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#BS-2009-SATVUE-412D

2009 Saturn Vue

Based on reports from 171 owners and 2 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
171
Crashes
14
Fires
4
Recalls
2
TSBs
1,019
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 171 complaints, 14 crashes, 4 fires, and 2 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

steering stiff

2 complaints • Severity 8/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission hesitation

2 complaints • Severity 7/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

1 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the SteeringHIGH

37 owners reported steering issues — failures commonly reported around 78K miles.

!Inspect the ElectricalMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

19
0–30K
37
30–60K
40
60–90K
25
90–120K
19
120–150K
5
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (40 reports) • Median: 78K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Steering (37 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

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

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Steering37 (22%)
Electrical32 (19%)
Drivetrain14 (8%)
Airbags10 (6%)
Brakes10 (6%)
Engine10 (6%)
Stability Control9 (5%)
Other9 (5%)

2009 Saturn Vue: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Steering Issues

Steering complaints account for 22% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Vue, with 37 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 77,500 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 78K-mile mark.

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 19% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Vue, with 32 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 8% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Vue, with 14 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Airbags Issues

Airbags complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2009 Saturn Vue, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to airbags-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

1
09
11
10
5
11
6
12
8
13
42
14
32
15
9
16
11
17
7
18
12
19
17
20
2
21
2
22
1
23
4
24
1
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2009 Saturn Vue. Recent trend: decreasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (2 recalls)

08V470000Sep 2008

STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS

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.

08V616000Dec 2008

STEERING:LINKAGES:KNUCKLE:SPINDLE:ARM

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.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Saturn Vue is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2009 Saturn Vue vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

171

Class avg

220

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles from 2009.

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. 171 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 2 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Saturn Vue Model Years

201020092008200720062005200420032002
View all Saturn Vue years →

2009 Saturn Vue: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2009 Saturn Vue?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2009 Saturn Vue is related to the steering, with 37 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2009 Saturn Vue reliable?
The 2009 Saturn Vue has 171 complaints, 14 crash reports, and 4 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2009 Saturn Vue problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2009 Saturn Vue have any recalls?
Yes, the 2009 Saturn Vue has 2 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Saturn Vue problems start?
Based on 145 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 77,500 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 171 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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