Problems · NHTSA complaints
2010 Saturn Outlook problems
Owners filed 16 complaints about the 2010 Saturn Outlook with NHTSA between Apr 2010 and Aug 2019. The most-cited component is steering (7).
Complaints
16
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Steering7
- Exterior lighting6
- Electrical system5
- Vehicle speed control2
- Engine1
- Structure1
- Other / unknown1
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
2
0
1
1
5
1
3
2
0
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 2 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Steering
7 reports
“INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHEN TRYING TO PARK IN A SPACE IN A PARKING GARAGE. IT ALSO HAPPENED WHEN TURNING IN MOTION INTO A STREET OFF A HIGHWAY WHILE BRAKING. POWER STEERING FLUID LEVELS WERE FULL BOTH TIMES.”
Exterior lighting
6 reports
“MY 2010 SATURN OUTLOOK HAS 124,XXX MILES ON IT. I'VE OWNED IT SINCE JANUARY OF 2017. 2 OR 3 MONTHS AGO MY PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT WENT OUT. I DECIDED THAT DUE TO HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE WHEEL WELL TO GET TO THE BULBS, I WOULD JUST CHANGE ALL 4 WHILE I WAS IN THERE. EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR ABOUT A MONTH. THEN I NOTICED IT FLICKERING ON AND OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. OR WHEN I UNLOCKED THE CAR IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. SO I BOUGHT ANOTHER BULB AND CHANGED IT AND IT STILL DIDN'T WORK. TOOK IT ALL APART AGAIN ONLY TO FIND OUT MY HEADLIGHT SOCKET HAD MELTED. SO I BOUGHT A REPLACEMENT, INSTALLED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS GREAT. EXCEPT FOR NOW, A WEEK LATER, MY BULB QUIT AGAIN. THIS IS NOT SAFE. I CAN'T DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND QUESTION WHETHER OR NOT MY HEADLIGHTS ARE GOING TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. I HAVE READ AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS OR HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT ONE TIME. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY IF I HAVE TO SPEND TIME AND MONEY TAKING THIS TO THE SHOP TO GET SOMETHING SO SIMPLE FIXED.”
Electrical system
5 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION MODULE FAILED, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL SPORADICALLY AND WITHOUT WARNING ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS HOWEVER, EACH TIME THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TO BE INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 10V073000 (STEERING) BUT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108000.”
Vehicle speed control
2 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 SATURN OUTLOOK. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. OCASSIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT THE PEDAL BEING ENGAGED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,243.”
Engine
1 report
“ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMING ON & OFF. AFTER A COUPLE DAYS, THE OUTLOOK HAD A LOSS OF POWER. HAD IT CHECKED & WAS TOLD WE HAD A TIMING ISSUE WITH THE 3 TIMING CHAINS. THE CHAINS WERE STRETCHED & ONE OF THE TIMING CHAIN GEARS WAS ONE TOOTH OFF. THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2007-2009 SATURN OUTLOOKS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THE 2010 MODELS WERE NOT INCLUDED. WHY WOULDN'T THE 2010 MODELS BE INCLUDED? THE LOSS OF POWER HAPPENED ON 9/30/16. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS COMING ON & OFF JUST A COUPLE DAYS PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF POWER.”
Structure
1 report1 related recall
“THIS IS THE 2ND OCCURANCE OF WATER SPILLAGE OUT OF MY HEAD LINER. WATER LEAKING OUT OF THE REAR BACK UP INDICATOR AND DOWN BY THE PASSENGER SIDE FLOOR. WHEN ORGINALLY OCCURED BROUGHT TO CHEV DELAERSHIP TO DIAGNOSE REPAIR, TOLD ABOUT OLD RECALL ON MODELS BUT MY VIN DID NOT FALL WITH IN THE CORRECT NUMBERS, IT WAS JUST OUTSIDE OF IT. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE STATED NOTHING THEY COULD DO WITH ME PAYING FOR THE DIAGNOSITIC FIRST, AND I WAS QUOTED OVER $500 BY DEALERSHIP TO DO SO. ALSO, CONCERNED ABOUT POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL ISSUES SINCE WATER DAMAGE IN REAR BACK UP INDICATOR AND FRONT FUSE PANELS. *TR”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.