2009 SATURN AURA — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 392 complaints · 5 recalls

Verdict & Safety Summary

Most-reported system: STEERING (191 complaints · 48.7%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 10
  • Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution STEERING appears in 191 of 392 owner complaints (48.7%) in this vehicle snapshot. STEERING: 191 complaints, 48.7% of reports STEERING 191 · 48.7% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 53 complaints, 13.5% of reports POWER TRAIN 53 · 13.5% · 2 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 23 complaints, 5.9% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 23 · 5.9% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 15 complaints, 3.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports SERVICE BRAKES: 15 complaints, 3.8% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 15 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 15 complaints, 3.8% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15 · 3.8% · 1 crash reports AIR BAGS: 13 complaints, 3.3% of reports AIR BAGS 13 · 3.3% · 4 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 11 complaints, 2.8% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 11 · 2.8% ENGINE: 8 complaints, 2.0% of reports ENGINE 8 · 2.0% · 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 49 complaints, 12.5% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 · 12.5% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
STEERING 191 48.7% 2 crashes · 1 fires
POWER TRAIN 53 13.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 23 5.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 15 3.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 15 3.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15 3.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 13 3.3% 4 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 11 2.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 8 2.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 49 12.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jan 2009; the first recall shown was reported in Mar 2009. 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2013-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2013-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2014-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2014-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2015-Q1: 33 owner reports 33 2015-Q2: 15 owner reports 15 2015-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2015-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2016-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2016-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2017-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2017-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2018-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2018-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2018-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2019-Q1: 17 owner reports 17 2019-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2020-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2021-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2022-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jan 2009 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 09V073000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V073000 Recall campaign 12V460000 ◆ Recall campaign 12V460000 Recall campaign 14V153000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V153000 Recall campaign 14V252000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V252000 Recall campaign 14E044000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E044000 Investigation AQ10001 ● Investigation AQ10001
  • Campaign 12V460000 was reported 1,268 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14V153000 was reported 1,536 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 14V252000 was reported 1,204 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 1
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 1
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 1
2012-Q3 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 6
2013-Q2 Owner reports 5
2013-Q3 Owner reports 9
2013-Q4 Owner reports 5
2014-Q1 Owner reports 5
2014-Q2 Owner reports 32
2014-Q3 Owner reports 13
2014-Q4 Owner reports 17
2015-Q1 Owner reports 33
2015-Q2 Owner reports 15
2015-Q3 Owner reports 11
2015-Q4 Owner reports 11
2016-Q1 Owner reports 10
2016-Q2 Owner reports 10
2016-Q3 Owner reports 6
2016-Q4 Owner reports 5
2017-Q1 Owner reports 11
2017-Q2 Owner reports 4
2017-Q3 Owner reports 9
2017-Q4 Owner reports 8
2018-Q1 Owner reports 23
2018-Q2 Owner reports 9
2018-Q3 Owner reports 8
2018-Q4 Owner reports 5
2019-Q1 Owner reports 17
2019-Q2 Owner reports 9
2019-Q3 Owner reports 9
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 11
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 8
2020-Q4 Owner reports 2
2021-Q1 Owner reports 7
2021-Q2 Owner reports 5
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 6
2022-Q1 Owner reports 8
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 3
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
2026-Q1 Owner reports 3
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 09V073000
Recall campaign 1 12V460000
Recall campaign 1 14V153000
Recall campaign 1 14V252000
Recall campaign 1 14E044000
Defect investigation 1 AQ10001
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 09V073000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND ENSURE THAT THE SHIFT CABLE ADJUSTMENT CLIP IS FULLY ENGAGED. IN THE EVENT THAT THE CLIP DOES NOT ENGAGE, THE SHIFT CABLE WILL BE REPLACED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR BEFORE MARCH 24, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876 OR AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 12V460000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. The driver would be able to move the shifter to 'PARK' and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in 'PARK.' The vehicle may not be able to be restarted and the vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited the vehicle, resulting in a possible crash without prior warning.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a retainer over the cable end or replace the shift cable as necessary. This service will be performed free of charge. Notification to owners began on on November 9, 2012. Owners were instructed to not bring their vehicles for repair until January 2013. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14E044000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V153000

    Report date
    Component:
    STEERING
    Consequence:
    If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V252000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 392 complaints · page 1 of 16

No complaints match the current filters.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources