Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2007 Saturn Vue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving on the highway, on the way to the beach with my family and our pup! We heard a pop and thought maybe it was the tire but the engine began smoking. I pulled the vehicle over as safely as possible. I popped the hood and there was a fire. Everyone evacuated the vehicle as quickly and safely as possible. I was the last to get out of the vehicle. Within minutes the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. We stood there and watched the only vehicle we have completely burn up. I cried and I watched my kids cry. What was supposed to be a beach day for us to distress and relax turned into us almost losing our lives on the highway. We are thankful for the state trooper, the fire department, and the paramedics who all arrived on scene and kept my family safe. Im thankful our lives weren't lost. However we still faced a life or death situation today.
I was driving and pulled up to get some gas and put my car in park it just stop and turned off and I haven't been able to get it back on. Went and saw a mechanic and he said it was the timing chain on the car it only had 97,000 miles on it and it would shake while I'm in ideal
Air bag light will be on, or flash periodically when already fastened. Had an electrical fire in the left side of steering column 7/27/18. Cruise goes in and out. Dim/bright light comes on when using turn signal. Ignition switch locks up from time to time where key can't be removed and steering wheel locks up or you can remove key but switch is still engaged. Vehicle has been in motion when most incidents occurred and lockups occur depending on what position the steering wheel is in (adjustable). The electrical fire happened just as I exited the highway from a 30 minute trip after releasing the cruise control button. Luckily I was only 4 blocks from home. Cfd was called and they dismantled the column, extinguished the fire. I was blessed. This could have been worse!
Upon a cold start, when the vehicle has rolled about ten feet, forward or reverse, with no input on the accelerator, there is a whir from the engine compartment, akin to a stepper motor noise, and the vehicle accelerates on its own. In reverse, applying the brakes stops the car, and then selecting drive, the vehicle responds to the accelerator correctly. The same thing happens in forward, but in most cases the accelerator is engaged to move forward. The problem does not seem to occur when the car is warmed up and being driven under normal use. In reviewing the shop manuals, there is an electronic throttle control motor, which I assume is a stepper type motor, in the throttle body assembly. This is controlled by the throttle actuator control(tac) and the power control module(PCM). …
Each time this occurred the vehicle was stationary/being parked, on 6-10 different occasions in the past 2 years, the key has gotten locked tight in the ignition switch. This caused the battery to run down and die on more than a few occasions. Once the key was frozen in place, after the engine was off, the key would not move in any direction and the steering was locked tight unable to move at all, the gear shift column was unable to be put in park. Other times the key would just be stuck in the ignition switch and could not be removed, regardless of effort to remove it, also not allowing the vehicle to be place into the gear of park. This problem has cause us to abandon the vehicle more than once, this is dangerous & should be addressed. I see other recalls on other Saturn models but not the Vue 2007, which does have a defect in this area and needs to be recalled. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Saturn Vue. While driving 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The vehicle lost power. The vehicle was restarted and loss of engine power error message displayed. In addition, the contact was unable to lock or unlock the doors. On another occasion, the engine stalled without warning. The vehicle was restarted after disconnecting and reconnecting the battery. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was a communication failure, but the technician was unable to determine what part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Brought my 2007 Saturn Vue to repair a powerful gasoline smell around the rear of car, near gas cap. Said it would cost $332 to lift out fuel tank to see where the problem was. 4 hours later, mechanic said the tank was drenched with gasoline because the lines to the fuel pump were crimped and cracked so there was gasoline leaking out. (wonder why I was refueling so often?) I need a new fuel pump costs $600. I'll be sure to use my 10% off coupon. The worst part was no engine light ever came on to warn me!!!! Also within the last 10 months, I have had the battery replaced, 2 new lift gates, brakes and new tires. I have always been good about oil changes/maintenance but I guess new cars are only supposed to last 10 years. Bummer!
I was driving in my subdivision and the curtain air bags went off in my 2007 Saturn Vue hybrid. I swerved and ran into a tree causing massive frontal damage and the driver-side air bag to deploy. My 3-year-old daughter was in the back passenger child car seat and was OK but I was diagnosed with chest, knee, hip, and nose contusions, still healing after 4+ days. The car was a total loss per allstate. I have no idea what caused the curtain air bags to go off but see on carcomplaints.com there are many airbag issues. Very mad and demand attention from GM since Saturn is defunct.
2007 Saturn Vue the passenger side air bag light went on and I was told that it has to do with the heated seat malfunctioning. They say that the air bag won't work if the seat doesn't work ...... They say it will cost about $900 to fix....... This week, we found out that the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced because the car is not registering the keys, and it is not allowing the car to be started. In addition, the check engine light is now on and the engine is "running lean" I feel that the air bag problem and the ignition problem should be under recalls for sure
My key would not come out of ignition, had to drill out ignition cylinder and replace housing also. Had to get a mechanic to key the cylinder and now the lights, A/C, and radio do not work after engine starts until it runs for about 8 minutes. Then everything works, but the check engine light stays on, the engine runs good, until it sits parked overnight and have to do it again the next day. Also had to replace the alternator. Still doing the same. Had it parked for abot two months and just start it and run the engine to preseve the battery. Use other vehicle instead.
Electrical complaints in other Vue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2007 Saturn Vue?
NHTSA has 128 complaints about the electrical system of the 2007 Saturn Vue, 45% of the model year's 286 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2007 Saturn Vue electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2007 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 2007 Saturn Vue electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 2 injuries to electrical system 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.