What breaks most · 2002 to 2010 model years
Saturn VUE problems by year
Owners have filed 2,194 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Saturn VUE across model years 2002 to 2010. Three years stand out: 2003 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2008 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2006 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 2005, 2002 and 2007.
- Years to check closely: 2003, 2008, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 2005, 2002, 2007
- Complaints on file
- 21942002 to 2010, all trims
- Worst year
- 2003607 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12044 fires · 89 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 74kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 163 | 13 | 2 | Electrical system (49) | |
| 607 | 29 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (311) | |
| 267 | 22 | 2 | Powertrain and transmission (92) | |
| 160 | 13 | 0 | Electrical system (70) | |
| 284 | 16 | 0 | Electrical system (100) | |
| 266 | 9 | 0 | Electrical system (119) | |
| 346 | 11 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (98) | |
| 95 | 7 | 2 | Electrical system (33) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (3) |
What fails on the 2003 Saturn VUE
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 51% |
311 | 5 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 19% |
118 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 10% |
62 | 1 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 8% |
47 | 7 | Shop suspension parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 7% |
42 | 2 | Shop steering parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
| Air bags | 7% |
41 | 13 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 4% |
27 | 1 | Shop engine parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 4% |
23 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2003 Saturn VUE |
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.
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Air bags light on. Speedometer doesn't work. Power steering hard. Gave out while driving auto light gone. Service engine light on. Gas needle not working. Key comes out when car is started. Rpm not working
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Vehicle won't shift gears one i get to third. Was not notified of wave plate special warranty and now i'm 4000 miles past accepted miles. GM suggests that i wait until full recall is forced on them. Please help
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There is a recall on this vehicle, 2006 saturn vue for 2014 and i was told this can no longer be fixed. It is a recal number 14506 and i need to know where i can get this repaired. I can remove my key while the ignition is still running.
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 VUE years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2003, 2008, 2006 carry the most filings on the Saturn VUE. The 2003 alone has 607 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Saturn VUE problem?
On the 2003 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 311 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Saturn VUE problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Saturn VUE complaints that include mileage is about 74,000 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.