Your vehicle report
2004 Saturn VUE
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 276
- Received Nov 2003 to Sep 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn50 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Transmission fails or loses power while driving28 complaints · 10% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes14 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V490000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible for the key to be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
- Recall #03V519000Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 (L66) engines fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for vehicles other than passenger cars." the front and rear wheel rim size specifications on the tire/certification label are not correct. The printed wheel rim designation specified a 16-INCH wheel when a 17-INCH wheel designation was required.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 23 crashes, 5 fires, 20 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps
- Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches
- Tires blow out or tread separates
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 |
| 2004 | 21 |
| 2005 | 21 |
| 2006 | 15 |
| 2007 | 10 |
| 2008 | 20 |
| 2009 | 20 |
| 2010 | 24 |
| 2011 | 21 |
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 56 |
| 2015 | 18 |
| 2016 | 14 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 8 |
| 2020 | 3 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 276 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 50 | 18% | – | NHTSA recall #14V490000 |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 28 | 10% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 5.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 13 | 4.7% | – | |
| Transmission shudders during acceleration at low speeds | 12 | 4.3% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 9 | 3.3% | – | |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 6 | 2.2% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Axle breaks while driving, wheel detaches | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Air conditioner blows hot air or fails | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V490000August 8, 2014202,155 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 Saturn Vue vehicles manufactured September 11, 2001, to April 6, 2004. In the affected vehicles, it may be possible for the key to be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "Off" position.
If the key can be removed from the ignition when the ignition is not in the "off" position, the vehicle could roll away: (a) for an automatic transmission, if the transmission is not in the "Park" position; or (b) for a manual transmission, if the parking brake is not engaged and the transmission is not in the "Reverse" position. This potential for rollaway increases the risk for a crash and occupant or pedestrian injuries.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle to see if the key can be pulled out when the ignition is off. If it can, dealers will replace the ignition cylinder and keys, free of charge. The recall began in October 2014. Owners may contact Saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14506. Note: Until a vehicle has been remedied, owners and operators are advised that when exiting, to be sure that the vehicle is in "Park," or in the case of a manual transmission, that the vehicle is in the "Reverse" position and the parking brake is engaged.
NHTSA recall #03V519000December 19, 20036,134 vehicles affected
equipment: other: labels
Certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 (L66) engines fail to conform to the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 120, "tire selection and rims for vehicles other than passenger cars." the front and rear wheel rim size specifications on the tire/certification label are not correct. The printed wheel rim designation specified a 16-INCH wheel when a 17-INCH wheel designation was required.
If the wheel rim size is incorrectly printed on a tire/certification label, a service technician who solely uses the tire/certification label for service information may attempt to replace a damaged wheel with an incorrect wheel.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with a corrected label and installation instructions. Owner notification began on december 15, 2003. Owners should contact Saturn at 1-800-553-6000.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Saturn VUE.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN