Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (front, side and curtain air bags, sensors and inflators).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Saturn Vue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed under the 50 MPH speed limit, the vehicle slid on a patch of black ice; the contact was able to correct the vehicle. The contact stated that there was snow on the ground. Soon afterwards, the vehicle slid on another patch of black; the vehicle slid across the road and hit the embankment head-on. The vehicle went up the embankment and down to the ditch below, where the vehicle landed on the driver's side, where it came to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. Afterwards, the contact and the contact's daughter stopped by the clinic. The contact suffered minor injuries to the chest caused by the seat belt. The contact had bruises across the chest. …
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 43,097.
Sitting in traffic at a light in drive with brakes applied not moving,1989 Chevy pick up truck ,hit my back bumper,the light on my dash indicated the air bags deployed,and a light on my dash said passenger air bag is off,the air bags did not deploy.took my car to the nearest Chevrolet dealer kendall of nampa idaho,they said code# boo92 5256 came up and they said the heating element for the passenger seat went out (no one was sitting in the passenger seat , and I never use the heated seats ) the dealer said the heated seats are connected to my air bags and my air bags can't be turned on until the heat element for the seat is repaired. I thought that a federal law was passed in the early 1990's that the air bag system was to be on it's own circuit so it can not be turned off by any other circuits? …
While I was sitting in my car waiting for my daughter to get out of work, the car was running, when there was smoke pouring from the steering column. I immediately shut the car off and the smoke dissipated. This was 2 days ago and now my wipers do not work. My mechanic said that the air bag wires had caught fire and burned out the wipers.
I had just dropped off a co-worker when my passenger side air bag and seat belt light came back on with no one in the seat. I went down the road a few miles and the lights went off. I went a little further down the road when they came back on again. The next day the same thing happened except this time the lights remained on until the vehicle was parked and the engine turned off. This has happened twice so far, the first time March 4, 2015, and the second incident on March 5, 2015. I have had passengers in the seat before without the light coming back on after they have gotten out. This is a new problem that I have just recently experienced. I have only had the vehicle five months so I do no know if this has happened prior to me owning it. I will be taking it to a garage to be checked out if this happens again to try and duplicate the problem.
We just purchased a 2006 Saturn Vue, one owner, low miles (53,000). Had an auto check done and was happy it hasn't been in an accident and the auto check stated that there were no recalls. After having for two weeks the air bag warning light started coming on and indicating that there is a problem with the airbag system. This has happened several times. So I did some research on the internet about the subject and was shocked to see that this is a recurring problem that there seems to be no recall on. The research shows that airbags are not inflating or operating properly. Now I'm concerned about the safety of our vehicle and not having funds to repair such an expensive problem since GM has quit making the Saturn. Please initiate a recall, so many lives depend on this.
While driving home from a vacation trip we noticed the passenger seat belt light was brightly lit as on. At the same time I noticed the bright light indicator was showing to be on. After a while both lights turned off. In a short while, both lights appeared on again. Later, it happened again. I then took the headlights off of"always on" and the bright light indicator went out but the passenger seat belt light stayed on. When I turned the headlights back on the bright light indicator came back on. The odometer just turned over to the 40K mark. The vehicle doesn't get that much driving. Since we are currently dealing with airbag issues, based on the Takata recall, we are very nervous of what we might be dealing with on the Saturn Vue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. In addition, the front passenger air bag warning light delayed to illuminate approximately ten minutes after the seat was occupied. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000. Ma 08/13/15 the consumer stated the air bag light on the dash did not come on all the time. The passenger side air bag light would not illuminate for approximately 10 minutes after driving and the speed has reached 30 MPH. The passenger and driver side air bags intermittently illuminate at different times. Updated 12/1/2015
December 20, 2008 - driving a 2006 Saturn Vue - I was sitting at a red light in the south bound lane of route 1 - intersection contee road. When another vehicle traveling north bound route 1 - intersection contee road drove in the south bound lane of route 1 at a speed of 50-55 MPH and hit my 2006 Saturn Vue (that was stopped) head on collision (frontal). The airbags in the 2006 Saturn Vue did not deploy on the drive nor the passenger side. Injuries were sustained in this accident. This vehicle is equipped with four (4) airbags that did not deploy. The 2006 Saturn Vue is not repairable - total loss. There has not been any indication or warning lights that the airbags were not functional.
I have been experienceing problems with my ignition switch and smoke coming from my airbag. Anytime I get into my car and put the key in the ignition, it locks and won't let me turn the key, it takes several tries before it turns over. Once the car is on and driving on city streets light smoke will come from the airbag. I immediately would pull over and stop the car and wait for a while before heading home. This has happen several times with in the last 2 months. I'm concerned the airbag will deploy prematurely without an accident. I don't have a photo or documents, however I have made an appointment with a GMC dealership. Please let me know if there is additional information. Thank you
Airbag complaints in other Vue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are airbag problems on the 2006 Saturn Vue?
NHTSA has 93 complaints about the air bags of the 2006 Saturn Vue, 31% of the model year's 300 complaints. The component named most often is frontal (14 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Saturn Vue airbag problems?
No. NHTSA lists no air bags recall for the 2006 Saturn Vue. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2006 Saturn Vue airbag problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 15 crashes, 1 fire and 10 injuries to air bags problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.