Total Complaints
16 filings
SATURN VUE HYBRID · model year
16 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2008SATURNVUE HYBRID carries 16 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2008 VUE HYBRID is electrical system with 6 filings, followed by power train (3) and air bags (2). 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 2008 VUE HYBRID. 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.
Total Complaints
16 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| STEERING | 1 |
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
Mileage: 123,400
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
Mileage: 123,400
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
Mileage: 123,400
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
Mileage: 53,099
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
Mileage: 60,000
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
Mileage: 60,000
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
Mileage: 60,000
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
AFTER STOPPING TO PARK THE IGNITION SWITCH CANNOT BE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION NOR CAN THE KEY BE REMOVED. THE CAR CANNOT BE TURNED OFF AS THE KEY IS STUCK IN THE "ON" POSITION. VARIOUS METHODS SUCH AS MOVING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR FROM D TO P, WITH OR WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED FAIL TO ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED. THE ISSUE OCCURS REGARDLESS OF THE SET OF KEYS USED. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO LEAVE THE CAR IN THAT POSITION AND RETURN TO IT LATER AND IT CORRECTS ITSELF AND ALLOWS THE KEY TO BE TURNED TO OFF AND THEN REMOVED. THIS FORCES ME TO LEAVE THE CAR UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY IN IT WHILE USING THE CAR. *TR
Mileage: 75,000
AFTER STOPPING TO PARK THE IGNITION SWITCH CANNOT BE TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION NOR CAN THE KEY BE REMOVED. THE CAR CANNOT BE TURNED OFF AS THE KEY IS STUCK IN THE "ON" POSITION. VARIOUS METHODS SUCH AS MOVING THE TRANSMISSION SELECTOR FROM D TO P, WITH OR WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED FAIL TO ALLOW THE KEY TO BE REMOVED. THE ISSUE OCCURS REGARDLESS OF THE SET OF KEYS USED. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO LEAVE THE CAR IN THAT POSITION AND RETURN TO IT LATER AND IT CORRECTS ITSELF AND ALLOWS THE KEY TO BE TURNED TO OFF AND THEN REMOVED. THIS FORCES ME TO LEAVE THE CAR UNLOCKED WITH THE KEY IN IT WHILE USING THE CAR. *TR
Mileage: 75,000
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.
Mileage: 50,000
A/C COMPRESSOR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY MISSING. SEEMS THE COMPRESSOR BUILDS UP TOO MUCH PRESSURE AND BLOWS THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY OFF MAKING THE A/C INOPERABLE. *TR
Mileage: 52,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH WHEN THE STABILITY TRACK WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER OR A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR REPAIRS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATE THAT THE HYBRID BATTERY WAS LEAKING FLUIDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
Mileage: 55,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE AFTER THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,580. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD MOVE INTO HYBRID MODE AND SUDDENLY SHUT OFF WHENEVER THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED. THE VEHICLE SEEMED TO TRY AND RESTART ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY ON. THE CONTACT TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART IT; THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BATTERY BACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 21,000. UPDATED 12/30/10 *BF UPDATED 01/10/11.*JB
Mileage: 21,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 SATURN VUE HYBRID. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, APPROACHING A TRAFFIC STOP SIGNAL, THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE "ENGINE" WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATION. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE WARNING INDICATOR PERMANENT ILLUMINATION BEGAN ONE MONTH PRIOR TO THE FAILURE AND CONTINUED TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. THE ENGINE STALLING FAILURE RECURRED ON A SEPARATE OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER PERTAINING TO A MANUFACTURER VOLUNTARY RECALL; RELATED TO THE HYBRID BATTERY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED DUE TO THE PART BEING ON A MASSIVE NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE AN ARRIVAL DATE FOR THE PART. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE PART TO COMPLETE THE REPAIR AND THE SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 47,000.
Mileage: 47,000
Electric Power Steering Failure
Electric Power Steering Failure
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
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.