Most common 2009 Saturn Outlook problems
Share of the 192 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Saturn Outlook complaints by model year
Best Outlook years: 2010, 2009. Years to avoid: 2008, 2007. Compare all years →
2009 Saturn Outlook recalls (7)
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured January 3, 2007, to February 29, 2012, 2009-2012 Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured July 6, 2008, to March 9, 2012, 2007-2012 GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured September 15, 2006, to February 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 Saturn…
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.
Seat belts
General Motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Buick Enclave vehicles manufactured April 14, 2008, through May 14, 2014, Chevrolet Traverse vehicles manufactured June 6, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and GMC Acadia vehicles manufactured April 9, 2008, through May 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles…
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.
Air bags › Side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia and 2009-2013 Chevrolet Traverse and 2008-2010 Saturn Outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (SIAB) wiring harnesses may result in the SIAB and…
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.
Seat belts
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet traverse, Buick enclave, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat.
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.
Electrical system
GM is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 Buick, lucerne; Cadillac dts; Hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 Buick enclave; Cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 Cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; Chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; GMC acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; Saturn outlook; and model year 2009…
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…
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…
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.
Show 1 more recall
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
GM is recalling 16,667 my 2009 Buick enclave, Chevrolet traverse, GMC acadia, and Saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2009 Saturn Outlook:
Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On May 19, 2014, General Motors LLC (GM) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) that it would conduct Safety Recall 14V266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (MY) 2009-2010 Saturn Outlook, 2009-2014 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse (Lambda Platform)…
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
On August 31, 2020, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) EA20002, as an upgrade of Recall Query (RQ) RQ19003. This investigation, related to recall 14V-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by General Motors (GM).
Loss of Headlamp Illumination
As of July 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, ODI found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time.
What 2009 Saturn Outlook owners say
Lights all 75 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that the headlights continued to blow out and the passenger side headlight was inoperable. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. A private mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the wires in the headlight melted and the entire headlight capsule needed to be replaced. No repairs were performed. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000 and the current mileage was 42,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. While inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front passenger side headlight was not working. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic. The light was replaced on various occasions, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000. The VIN was not available.
Electrical system all 44 →
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that she parked her vehicle, removed the keys from the ignition, and went inside her residence. Shortly after, she heard a commotion outside and noticed that the vehicle had rolled away and struck another vehicle. The contact entered the vehicle, depressed the brake pedal, and inserted the key into the ignition in an attempt to turn off the engine; however, the vehicle failed to shut off. There were no warning indicators illuminated prior to the failure. A police report was not filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was diagnosed by an independent mechanic as having a fuse box failure and informed the contact of NHTSA campaign number: 09V073000 (power train). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to call NHTSA. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, smoke started emitting from above the driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle engulfed into flames. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Steering all 42 →
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
Travel us hwy when encountering rain condition vehicle had rear wheel loss of control into hydroplane, when attempting to correct steering into skid the steering failed to respond as if no power steering. The vehicle cruise control was on until point of first applying brake. The vehicle impacted ravine at frontal impactof grill atb high speed then flip side over side without one air bag deploying. Driver,passenger side, passenger/driver-side of seat, or pillar post air bags failed. The yellow airbag indicator light was always on and believed to be normal. After pressing on-star , emergency connection failed to which on-star claims antenna must of been damaged, though photos show intact. On star complaint about failure of system been on going since purchase. …
2009 Saturn Outlook engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 17 / 24 / 19 |
| 3.6L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 16 / 23 / 19 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Saturn Outlook a good car?
Based on 192 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 Outlook rates better than average: 61% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Outlook at the same age. It is one of the best Outlook years by this measure. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2009 Saturn Outlook?
The lights — 75 complaints, 39% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the electrical system (44) and steering (42).
How many recalls does the 2009 Saturn Outlook have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2009 Saturn Outlook, the most recent from June 30, 2015 (hatchback/liftgate). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Saturn Outlook?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2010 and 2009. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008 and 2007. See the full Saturn Outlook years comparison.
At what mileage do 2009 Saturn Outlook problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 53,000 miles; 45% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.