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 2009 Saturn Vue owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While I am driving I have had intermittent incidents that cannot be replicated. "stabilitrak" warning light has not turned off. I have lost control of my vehicle while driving twice but was able to pull over after a few seconds. The vehicle will lose power to the dash. When I am turning the steering wheel gets very hard to turn and will turn off the radio. This will cause the car to loose power while driving. Then when I turn the car off I will be unable to get the key out or turn the vehicle on. I will have to restart the vehicle. I have replaced the battery twice and the alternator twice and this helped for 2 months then the problem persisted. I also replaced the wheel sensors to no avail. I have taken to 3 mechanics but they cannot replicate the issue. …
While driving down road acceleration slowed, all instrument panel lights came on, loss full power steering & brake functions, no turn signals, brake lights, fuel gauge went to empty, messages on driver air bag, stabilitrak,tire air pressure,ABS, everything was flashing. All instrument panel lights were on, radio stopped, sudden increased acceleration then decreased again. I got pulled over to a parking lot (which was very hard with brake pedal going to floor & steering almost impossible), turned off car & removed key. Still had all (4) open door lights on and all the doors were shut. They stayed on more than 5 minutes before finally going off. I sat there 30 minutes before trying to start the car again. When I started it everything was working again as if it had reset itself. Yesterday August 31, 2015 was the third time this same thing has happened to me while driving at 45 MPH or more. …
I have a 2009 Saturn Vue xe with only 40,515 miles and the wiring in the headliner above the windshield and driver side visor caught on fire! The fire was put out with a fire extinguisher. A burned area about a foot around is now in the headliner. It blackened the white paint on the outside roof. The melting wiring insulation in the headliner dripped and burned a hole in the driver leather seat. What a stinky mess! Thank god it was put out quick enough and didn't catch the whole vehicle on fire! Obviously this isn't an isolated problem based on my google search. I've reported this problem to GM customer service. They said no open recalls on this vehicle. However, I suspect GM is aware of this problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Vue. While attempting to start the vehicle, the ignition seized while the key was present. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed that the ignition lock failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that the key was unable to be removed. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in any recalls and refereed the contact to NHTSA. The contact inquired about NHTSA campaign number: 14V490000 (electrical system), her vehicle's year was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 80,551.
Car has lost power on dash lights, radio when our daughter was driving on the freeway or around town especially when turnin the steering wheel, looses power, and she was forced to get into the emergency lane. Key gets stuck in ingnition upon starting car intermittently will not start without jumping the car off or without wiggling the wires on top of the battery connecting to the brain. We have had the battery replaced. Stabilitract light was on and we had the dealer check it out they replaced the brake computer module. Radio will cut off, dash lights go off intermittently.
The wiring harness to the passenger side head light keeps melting, causing me to loose the use of that headlight. I have already repaired the situation twice, now I am see that other Saturn owners have had the same issue. I called GM and there is no recall? How is that possible. I have struggled with this issue for 2 years. This is a serious safety concern, I can't see with one headlight. Please help
Left passenger door will not unlock or lock with remote or with switch via car interior. Advised to replace door actuator. Once the left side was repaired under extended warranty the right passenger rear door is now non operational with the same problem. Vehicle is out of warranty. Door lock failures are not safe. If there is an accident someone could be ejected if the doors do not lock property.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the ignition key hesitated to disengage from the vehicle intermittently. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that the keys would not come out of the ignition while in the park position. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
The hose for the moon roof drains are leaking causing mold and electrical issues in the Vue. We had the hoses replaced twice but the problem keeps happening. Electrical issues have caused issues with starting, instrument panel, etc.
Electrical complaints in other Vue years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2009 Saturn Vue?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the electrical system of the 2009 Saturn Vue, 30% of the model year's 118 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Saturn Vue electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2009 Saturn Vue, though it has 2 recalls for other components. 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 2009 Saturn Vue electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 16% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 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.