Problems · NHTSA complaints
2002 Saturn Vue problems
Owners filed 177 complaints about the 2002 Saturn Vue with NHTSA between Nov 2001 and Feb 2021. The most-cited component is electrical system (52).
Complaints
177
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
14
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system52
- Engine and engine cooling32
- Power train28
- Steering18
- Engine16
- Air bags15
- Suspension10
- Vehicle speed control7
- Structure5
- Service brakes, hydraulic5
- Fuel/propulsion system4
- Fuel system, gasoline4
- Equipment4
- Visibility4
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 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
1
10
23
17
12
15
13
21
6
11
3
2
3
22
8
3
2
1
0
3
1
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 10 |
| 2003 | 23 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 12 |
| 2006 | 15 |
| 2007 | 13 |
| 2008 | 21 |
| 2009 | 6 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 3 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 3 |
| 2014 | 22 |
| 2015 | 8 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 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
Electrical system
52 reports2 crashes2 fires1 related recall
“CAR POWER SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING, UNABLE TO START AGAIN IN ANY TRAFFIC OR ROAD CONDITIONS TO MOVE CAR TO A SAFE AREA. FULL LOSS OF POWER UNEXPECTED, VEHICLE SIMPLY STOPS RUNNING. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 'USED' FROM A PRIVATE SELLER I SUSPECT WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT DIDN'T EXPOSE IT. $2300 SPENT SO FAR WITH NO FINDINGS AS TO WHY THE PROBLEM OCCURS. ONLY AN ADDED 30 MILES TO THE ODOMETER SINCE PURCHASE. PRESENT READING IS 107,251.”
Engine and engine cooling
32 reports
“I'M THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2002 SATURN VUE AWD WITH THE GM VTI TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE. TWO DAYS AGO I EXPERIENCED MY TRANSMISSION/ENGINE FAILING FOR THE FIFTH OR SIXTH TIME SINCE 2006. THE VERY FIRST TIME I TOOK MY VUE TO THE DEALERSHIP IN AUSTIN, TX WHERE I HAD TO ARGUE WITH FIRST MY SERVICE REP. FOLLOWED BY HIS MANAGER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THE FAULTY GM DESIGN WAS STILL RELATIVELY NEW, THEY ORIGINALLY BLAMED ME FOR POOR DRIVING, RESULTING A BAD BCM WHICH THEY MADE ME PAY IN SPITE OF MY ARGUMENT THE FAULTY GM DESIGN WAS THE ORIGIN OF THE PROBLEM. FIRST TIME IT COST ME $1500 TO REPAIR MY CAR THAT HAD LESS THAN 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS HOWEVER WAS QUITE AN ORDEAL SINCE MY VEHICLE ACTUALLY LOST POWER ON THREE OR FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I WOULD IMMEDIATELY GO TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR ASSISTANCE WITH WHAT I KNEW WAS THE TRANSMISSION. AFTER BUGGING THEM ALMOST EVERYDAY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THEY FINALLY ADMITTED GMS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND REPLACED MY TRANSMISSION ON THE THIRD VISIT. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION LASTED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR. IN 2007 I HAD RELOCATED WITHIN THE STATE AND WAS EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS AND RELUCTANTLY…”
Power train
28 reports3 crashes1 fire
“THE TIMING CHAIN RUINED THE ENTIRE ENGINE AS A RESULT OF THE CHAIN TENSIONER FAILING FROM LACK OF OIL BEING APPLIED. APPARENTLY AS SOON AS I HEARD THE CLANGING SOUNDS IT WAS TOO LATE. I AM BUYING A WHOLE NEW ENGINE WHICH HAS REPLACED THE OILING MECHANISM THAT WAS FAULTY IN THE 2002-2003 MODELS OF THE SATURN VUE. *TR”
Steering
18 reports2 crashes3 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE IGNITION KEY RELEASED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED IF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.”
Engine
16 reports
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE TEMPERATURE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT STOPPED TO CHECK THE ENGINE AND NOTICED THAT THE ANTI-FREEZE CONTAINED OIL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 151,000.”
Air bags
15 reports4 crashes
“I JUST BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A USED CAR DEALER. NEVER IN MY 40 YEARS OF DRIVING HAVE I EVER "TESTED" HORN OPERATION... SEEMS I SHOULD HAVE AS THE HORN DOESNT WORK. I FOUND AND REPLACED THE FUSE FOR THE HORN AND AFTER RESEARCHING I FOUND THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON ALL 2002 SATURN VUE VEHICLES.... WHY THIS ISNT A RECALL ISSUE I HAVE NO IDEA BECAUSE THE HORN AND AIR BAG WORK OFF THE SAME POWER LINE AND THE CONTACT FOR THE HORN IS THE PROBLEM HORN WISE. I TOOK MY CAR TO A CHEVY DEALER TO GET AN ESTIMATE ON THE "FIX" AND IT WOULD COST ME 1100 BUX TO REPLACE THE FAULTILY DESIGNED UNIT GUARANTEED TO FAIL WITH ANOTHER FAULTILY DESIGNED UNIT GUARANTEED TO FAIL.”
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.