FaultScore

Worst years for a Saturn VUE

Owners have filed 3,274 complaints about the Saturn VUE with NHTSA across model years 2002 to 2010. More of them are about the electrical system than anything else.

Avoid

2003 Saturn VUE

873 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly transmission & drivetrain.

Cleanest on record

2002 Saturn VUE

220 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Saturn VUE year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2010 9 0 2 30,000 Electrical System
2009 C 171 14 4 77,500 Steering
2008 C 575 25 19 79,432 Transmission & Drivetrain
2007 C 417 14 15 80,448 Electrical System
2006 C 433 28 12 79,200 Electrical System
2005 C 216 19 3 75,000 Electrical System
2004 C 360 36 7 85,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2003 D 873 42 16 65,550 Transmission & Drivetrain
2002 B 220 15 6 79,650 Electrical System

What breaks on a Saturn VUE

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Electrical System 705 21.5%

Worst in 2007

Worst in 2003

Airbags 310 9.5%

Worst in 2006

Engine & Cooling 296 9.0%

Worst in 2003

Steering 293 8.9%

Worst in 2008

Worst in 2008

Suspension 133 4.1%

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Brakes 98 3.0%

Worst in 2008

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2008

Lights 57 1.7%

Worst in 2006

Worst in 2006

Exactly what failed on a Saturn VUE

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Automatic Transmission 272 46.3%
Ignition 64 10.9%
Body 45 7.7%
Rear 40 6.8%
Frontal 36 6.1%
Switch 34 5.8%
Horn 33 5.6%
Engine 29 4.9%
Front 17 2.9%
Door 17 2.9%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Saturn VUE, by the month it reached NHTSA.

May 2002 peak 100 Jul 2026

Saturn VUE problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Saturn VUE

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.