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2009 Saturn Outlook Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 192 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Saturn Outlook, most often about the lights (39% of complaints, typically around 39,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Outlook model year since 2000 and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2009 Saturn Outlook problems
Lights
75 complaints · 39%Half of these problems showed up before 39,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
The low-beam headlights in my 2009 Saturn Outlook have a severe safety issue -- they are failing regularly now, wish poses a major issue when it occurs at night. I purchased the car used from a local dealer in november 2009, and while I was test driving it, the right low-beam bulb burned out. To my knowledge, this was…
2009 Saturn Outlook, passenger side headlamp went out. Took to dealer, was burnt (melted) wiring harness. Had to pay $250 for new harness and light. Today is sept. 10th and today the driver side headlamp went out. Have to go back to the dealer again.
Electrical
44 complaints · 23%Half of these problems showed up before 45,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, wiring.
Passenger headlamp went out. On my 2009 Saturn Outlook. Took the vehicle to the gm dealership for repair and found there was a fire in the wiring harness that controls the headlamps.
Second headlight went out on 2009 Saturn Outlook purchased august 2008. Both times the harness needed replaced. First time the replacement was under warranty, the second time was not, but car is only 2 yrs 2mos old. Both wiring harnesses were burnt out.
Steering
42 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 76,500 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system.
I brought a Saturn Outlook in 2009 and had numerous issues similar to what has been detailed in this website. - both headlights failed to work - one covered under warranty & cost of second one reimbursed by gm under the recall - starter failed - covered under warranty - failed water pump at 73k - I paid for…
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage…
Engine
21 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 78,000 miles.
I brought a Saturn Outlook in 2009 and had numerous issues similar to what has been detailed in this website. - both headlights failed to work - one covered under warranty & cost of second one reimbursed by gm under the recall - starter failed - covered under warranty - failed water pump at 73k - I paid for…
I was waiting at a stoplight and heard an unusual noise from the engine. When I accelerated on the gas peddle, I noticed that the transmission would not shift normally and would not exceed over 30 MPH. I made it to work but when I tried to reverse out of the parking lot, the car would not move at all and displayed…
Transmission
19 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 78,500 miles.
When I was entering moving traffic from a completely stopped position, a car was coming faster than I realized so I floored the accelerator and this is what happened: 1.all power to my car shut off and the car rolled forward slowing down. 2.all of the dashboard lights and symbols lit up. 3.my car jolted strongly once…
I was waiting at a stoplight and heard an unusual noise from the engine. When I accelerated on the gas peddle, I noticed that the transmission would not shift normally and would not exceed over 30 MPH. I made it to work but when I tried to reverse out of the parking lot, the car would not move at all and displayed…
Speed control
8 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 111,000 miles.
September 16,2014 around 8:30 pm we were driving on i10 westbound and accelerated to get in the main lanes. The car made the accelerated noise but was stuck in gear at 4400 rpms at 40 miles per hour. We pulled over in a parking lot to test the acceleration and it was hard to tell driving in a short distance, but as…
July 6, 2014 ? Rpm / mpg as I was in the hov lane I tried to accelerate. I could hear the car transitioning, but the rpms and miles per hour did not match. At 3300 RPM the car was stuck at 60 miles per hour and would not shift out of third gear. When I took my foot off the gas the car slowed down but the needle was…
Seat belts
8 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles.
Middle row outboard seatbelts needed replacing in 2016; gm wouldn't warranty them, even after I asked their safety department 2x. I replaced them with new ones from gm, and those seatbelts are now coming apart. This is an ongoing problem. Pictures attached are current.
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that the second-row passenger's side seat belt malfunctioned and ceased and would not latch securely. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer cole krum chevrolet located at 12707 US-131, schoolcraft, mi 49087 and the manufacturer were…
Air bags
7 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 82,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that the air bag and traction control would activate and deactivate independently. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or a mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was 75,000.
