Problems · NHTSA complaints

2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid problems

Owners filed 11 complaints about the 2008 Saturn Vue Hybrid with NHTSA between Sep 2010 and Oct 2014. The most-cited component is electrical system (6).

Complaints
11
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system6
  2. Power train3
  3. Electronic stability control (esc)2
  4. Air bags2
  5. Steering1
  6. Seat belts1
  7. Engine and engine cooling1

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 Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20103
20111
20122
20130
20145

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.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

6 reports
“MY 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID STARTED HAVING HUGE PROBLEMS. FIRST THE AIR CONDITIONER STARTED BLOWING HOT AIR THEN THE STABILITITRAK AND SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM; LOSS POWER WARNING CAME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. MY 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID WOULD POWER DOWN TO 50% BEFORE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN. SOMETIMES IT RESTARTS THEN SHUTS DOWN AGAIN. IT DID THIS OFF AND ON FOR ABOUT A FEW WEEKS. SOMETIMES VEHICLE REFUSED TO START AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TURN KEY IT SEEMED LIKE WAS STUCK INSIDE MAKING IT HARD TO TURN OR REMOVE IT. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE BATTERY AND EVEN HYBRID BATTERY AND IT WAS FINE FOR SOME TIME. HOWEVER TODAY 10/14/14 IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF BROOKLYN QUEENS EXPRESSWAY (BUSY HIGHWAY) IN NEW YORK CITY THE AUTOMOBILE STARTED TO STALL AT 45 MPH AND THE STABILITITRAK AND SERVICE HYBRID SYSTEM, LOSS POWER WARNING CAME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN SUDDENLY ENGINE SHUT DOWN. FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND CARS BEHIND ME WERE ABLE TO MANEUVER WHILE I WAS ABLE TO DRIFT OVER TO CURBSIDE. CAN YOU IMAGINE IF MY CAR STALLED AT THE CROSSROADS? I WAS HAVING MY WIFE AND (XXX) YEARS OLD CHILD IN THE CAR TRAVELING WITH ME. THEY STARTED TO HAVE A PANIC…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 14, 2014Power train, Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10644697

Power train

3 reports
“WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE CAR IT WOULD ONLY MOVE IN REVERSE. IT WAS PUSHED TO A LOCAL GM DEALER AND THE SERVICE CENTER CONCLUDED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE RECALL OF 2008 SATURN VUES FOR THE POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ISSUED ON 5/6/2008 WAS NOT MENTIONED BY THE DEALER WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 7/2008 AND WAS NOT SUBSEQUENTLY RECEIVED BY THE OWNER. THE "MY GM" WEBSITE FOR GM VEHICLE OWNERS DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE VEHICLE VIN WHEN IT IS ENTERED, AND THUS PROVIDES NO INFORMATION ON RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE VIN IS RECOGNIZED AS VALID ON THIS SITE, INDICATING THAT THE VIN IS CONTAINED IN STATE RECORDS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2014Power trainODI 10606762

Electronic stability control (esc)

2 reports
“FIRST OFF I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FROM THE BEGINNING. BASICALLY MY CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PULLS BACK AND THEN ALL THE LIGHTS START TO GO OFF. ELEC STABILITY CONTROL, AIR BAGS, THE STEERING SORT OF LOCKS UP AND I HAVE STALLED ON OCCASION. I HAVE HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP NUMEROUS TIMES RE: THIS ISSUE AND IT NEVER SEEMS TO GET FIXED. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME ISSUE GM IS HAVING WITH THEIR CURRENT RECALL BUT MY CAR IS NOT ON THE LIST. I HAVE ONLY ONE KEY ON MY KEY CHAIN AND THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. IT IS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE FEELING NOT KNOWING IF MY CAR WILL WORK TOMORROW. DELILLO CHEVROLET IN HUNTING BEACH, CA HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL IN TRYING TO DETECT THE PROBLEM AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY GRACIOUS BUT I NEED THE ISSUE RESOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL. MY INTENTION IS TO HAND DOWN THIS CAR TO MY 16 YEAR OLD BUT NOT IF THE CURRENT ISSUE PERSISTS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 22, 2014Steering, Air bags, Electronic stability control (esc)ODI 10605047

Air bags

2 reports
“AIR BAG AND INDICATOR LIGHTS TURN ON AND OFF SPORADICALLY. DEALERSHIP WAS FINALLY ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE ISSUE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG, WHICH THEY STATED WOULD NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. STATED THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BUT THEY WOULD NOT MAKE THE REPAIR UNDER A WARRANTY OR RECALL. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 12, 2014Air bagsODI 10597904

Steering

1 report

Seat belts

1 report1 crash
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH A VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT HAD BACK PAIN BUT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTO SHOP FOR REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT DID NOT PROPERLY RESTRAIN HIM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND HAD AN INSPECTOR COME OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 4, 2012Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 10460541
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.