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#BS-2009-SATAUR-53022009 Saturn Aura
Based on reports from 586 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 586 complaints, 19 crashes, 5 fires, and 5 recalls. Complaint rate is 2.5x the class average.
Top reported problems
transmission slipping
4 complaints • Severity 10/10
seat frame broken
3 complaints • Severity 9.3/10
engine revs up randomly
2 complaints • Severity 10/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
206 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 100K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 90–120K miles (111 reports) • Median: 100K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Steering (206 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2009 Saturn Aura: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 35% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Aura, with 206 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 100,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 100K-mile mark.
Drivetrain Issues
Drivetrain complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Aura, with 62 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Aura, with 59 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Stability Control Issues
Stability Control complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Aura, with 59 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to stability control-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2009 Saturn Aura. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (5 recalls)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 276,729 MY 2009 BUICK ENCLAVE, CHEVROLET COBALT, HHR, MALIBU, TRAVERSE, GMC ACADIA, PONTIAC G5, G6 AND SATURN AURA AND OUTLOOK PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLES SAFETY STANDARD 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT POSITION SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT", AND FMVSS 114, "THEFT PROTECTION AND ROLLAWAY PREVENTION". ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP MAY NOT BE FULLY ENGAGED. IF THE CLIP IS NOT FULLY ENGAGED, THE SHIFT LEVER AND THE ACTUAL POSITION OF THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT MATCH. WITH THIS CONDITION, THE DRIVE COULD MOVE THE SHIFTER TO "PARK" AND REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY, BUT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR MAY NOT BE IN "PARK".
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Saturn Aura and model year 2008-2010 Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6 vehicles, equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. On these vehicles, the tabs on the transmission shift cable end may fracture and separate.
STEERING
Dorman Products, Inc. (Dorman) is recalling certain replacement intermediate steering shafts sold under the Dorman, OE Solutions, and Solutions brand names, part numbers 425-167, 2425167, and 7-3074, for installation on 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6, and 2007-2009 Saturn Aura vehicles. The affected steering shafts may have a yoke that inadequately supports the u-joint bearing resulting in a premature failure.
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Saturn Aura is the 2007 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is brakes.
2009 Saturn Aura vs. Class Average (Midsize Cars)
This vehicle
586
Class avg
230
2.5x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical midsize cars vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 586 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Saturn Aura Model Years
View all Saturn Aura years →2009 Saturn Aura: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Saturn Aura?
Is the 2009 Saturn Aura reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2009 Saturn Aura problems?
Does the 2009 Saturn Aura have any recalls?
What mileage do Saturn Aura problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
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Get the Full 2009 Saturn Aura Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 586 owner reports. Know before you buy.