Problems · by component
2008 Saturn Outlook engine problems
37 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Saturn Outlook cite engine, 6% of all 633 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
37
6% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“ENGINE POWER REDUCED- THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHERE THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED RUNNING WHILE DRIVING, IN TOWN. MAIN WIRING HARNESS WAS REPAIRED THE FIRST TIME BECAUSE INSULATION WAS DETERIORATED AND WIRING WAS STUCK TOGETHER. LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LATER, ENGINE STOPS AGAIN WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN, WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF ROAD, CAR RESTARTED, TRYING TO GET HOME, CAR DIED AGAIN, WOULD NOT RESTART, TOWED TO AUTO SHOP AGAIN. AUTO REPAIR IS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM, IT WILL RUN GREAT AND JUST RANDOMLY STOP RUNNING WHILE DRIVING, CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR ALMOST 2 WEEKS NOW. NOTHING IS CODING WHEN THEY RUN DIAGNOSTICS. THEY HAVE CHECKED EVERYTHING POSSIBLE! I AM HAVING THEM KEEP THE CAR UNTIL PROBLEM IS RESOLVED BECAUSE I AM SCARED TO DRIVE IT AND END UP IN A WRECK. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT I WAS IN TOWN WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED, THAT I WAS IN TOWN AND MY GRANDKIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR WITH ME! THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY RISK!!! THANK GOODNESS I DIDN'T GO ON A PLANNED 12 HOUR TRIP TO COLORADO! NOTE: I HAVE ALREADY PUT $6500.00 IN REPAIRS WITHIN THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF RANDOM ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE.”
“POWER STEERING RANDOMLY GOES OUT AND RETURNS CAUSING JERKY LURCHING TURNS COUPLE YEARS NOW SINCE REACHING OVER 100K MILEAGE, HAVE 173K MILES CURRENTLY. IS NOW LEAKING FLUID. PCV VALVE REPLACED TWICE, NOT RECALLED BUT MECHANICS HAVE SAID IT'S COMMON FOR MY VEHICLE, CAUSES HESITATION WHILE IDLING LIKE IT'S TRYING TO STALL OUT. HAVE HAD TO PUT FOOT ON BRAKE AND REV GAS AT STOPLIGHTS. AIRBAG LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR YEARS, PASSENGER SIDE DOESN'T DETECT. ALTHOUGH RECALL, DEALERSHIP WANTS TO CHARGE DIAGNOSTIC FEES EVEN WHEN I HAD DONE FOR FREE AT LOCAL PARTS STORE AND GAVE THEM CODE, THEY SAY HAVE TO DO THEIR OWN. PASSENGER WINDOW DOES NOT ROLL DOWN, BUT DOES ROLL UP, WITH DRIVER'S SIDE CONTROLS, DOES WORK WITH PASSENGER SIDE CONTROLS. SOMETIMES DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW STICKS TOO EITHER UP/DOWN HAVE TO BANG ON DOOR FOR IT TO ENGAGE. SPEAKERS HAVEN'T WORKED PROPERLY IN YEARS EITHER.”
