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 90th percentile of complaint rates among 2009 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 21,204 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2009 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other steering problem
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 saturn vue. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact wrestled with the steering wheel to avoid hitting another motorist until the wheel released. The failure recurred within seconds. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact was informed that there were several failure codes. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer for diagnosis, who stated that they could not determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 46,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 saturn vue. The contact stated that there was an intermittent leak under the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the power steering nut needed to be replaced. The vehicle not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number: 08v470000 (steering). The approximate failure mileage was 60,000. The VIN was not available.
Other electrical problem
My 2009 saturn vue hybrid has had 2 car batteries die and the hybrid batteries have had to be replaced as well. I purchased the vue in july of 2009. The first car battery was reported dead by the lou fuze dealership less than a week after my purchase and replaced under warranty. The hybrid batteries were deemed "dead" by the lou fuze dealership in july 2010 and replaced under warranty. In october 2010, the car battery was again deemed "dead" and replaced by the lou fuze dealership. Each time the car battery was replaced, I was told by the dealership that batteries will die quickly in extreme conditions. I was not aware that the st. Louis area qualified as extreme in terms of weather. Additionally, I was told by the service manager during my the october 2010 incident that I should be happy it was only my car battery that was dead because the hybrid batteries are on back order. It seems that there is something very wrong with the battery or electrical system of the vue hybrid and my dealership is not being forthright about the larger issue. Eventually my warranty will run out and then I will be stuck with a very expensive lemon!…
Tl*the contact owns a 2009 saturn vue hybrid. While driving 65 MPH and exiting the freeway, the vehicle lost power steering and would not slow down when the brake pedal was depressed. The check engine, brake and ABS lights illuminated. The contact pulled over but the vehicle would not restart after being turned off. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the hybrid battery needed to be replaced; the vehicle had not been repaired as the parts were on backorder. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
Other body or interior problem
1. The interior driver side door handle is "chrome" covered and has caused cuts that required a 'butterfly' stitching. 2. Every time I open the door I get cut 3. I have contacted saturn for almost a year to repair this to no avail. 1. The tire pressure sensors are on backwards. If my left front tire is going flat the sensors and lights say it's the left rear tire. 2. This happens each time my tire gets low and I just figured out the problem 3 months ago. It causes me to over inflate the incorrect tire and the low tire is still low on air. 3. I have contacted saturn for almost a year about this and they have not helped. *tr
1. The interior driver side door handle is "chrome" covered and has caused cuts that required a 'butterfly' stitching. 2. Every time I open the door I get cut 3. I have contacted saturn for almost a year to repair this to no avail. 1. The tire pressure sensors are on backwards. If my left front tire is going flat the sensors and lights say it's the left rear tire. 2. This happens each time my tire gets low and I just figured out the problem 3 months ago. It causes me to over inflate the incorrect tire and the low tire is still low on air. 3. I have contacted saturn for almost a year about this and they have not helped. *tr
Recalls on the 2009 model year
NHTSA has issued 2 recall campaigns covering the 2009 Saturn Vue, affecting an estimated 23,353 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover steering:linkages:knuckle:spindle:arm and steering:hydraulic power assist:hose, piping, and connection. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM
2,149 vehicles 2008-11-24- Defect
- 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
- 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> .
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
42,408 vehicles 2008-09-17- Defect
- 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
- 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> .
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2009 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
How 2009 compares with the other years
High risk for a 2009 — 175th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The comparison is always within the same model year, so an older car is never penalised for having had longer to break.
Across the 8 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2007 comes out best at 62 and 2003 worst at 73, with 2009 itself at 69.
If the model year is negotiable, 2007, 2005, 2006 and 2002 score lower than 2009 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2008–2010 generation specifically, 2009 is the strongest year at 69 and 2008 the weakest at 70.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2008-2010 generation, 2009 Saturn Vue scores best at 69 and 2008 Saturn Vue worst at 70.
What to look at before buying one
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other electrical problem from about 36k, other body or interior problem from about 42k and other steering problem from about 72k.
On a 2009 Saturn Vue with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other electrical problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
The limits of complaint data
171 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 171 reports, 144 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 84% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2009 Saturn Vue?
The most-reported failures are other steering problem (25 reports, median 90,000 miles), other electrical problem (21 reports, median 50,000 miles) and other body or interior problem (11 reports, median 55,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2009 Saturn Vue problems start?
Other electrical problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 50,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 35,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 75,000 miles.
Is the 2009 Saturn Vue reliable?
It scores 69 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 175th riskiest of the 295 2009 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2009 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Saturn Vue is best?
Within the 2008–2010 generation, 2009 scores best at 69 out of 100 and 2008 worst at 70. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed