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2002 Saturn VUEProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 167 owner complaints about the 2002 Saturn VUE, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-490 the manufacturer reports only 27% of affected cars repaired.

2002 Saturn VUE
62
CarFlaw IndexSolid year38% below the VUE median · #7 of 8 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 27%Owner complaints16724 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage86kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through February 23, 2021. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Saturn VUE has problems

167 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
Electrical system524
Engine and engine cooling310
Power train244
Steering185
Engine160
Air bags154
Suspension103
Vehicle speed control61
Fuel system, gasoline40
14 other systems340

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

2 recalls

2002 Saturn VUE 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.

27%repaired · 2016 Q1

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-490 · Aug 8, 2014 · 202,155 vehicles · 53,675 repaired

Risk. 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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Front: anchorage

Recall 01V-386 · Dec 18, 2001 · 327 vehicles

Risk. IF THESE BOLTS WERE INCORRECTLY INSTALLED, THEY WOULD NOT WITHSTAND THE LOAD REQUIREMENTS OF THE STANDARD.

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 electrical system problems start?

86kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 45 electrical system complaints. 62% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
8under 30k miles28under 100k miles17100k 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.

Engine and engine cooling

10 owners mentioned a cost

$3,000median

Middle half: $2,200 – $3,350

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

2002 vs. every other VUE 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 VUE median. How we score

'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2002 Saturn VUE safety ratings

2002 Saturn VUE 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Saturn VUE frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2002 Saturn VUE side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Rollover: 3 stars (0.0% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Saturn VUE, and the recalls they led to.

  1. REAR SUSPENSION TOE CONTROL LINKPE04052 · closed Nov 1, 2004
    No recall
  2. TIMING CHAIN FAILUREPE06006 · closed Jun 6, 2006
    No recall
In owners' words

What VUE owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

CAR POWER SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING, UNABLE TO START AGAIN IN ANY TRAFFIC OR ROAD CONDITIONS TO MOVE CAR TO A SAFE AREA. FULL LOSS OF POWER UNEXPECTED, VEHICLE SIMPLY STOPS RUNNING. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED 'USED' FROM A PRIVATE SELLER I SUSPECT WAS WELL AWARE OF THE SITUATION BUT DIDN'T EXPOSE…
Complaint 11397618 · Feb 23, 2021 · 107,257 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 SATURN VUE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, SEVERAL DASHBOARD WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED, INCLUDING THE BATTERY WARNING INDICATOR. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED OPERATION TEMPORARILY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. ALSO, WHILE TRAVELING UP AN INCLINE, THE BATTERY…
Complaint 11297354 · Jan 6, 2020 · 120,000 miles
I HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH MY IGNITION SWITCH SINCE BUYING THIS VEHICLE AS NEW, SO THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED ON DEC 2008 AT THE DEALERSHIP, WHICH I PAID FOR. I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE TO A GM DEALER PER THE RECALL IN 2015 AND WAS TOLD ALL IS GOOD, SO I COULD CLAIM REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE 2008 REPAIR. TO…
Complaint 10821179 · Jan 20, 2016 · 85,000 miles

Own a 2002 VUE?

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