Travel US hwy when encountering rain condition vehicle had rear wheel loss of control into hydroplane, when attempting to correct steering into skid the steering failed to respond as if no power steering. The vehicle cruise control was on until point of first applying brake. The vehicle impacted ravine at frontal…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2009 Saturn Outlook recalls
Body and structure: hatchback/liftgate
Risk: If the open liftgate unexpectedly falls, it may strike a person, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the power liftgate actuator motor control unit so that the motor will prevent the rapid closing of the lift gate, free of charge. The recall began on november 15, 2016. Owners may contact buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, gmc customer service at 1-800-462-8782, and saturn customer service at 1-800-553-6000. Gm's number for this recall is 15240.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 buick enclave vehicles manufactured january 3, 2007, to february 29, 2012, 2009-2012 chevrolet traverse vehicles manufactured july 6, 2008, to march 9, 2012, 2007-2012 gmc acadia vehicles manufactured september 15, 2006, to february 29, 2012, and 2007-2010 saturn outlook vehicles manufactured august 17, 2006, to march 18, 2010. The affected vehicles, equipped with the power liftgate option, have gas struts that hold the power liftgate up when open. These struts may prematurely wear and the open liftgate may suddenly fall.
Seat belts
Risk: If the steel cable becomes fatigued and separates, the seatbelt may not properly restrain the seat occupant increasing the risk of an injury in a crash.
Fix: General motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, repair and replace the lap pretensioner, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. An interim notice will be mailed to owners in july 2014. A second notice will be mailed to owners once parts become available. The recall for the 2009-2010 model years began on july 11, 2014. The interim letter for the 2011-2014 model years were distributed on july 11, 2014. Owners may contact general motors at 1-800-222-1020 (chevrolet), 1-800-521-7300 (buick), 1-800-462-8782 (gmc), 1-800-553-6000 (saturn). General motors re
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 buick enclave vehicles manufactured april 14, 2008, through may 14, 2014, chevrolet traverse vehicles manufactured june 6, 2008, through may 14, 2014, and gmc acadia vehicles manufactured april 9, 2008, through may 14, 2014, and 2009-2010 saturn outlook vehicles manufactured april 14, 2008, through march 18, 2010. In the affected vehicles, the flexible steel cable that connects the seatbelt to the front outboard seating positions may fatigue and separate over time.
Air bags: side/window
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.
Fix: Gm will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected harness connections with soldered connections, free of charge. The recall began on june 16, 2014. Buick owners may contact the owner center at 1-800-521-7300, chevrolet owners at 1-866-694-6546, saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and gmc owners at 1-866-996-9463. Gm's number for this recall is 14030. Note: vehicles repaired as part of customer satisfaction campaign 10085 and special coverage 10335 have already had the subject condition repaired and therefore are not included in the safety recall.
Full defect summary
General motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2008-2013 buick enclave and gmc acadia and 2009-2013 chevrolet traverse and 2008-2010 saturn outlook vehicles. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the driver and passenger seat mounted side impact air bag (siab) wiring harnesses may result in the siab and seat belt pretensioners not deploying in the event of a crash.
Seat belts
Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will modify the second row seat side trim shields. If a safety belt buckle is damaged, dealers will replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on august 18, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, buick at 1-866-608-8080, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, and saturn at 1-800-972-8876, or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet traverse, buick enclave, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles. The second row seat side trim shield restricts the upward rotation of the safety belt buckle when the seat back is returned to a seating position after being folded flat. If the buckle contacts the seat frame, additional effort is required to return the seat to a seating position. If sufficient force is applied, the buckle cover could be pushed down the strap, exposing and partially depressing the red release button.
Electrical: electrical system
Risk: It is possible for the heated washer module to ignite and a fire may occur.
