2009 Saturn Outlook Problems and Recalls (189 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2009 Saturn Outlook is Lights (32% of 189 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Lights — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 189 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2009 Saturn Outlook?
61 of 189 filings named Lights (32% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Steering (34 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Seat belts, Transmission / driveline, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2008 has 630 reports on file; this year has 189. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Lights 61 complaints · 32.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 5
- Fires 3
- Injuries 6
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 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.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 61 | 32.3% | 1 crashes · 2 fires |
| Steering (STEERING) | 34 | 18.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 29 | 15.3% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 15 | 7.9% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 11 | 5.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 7 | 3.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 5 | 2.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 4 | 2.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 3 | 1.6% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 24 | 12.7% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 14V118000 was reported 546 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 15V415000 was reported 2,024 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 08V615000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 09V073000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V240000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 10V375000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V118000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14V266000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 15V415000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP12003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | RQ19003 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA20002 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Seat belts, Transmission / driveline, Airbags, and Body / frame.
-
Recall campaign 08V615000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- IN A VEHICLE CRASH, IF THE RIVET IS MISSING, THE BUCKLE MAY SEPARATE FROM THE MOUNTING STRAP, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE PASSENGER.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLES IN THE SECOND AND THIRD ROWS, AND REPLACE THEM IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 26, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438; GMC AT 1-866-996-9463; SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876; OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 09V073000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (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.
-
Recall campaign 10V240000
Safety recall 10V240000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE HEATED WASHER MODULE TO IGNITE AND A FIRE MAY OCCUR.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY DISABLE AND REMOVE THE HEATED WASHER FLUID MODULE. AN UPDATED PAGE FOR THE OWNER MANUAL WILL BE PROVIDED AND INSERTED IN THE OWNER MANUAL TO DOCUMENT THAT THE FEATURE HAS BEEN PERMANENTLY DISABLED AND REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, CADILLAC AT 1-866-982-2339, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463 AND HUMMER AT 1-800-732-5493 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 10V375000
Safety recall 10V375000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE SECOND ROW SEAT SIDE TRIM SHIELDS. IF A SAFETY BELT BUCKLE IS DAMAGED, DEALERS WILL REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 18, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, GMC AT 1-866-996-9463, AND SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876, OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
-
Recall campaign 14V118000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on June 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and GMC owners at 1-866-996-9463. GM's number for this recall is 14030. Note: Vehicles repaired as part of Customer Satisfaction Campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
-
Recall campaign 14V266000
Safety recall 14V266000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
- Remedy:
- General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in July 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on July 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on July 11, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-462-8782 (GMC), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). General Motors recall number for this campaign is 14187.
-
Recall campaign 15V415000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on November 15, 2016. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 15240.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 10 of 189 complaints · page 1 of 8
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under GM Campaign Number: 10287C since the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving and my car started to lurch and went into reduced power mode. I quickly pulled over and turned off the engine. It was towed into the shop, and we found that the timing chain had broken. We had just had our engine mounts replaced and the oil changed. The vehicle has been well maintained. I have seen the issue with the timing chain failure is a common problem in Saturns/GM from internet research. It looks like there was a service bulletin to bring the car in if Service light comes on and you “think” it’s due to premature wear of timing chain. Now we are told the engine needs to be replaced because it was damaged by the timing chain failure and it seems like a known defect that should be covered because it exceeded the value of the car to have such a fix.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UNKNOWN We have only had this vehicle for approximately 4 months and have had soon many issues but the electrical system has been a problem non stop
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I bought this 2009 Saturn Outlook yesterday from a used dealership they said there was nothing wrong with the car well I live over 100 miles away from where I bough it and about halfway home it’s it was dark outside I was driving on the highway going up a hill the motor was acting like it wanted to jump out f the car (I’m not sure exactly how to describe it) anyways it only did ur for just a second then stopped all went back to normal and today just died while driving and now it wont start wont even turn over
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR SLOWED DOWN REALLY SLOW I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULDN'T CRANK.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
THE TIMING CHAIN IS GETTING STRETCHED IS WHAT THE CODES SAY AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED FEELS LIKE IT'S LOOSING POWER
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I STOPPER THE VEHICLE, IN MY DRIVE WAY, WHICH HAS A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE, PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK. EXITED AND LOCKED THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS STEPPING AWAY IT STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. IT STOPPED ON ITS OWN AFTER ROLLING BACKWARDS SEVERAL FEET. I UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE, APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE, STARTED THE VEHICLE, RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THEN FORWARD SEVERAL FEET, PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK, SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. I DID NOT MOVE. I PUT ON THE PARKING BREAK TO BE SAFE. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, JUST PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE, WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVE WAY THE BUILT-IN GARAGE DOOR OPENER STARTED TO OPEN THE DOOR, THE DOOR STOPPED AND THE OPENER WOULD NOT RESTART THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN/CLOSE.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECOND-ROW PASSENGER'S SIDE SEAT BELT MALFUNCTIONED AND CEASED AND WOULD NOT LATCH SECURELY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER COLE KRUM CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 12707 US-131, SCHOOLCRAFT, MI 49087 AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V375000 (SEAT BELTS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
PAST 5 YEARS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. REPLACES PLUGS 3X, CONVERTERS 3X, AND EVERYTHING INCLUDING IGNITION COILS 2X, LIGHT STILL ON, STATING CONVERTERS NEED REPLACING. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THAN A HOSPITAL HAS EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENTS. ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STAY OFF FOR A WEEK OR TWO, NOW ONLY FOR 30-40 MILES. EMISSIONS SAYS CAR NOT READY FOR TESTING. VEHICLE DRIVES AND RUNS PERFECTLY, PURRS LIKE A KITTEN, BUT NOW CAN'T PASS EMISSIONS. CHEVY, ACURA, REPAIR SHOPS, MUFFLER SHOPS AND ALLEY MECHANICS ALL BAFFLED. TOO MANY INVOICES TO UPLOAD, BUT I HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM AND RECEIPTS FOR PARTS IF NEEDED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I GOT THE CAR. CHEVY NEVER COULD FIX IT. EACH TRIP COST ME $700+, BUT NO SOLUTION, THE PROBLEM JUST KEEPS ESCALATING. OH, I NEVER PUT CHEAP GAS IN VEHICLE, AND OIL CHANGES/ TUNE- UP ARE UP TO DATE. HELP PLEASE. (SOMEONE SUGGESTED THE ECM COMPUTER IS BAD)
CrashFireInjuryDeath
MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT RANDOMLY AND THIS VERY UNSAFE AS I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 YOUNG CHILDREN! I HAVE HAD IT FIXED 4 TIMES! THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP, I WAS TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS KEEPS MELTING. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND MANY OTHERS ARE ALSO HAVING EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2009 Saturn Outlook?
Owners named Lights most often — 61 of 189 reports (32%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2009 Saturn Outlook?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Seat belts, Transmission / driveline, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2009 Saturn Outlook?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Walk around the vehicle: headlights, brake lights and turn signals all working. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
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
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.