repaired · 2015 Q4
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
2009 Saturn AuraProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 390 owner complaints about the 2009 Saturn Aura, most often about the steering. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-252 the manufacturer reports only 60% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 18, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2009 Saturn Aura has problems
390 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
210Steering5 crash/fire/injury
65Power train3 crash/fire/injury
59Electrical system3 crash/fire/injury
59Electronic stability control (ESC)1 crash/fire/injury
40Service brakes3 crash/fire/injury
29Vehicle speed control
26Exterior lighting
21Air bags
17Engine
4612 other systems3 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 210 | 5 |
| Power train | 65 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 59 | 3 |
| Electronic stability control (ESC) | 59 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 40 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 29 | 1 |
| Exterior lighting | 26 | 0 |
| Air bags | 21 | 7 |
| Engine | 17 | 1 |
| 12 other systems | 46 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
4 recalls
2009 Saturn Aura recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2016 Q2
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
no report yet
Automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Risk. If the tabs were to fracture and separate, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match.
no report yet
Lever and linkage: column shift
Risk. THE DRIVER MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE COULD ROLL AWAY AFTER THE DRIVER HAS EXITED THE VEHICLE, RESULTING IN A POSSIBLE CRASH…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Saturn.
Mileage at failure
When do steering problems start?
123kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 176 steering complaints. 33% were reported before 100,000 miles.
11under 30k miles58under 100k miles118100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2009 vs. every other Aura year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Aura median. How we score
'07'08'09'10
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2009 Saturn Aura safety ratings
2009 Saturn Aura 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2009 Saturn Aura, and the recalls they led to.
- Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion AuditNo recall
In owners' words
What Aura owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
My steering wheel started to randomly shake while I was driving this car through a car wash that I go through monthly. all of a sudden my wheel locked up and flashing warning signals appeared on my dashboard “SERVICE ESC” making me at a loss of electric power steering assist. I never got in an…
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle intermittently lost power steering functionality. The message "EPS Failure" was displayed. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number:…
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Aura. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and making left or right turns on several occasions, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel became firm and required added effort to turn the steering…
Own a 2009 Aura?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.