“ISSUES WITH MY OUTLOOK ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ENGINE ON FIRE, ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH STABILIZER/TRACKING CONTROLS, WINDOWS/MIRROR AND MAINLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING AND TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO LOW OR 2ND GEAR. I HAD TO PULL TO EMERGENCY LANE AND HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TWICE. DEALER STATES ITS AN ISSUE WITH OBD/OBI CODES AND CLEARS CODE. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO DO THIS ALMOST DAILY, WEEKLY. WATER LEAKS THROUGH SUNROOF, FRONT WINDOW GLASS, UNDER DASH ON FEET OF DRIVER AND PASSENGER; WATER LEAKS VIA DVD SYSTEM WHILE DRIVING AND STATIONARY. ALTERNATOR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING AND I COASTED INTO A DRIVEWAY AND LIFTED HOOD THE FLAMES STARTED, FIRE DEPT. CONTACTED IMMEDIATELY TO PUT OUT. DAMAGE TO VEHICLE WIRES, TUBES, ETC UNDER HOOD. PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WINDOW AND MIRROR WILL NOT PUSH OUT OF ROLL DOWN DUE TO ELECTRICAL ISSUE DRIVING AND STATIONARY. RECALL ON STRUTS FOR AUTO LIFT GATE, BUT REAL ISSUE IS MODULE TO LIFT LIFTGATE WAS A FEE TO BE REPAIRED. WHAT DID RECALL COVER WITH LIFT GATE? THESE ISSUES HAPPEN NO STOP SINCE 2012 WHEN VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. I DROVE ON INTERSTATE AND AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, TRANSMISSION WENT TO LOW GEAR AND I…”
“BOUGHT FROM STERLING MOTORS IN WATERTOWN SD, IN 2017. TRADE IN WAS 2000, PLUS 500 DOLLARS CASH, FOR A 2008 SATURN OUTLOOK XR AWD. LOAN WAS FOR 10000 AFTER THE 2500 TRADE/PAYMENT. HAD 160000 MILES NOW HAS 180000. WITHIN LESS OF A WEEK CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, STABILITRAC, SERVICE AIR BAG, TIMING CHAIN, TRACTION CONTROL ALL CAME ON. AS OF 2018 WE HAVE REPLACED ALL FOUR TIRES, BRAKES. STRUTS, ROTORS, TIE RODS, BATTERY, CO2 SENSOR, THERMOSTAT, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS. IT STILL NEEDS POWER STEERING PUMP, TIMING CHAIN FIX, CV JOINTS REPLACED AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. I'VE COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER AND HE TOLD ME I CAN NOT TRADE BACK, AND WHEN WE BOUGHT IT HE SAID IT PASSED THE SUSPECTION TEST AND CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT. HE HAD TO TOP OF THE POWER STEERING FLUID AS IT WAS WHINING AND LOW, SAID THAT IT WAS BECAUSE THEY FLUSHED IT. SO NOW UPON TURNING IT HAS THIS WEIRD RUBBING VIBRATION AND LOUD SOUND, IT SHAKES AT ALL SPEEDS, IT LOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING STUTTERS AT LOW SPEEDS, PASSENGER WINDOW BUTTON DON'T WORK, LOUD NOISES WHEN IDLING, WHINING NOISE FROM POWER STEERING EITHER JUST FROM STATIONARY OR DRIVING. IT TAKES FOREVER TO PASS SOMEONE AS IT ALMOST…”
“I HAVE 1 REAR BRAKE GOING OUT. THE WINDSHIELD LEAKS LIKE A SIEVE. I HAVE A LEAK SOMEWHERE NEAR MY RADIATOR. AND I'M TOLD THE CHIP IN MY TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT ON ME. I HAVE MY DASH BOARD SCREECHING BLOODY MURDER AT ME AND MY EARS SWELL AND I LOOK LIKE I HAVE THE MUMPS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE LOT I'M BUYING FROM AND THEY SHRUG AND SAY OH WELL. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I RARELY IF EVER GO ON THE FREEWAY. I PARK OFF THE STREET. I USE THE ALARM SYSTEM RELIGIOUSLY. AND IT'S OVER HEATING WHERE THE BATTERY IS.”
“11/17/2016 REPLACED 2 TRANSMISSION IN TWO YEARS WITHIN A FEW WEEKS AFTER GETTING THE CAR BACK FROM REPAIR SHOP WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON 12/16/16 THE CAR STOP RUNNING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. DEALER STATES THROTTLE BODY WAS FREEZING DO TO CONDENSATION BUILDING UP WITHIN THROTTLE BODY STATED THIS IS COMMON IN THESE CARS. AGAIN GOT THE CAR BACK AFTER SPENDING A TON MORE MONEY GETTING IT FIXED HAD TO TAKE IT RIGHT BACK ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON WITHIN 20MI OF DRIVING. DON'T WASTE YOU TIME BUYING THESE LEMON CARS. *TR”
Showing 6 of 37 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.