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2008 Saturn OutlookProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 633 owner complaints about the 2008 Saturn Outlook, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 15V-415 the manufacturer reports only 77% of affected cars repaired.

2008 Saturn Outlook
45
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the Outlook median · #1 of 4 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 77%Owner complaints63328 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage45kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 30, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Cutlass, CC0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Saturn Outlook has problems

633 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting24715
Electrical system16411
Power train1272
Air bags974
Structure460
Steering450
Engine373
Visibility290
Electronic stability control (ESC)201
15 other systems793

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2008 Saturn Outlook 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.

77%repaired · 2018 Q2

Body: hatchback/liftgate

Recall 15V-415 · Jun 30, 2015 · 691,144 vehicles · 534,626 repaired

Risk. If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

91%repaired · 2016 Q2

Air bags: side/window

Recall 14V-118 · Mar 17, 2014 · 1,176,407 vehicles · 1,065,180 repaired

Risk. Failure of the side impact air bags and seat belt pretensioners to deploy in a crash increase the risk of injury to the driver and front seat occupant.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Electrical system

Recall 08V-441 · Aug 28, 2008 · 857,735 vehicles

Risk. THIS MAY CAUSE OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES TO MALFUNCTION, CREATE AN ODOR, OR CAUSE SMOKE INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: linkages

Recall 08V-410 · Aug 14, 2008 · 88,809 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, DRIVER VISIBILITY COULD BE REDUCED, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

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 exterior lighting problems start?

45kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 215 exterior lighting complaints. 97% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
14under 30k miles208under 100k miles7100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Exterior lighting

29 owners mentioned a cost

$400median

Middle half: $285 – $599

Air bags

21 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $780 – $1,200

Electrical system

17 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $360 – $770

Power train

15 owners mentioned a cost

$3,600median

Middle half: $3,300 – $4,141

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other Outlook 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 Outlook median. How we score

'07'08'09'10
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Saturn Outlook safety ratings

2008 Saturn Outlook 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Saturn Outlook frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2008 Saturn Outlook side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (15.5% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Saturn Outlook, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Loss of Headlamp IlluminationDP12003 · closed Jul 24, 2014
    No recall
  2. NON-CRASH ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA08010 · closed Sep 8, 2008
    Led to recall 08V-441
In owners' words

What Outlook owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

My low beam headlight started to intermittently go out for a while. Then it went out completely. I go to replace the bulb only to find that the bulb wasn’t the actual issue. The harness, wires, and socket to the bulb were blackened, burnt and melted. So now it all needs to be replaced. I’ve seen on…
Complaint 11430215 · Aug 23, 2021
WHEN IT RAINS WATER IS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE & THROUGHOUT THE 2 YEARS I'VE OWNED IT THE RAIN HAS LEAKED IN MULTIPLE LOCATIONS DESPITE HAVING IT FIXED & CAUSES THE WIRING, LIGHTING & DETRIMENTAL/SAFETY SENSORS & ELECTRICAL PARTS TO BE DAMAGED. I BECAME ESPECIALLY WORRIED WHEN I LEARNED A FRIEND…
Complaint 11338895 · Jul 12, 2020 · 160,000 miles
WATER STARTED DRIPPING DOWN INTO THE GLOVEBOX, EVERY TIME IT RAINS IT GETS SOAKING WET AND THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL PANEL. *TR
Complaint 11326271 · May 28, 2020

Own a 2008 Outlook?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.