What breaks most · 2007 to 2010 model years
Saturn Outlook problems by year
Owners have filed 1,279 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saturn Outlook across model years 2007 to 2010. Three years stand out: 2008 for exterior lighting complaints, 2007 for exterior lighting complaints and 2009 for exterior lighting complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2008, 2007, 2009
- Complaints on file
- 12792007 to 2010, all trims
- Worst year
- 2008597 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 1632 fires · 20 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 62kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 21Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 490 | 5 | 5 | Exterior lighting (149) | |
| 597 | 6 | 5 | Exterior lighting (240) | |
| 177 | 5 | 7 | Exterior lighting (73) | |
| 15 | 0 | 4 | Steering (6) |
What fails on the 2008 Saturn Outlook
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 40% |
240 | 2 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 25% |
148 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 21% |
123 | 1 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Air bags | 14% |
85 | 3 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 7% |
42 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
40 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 6% |
34 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
29 | 0 | Shop visibility parts for the 2008 Saturn Outlook |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
I have replace light bulbs in the headlights and it will work to seconds than go out again i don't what the issue is i bought the 6 difference bulbs it's still not working
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Started as one headlight going out and then you turn switch to manual and back to auto it come on again and now driving last night down the hwy both headlights went out and wouldnt come back on and went out next morning they are working but one is flickering it does it while driving and sitting still
-
The passenger side low beam light no longer works, and bulb replacement does not fix the problem. Mechanic said the wiring harness needs to be replaced.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Saturn Outlook years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2008, 2007, 2009 carry the most filings on the Saturn Outlook. The 2008 alone has 597 complaints, led by exterior lighting.
What is the most common Saturn Outlook problem?
On the 2008 model year, the most-reported component is exterior lighting with 240 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saturn Outlook problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saturn Outlook complaints that include mileage is about 62,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.