Total Complaints
433 filings
SATURN VUE · model year
2006 SATURN VUE
433 NHTSA complaints, 28 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2006SATURNVUE carries 433 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 28 crashes, 12 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2006 VUE is electrical system with 85 filings, followed by air bags (76) and steering (29). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2006 VUE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
433
Complaints
28
Crashes
12
Fires
10
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
28 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 85 |
| AIR BAGS | 76 |
| STEERING | 29 |
| POWER TRAIN | 17 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 15 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 14 |
| SEATS | 14 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 13 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 13 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 11 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 10 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 9 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 9 |
| SUSPENSION | 8 |
| SEAT BELTS | 7 |
Recent Complaints
20251217CrashAIR BAGS
The contact owned a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed under the 50 MPH speed limit, the vehicle slid on a patch of black ice; the contact was able to correct the vehicle. The contact stated that there was snow on the ground.  Soon afterwards, the vehicle slid on another patch of black; the vehicle slid across the road and hit the embankment head-on. The vehicle went up the embankment and down to the ditch below, where the vehicle landed on the driver's side, where it came to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. Afterwards, the contact and the contact's daughter stopped by the clinic. The contact suffered minor injuries to the chest caused by the seat belt. The contact had bruises across the chest. The contact's daughter was in the front passenger seat, and her head hit the windshield. The daughter sustained a bump on the head, which turned out to be a mild con
20240829POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle shuddered violently. The contact's daughter lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road before coming to a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,973. The VIN was unavailable.
Mileage: 89,973
20240829ENGINE
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving 35 MPH, the vehicle shuddered violently. The contact's daughter lost control of the vehicle and drove off the road before coming to a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,973. The VIN was unavailable.
Mileage: 89,973
20230911AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 43,097.
Mileage: 43,097
20230108ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The key can be removed from the vehicle while being driven. Also the ignition doesn't "click" off when vehicle is parked and key is removed causing the battery to drain. There have been several recalls for this issue but not with the 2006 year model. This is a dangerous problem and there are very limited resources to get it resolved.
20230108STEERING
The key can be removed from the vehicle while being driven. Also the ignition doesn't "click" off when vehicle is parked and key is removed causing the battery to drain. There have been several recalls for this issue but not with the 2006 year model. This is a dangerous problem and there are very limited resources to get it resolved.
20220420ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ignition gets stuck with key and locks steering wheel, now it wont shut off all the way to left and kills my battery looks like there has been MANY ignition issues and recalls with saturns which this is pretty important to have working to drive and be safe esp as a female in this world ..getting stuck or with a dead battery isnt good $300-400 at a gmc to fix this issue I feel personally this should be considered a recall fix
20220420ENGINE
ignition gets stuck with key and locks steering wheel, now it wont shut off all the way to left and kills my battery looks like there has been MANY ignition issues and recalls with saturns which this is pretty important to have working to drive and be safe esp as a female in this world ..getting stuck or with a dead battery isnt good $300-400 at a gmc to fix this issue I feel personally this should be considered a recall fix
20220420STEERING
ignition gets stuck with key and locks steering wheel, now it wont shut off all the way to left and kills my battery looks like there has been MANY ignition issues and recalls with saturns which this is pretty important to have working to drive and be safe esp as a female in this world ..getting stuck or with a dead battery isnt good $300-400 at a gmc to fix this issue I feel personally this should be considered a recall fix
20220412CrashSTEERING
My power steering went out
20211204STEERING
My car is very rusted out,underneath the body and no one will work on my car because they feel it's a hazard to drive and work on. I went to an iron works shop and mechanic said it's a common problem with Saturn Vue's,I took it back to where I bought it because they knew it before I bought it . All they wanted to do was put me ina sports car,my car is a hazard to drive it plus I have 1 more year to pay for it. Seems like something could be done about this
20211204SUSPENSION
My car is very rusted out,underneath the body and no one will work on my car because they feel it's a hazard to drive and work on. I went to an iron works shop and mechanic said it's a common problem with Saturn Vue's,I took it back to where I bought it because they knew it before I bought it . All they wanted to do was put me ina sports car,my car is a hazard to drive it plus I have 1 more year to pay for it. Seems like something could be done about this
20211204POWER TRAIN
My car is very rusted out,underneath the body and no one will work on my car because they feel it's a hazard to drive and work on. I went to an iron works shop and mechanic said it's a common problem with Saturn Vue's,I took it back to where I bought it because they knew it before I bought it . All they wanted to do was put me ina sports car,my car is a hazard to drive it plus I have 1 more year to pay for it. Seems like something could be done about this
20210825SUSPENSION
Stability Bar / Stabilizer Bar broke on the passenger side. Upon going to the salvage yard we found in almost all the same vehicles were broke in the same area on the same passenger side.
20210825UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Stability Bar / Stabilizer Bar broke on the passenger side. Upon going to the salvage yard we found in almost all the same vehicles were broke in the same area on the same passenger side.
20210801UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Key keep getting stuck in Ignition switch and hard to take the key out the switch.
20210520STEERING
The ignition was locked and key wouldn't go in, to get it to unstick I put key in as far as it would go and noticed I could start it without the key being fully inserted. This happened a few times before but this was the first time I realized I didn't need the key to be in the ignition to start nor does it need to be in the ignition to drive. I was able to reproduce problem in driveway. I made a video but think only photos can be uploaded
20200523ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON AND IT'S HARD TO STEER I LOSE POWER STEERING. *TR
Mileage: 281,599
20200523STEERING
THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON AND IT'S HARD TO STEER I LOSE POWER STEERING. *TR
Mileage: 281,599
20200523EXTERIOR LIGHTING
THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKER OFF AND ON AND IT'S HARD TO STEER I LOSE POWER STEERING. *TR
Mileage: 281,599
Compare 2006SATURNVUE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
RQ10004Recall QueryClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
DP08002Defect PetitionClosed
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2006 SATURN VUE have?▼
The 2006 SATURN VUE has 433 NHTSA complaints, 28 crashes, 12 fires, 10 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 SATURN VUE?▼
The most-complained component for the 2006 SATURN VUE is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 85 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include AIR BAGS and STEERING.
Is the 2006 SATURN VUE safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.