Fix: Dealers will permanently disable and remove the heated washer fluid module. An updated page for the owner manual will be provided and inserted in the owner manual to document that the feature has been permanently disabled and removed from the vehicle. The safety recall began on june 11, 2010. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, cadillac at 1-866-982-2339, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, saturn at 1-800-972-8876, gmc at 1-866-996-9463 and hummer at 1-800-732-5493 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
Gm is recalling certain model year 2006-2009 buick, lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; model year 2008-2009 buick enclave; cadillac cts; model year 2007-2009 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl; saturn outlook; and model year 2009 chevrolet traverse vehicles equipped with a heated washer fluid system (hwfs). A recall was implemented in 2008 to add a fuse to the control circuit harness to address the potential consequences of a printed circuit board (pcb) electrical short. However, there have been new reports of thermal incidents on hwfs modules after this improvement was installed. These incidents resulted from a new failure mode attributed to the device's thermal protection feature. The significance varies from minor distortion to considerable melting of the plastic around the hwfs fluid chamb
Transmission: 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 without prior warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and ensure that the shift cable adjustment clip is fully engaged. In the event that the clip does not engage, the shift cable will be replaced free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on or before march 24, 2009. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, gmc at 1-866-996-9463, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 and saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or at www.gmownercenter.com.
Full defect summary
General motors is recalling 276,729 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet cobalt, hhr, malibu, traverse, gmc acadia, pontiac g5, g6 and saturn aura and outlook passenger vehicles. These vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicles safety standard 102, "transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect", and fmvss 114, "theft protection and rollaway prevention". On some of these vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjustment clip may not be fully engaged. If the clip is not fully engaged, the shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match. With this condition, the drive could move the shifter to "park" and remove the ignition key, but the transmission gear may not be in "park".
Seat belts: buckle assembly
Risk: In a vehicle crash, if the rivet is missing, the buckle may separate from the mounting strap, increasing the risk of injury to the passenger.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the safety belt buckles in the second and third rows, and replace them if necessary. The recall began on november 26, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; gmc at 1-866-996-9463; saturn at 1-800-972-8876; or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .
Full defect summary
Gm is recalling 16,667 my 2009 buick enclave, chevrolet traverse, gmc acadia, and saturn outlook vehicles for failing to conform with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, 'seat belt assemblies.' these vehicles may have been built with a safety belt buckle in the second or third row that is missing a rivet.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Outboard front seat belt anchor cable failure
Summary
On august 31, 2020, the office of defects investigations (odi) opened engineering analysis (ea) ea20002, as an upgrade of recall query (rq) rq19003. This investigation, related to recall 14v-266, was opened to investigate instances of detachment of the flexible steel seat belt anchor cable attached to the outboard side of the front seats in vehicles manufactured by general motors (gm). The subject vehicles included model year (my) 2009 through 2014 gmc acadia, buick enclave, and chevrolet traverse suvs as well as my 2009 through 2010 saturn outlook suvs. These vehicles were previously repaired for this defect under recall 14v-266. The subject vehicle population is approximately 1.3 million v
Seat belt anchor cable failure
Summary
On may 19, 2014, general motors llc (gm) notified the office of defects investigation (odi) that it would conduct safety recall 14v266 to address fatigue and separation of the flexible steel cable that connects the front outboard seat belts to the seat-mounted belt pre-tensioner in 1.4 million model year (my) 2009-2010 saturn outlook, 2009-2014 buick enclave, gmc acadia and chevrolet traverse (lambda platform) vehicles.the remedy was to inspect for signs of damage and replace pre-tensioner anchor cables as needed. Re-work was conducted to relocate the pre-tensioner anchor cable out of the occupant entry path. Odi has subsequently received four (4) vehicle owners questionnaires (voq) reportin
Loss of headlamp illumination
Summary
As of july 16, 2014, out of a population of 248,453 subject vehicles, NHTSA received 473 consumer complaints of inoperative head lamp. Many of these complaints indicated that the head lamp harness suffered damage from overheating. After reviewing the complaints, odi found: -69% (328) alleged that a single head lamp was inoperative. -18% (86) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but not at the same time. -9% (41) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative but the complaints did not indicate whether the failures had occurred at the same time. -4% (17) alleged that both head lamps were inoperative at the same time. -one additional complaint cited wire harness damage to both sides bu
Questions about the 2009 Saturn Outlook
- What are the most common problems with the 2009 Saturn Outlook?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: lights (75 complaints, typically around 39,000 miles); electrical (44 complaints, typically around 45,000 miles); steering (42 complaints, typically around 76,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2009 Saturn Outlook have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 30, 2015 (body and structure). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2009 a bad year for the Saturn Outlook?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Outlook model year since 2000, with 192 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.