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KLUNK
KLUNK

2009 Saturn Outlook

The Verdict

56 Proceed with Caution

The 2009 Saturn Outlook has 192 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (98 complaints) and body (55 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 56/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Saturn Outlook, consider the 2010 model year which has 91% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2010 has 91% fewer complaints

View the 2010 Saturn Outlook dashboard →

56

Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution

About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
200789726736112
20088773835799
2009551982414
201080710

By Category

Electrical
98
Body
55
Engine
24
Transmission
14
Brakes
1

By Severity

1
93
2
89
3
2
4
8

Worst Problems

Complaints

Engine 1

The contact owns a 2009 Saturn Outlook. The contact stated that stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the timing belt had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under GM Campaign Number: 10287C since the campaign had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

21mo ago
Engine 2

I was driving and my car started to lurch and went into reduced power mode. I quickly pulled over and turned off the engine. It was towed into the shop, and we found that the timing chain had broken. We had just had our engine mounts replaced and the oil changed. The vehicle has been well maintained. I have seen the issue with the timing chain failure is a common problem in Saturns/GM from internet research. It looks like there was a service bulletin to bring the car in if Service light comes on and you “think” it’s due to premature wear of timing chain. Now we are told the engine needs to be replaced because it was damaged by the timing chain failure and it seems like a known defect that should be covered because it exceeded the value of the car to have such a fix.

31mo ago
Engine 2

UNKNOWN We have only had this vehicle for approximately 4 months and have had soon many issues but the electrical system has been a problem non stop

41mo ago
Engine 1

I bought this 2009 Saturn Outlook yesterday from a used dealership they said there was nothing wrong with the car well I live over 100 miles away from where I bough it and about halfway home it’s it was dark outside I was driving on the highway going up a hill the motor was acting like it wanted to jump out f the car (I’m not sure exactly how to describe it) anyways it only did ur for just a second then stopped all went back to normal and today just died while driving and now it wont start wont even turn over

48mo ago
Engine 1

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR SLOWED DOWN REALLY SLOW I PULLED OVER AND TURNED IT OFF. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT BACK ON IT WOULDN'T CRANK.

64mo ago
Engine 2

THE TIMING CHAIN IS GETTING STRETCHED IS WHAT THE CODES SAY AND NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED FEELS LIKE IT'S LOOSING POWER

67mo ago
Transmission 2

I STOPPER THE VEHICLE, IN MY DRIVE WAY, WHICH HAS A VERY SLIGHT INCLINE, PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK. EXITED AND LOCKED THE VEHICLE. AS I WAS STEPPING AWAY IT STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. IT STOPPED ON ITS OWN AFTER ROLLING BACKWARDS SEVERAL FEET. I UNLOCKED THE VEHICLE, APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE, STARTED THE VEHICLE, RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THEN FORWARD SEVERAL FEET, PLACED THE SHIFT LEVER IN PARK, SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. I DID NOT MOVE. I PUT ON THE PARKING BREAK TO BE SAFE. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, JUST PRIOR TO THIS ISSUE, WHILE PULLING INTO THE DRIVE WAY THE BUILT-IN GARAGE DOOR OPENER STARTED TO OPEN THE DOOR, THE DOOR STOPPED AND THE OPENER WOULD NOT RESTART THE GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN/CLOSE.

70mo ago
Body 1

TL* 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 NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V375000 (SEAT BELTS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE LISTED IN THE RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

72mo ago
Body 1

PAST 5 YEARS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. REPLACES PLUGS 3X, CONVERTERS 3X, AND EVERYTHING INCLUDING IGNITION COILS 2X, LIGHT STILL ON, STATING CONVERTERS NEED REPLACING. CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP MORE THAN A HOSPITAL HAS EMERGENCY ROOM PATIENTS. ENGINE LIGHT WOULD STAY OFF FOR A WEEK OR TWO, NOW ONLY FOR 30-40 MILES. EMISSIONS SAYS CAR NOT READY FOR TESTING. VEHICLE DRIVES AND RUNS PERFECTLY, PURRS LIKE A KITTEN, BUT NOW CAN'T PASS EMISSIONS. CHEVY, ACURA, REPAIR SHOPS, MUFFLER SHOPS AND ALLEY MECHANICS ALL BAFFLED. TOO MANY INVOICES TO UPLOAD, BUT I HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM AND RECEIPTS FOR PARTS IF NEEDED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I GOT THE CAR. CHEVY NEVER COULD FIX IT. EACH TRIP COST ME $700+, BUT NO SOLUTION, THE PROBLEM JUST KEEPS ESCALATING. OH, I NEVER PUT CHEAP GAS IN VEHICLE, AND OIL CHANGES/ TUNE- UP ARE UP TO DATE. HELP PLEASE. (SOMEONE SUGGESTED THE ECM COMPUTER IS BAD)

78mo ago
Electrical 1

MY HEADLIGHTS KEEP GOING OUT RANDOMLY AND THIS VERY UNSAFE AS I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 2 YOUNG CHILDREN! I HAVE HAD IT FIXED 4 TIMES! THE LAST TIME I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP, I WAS TOLD THE WIRING HARNESS KEEPS MELTING. I RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND MANY OTHERS ARE ALSO HAVING EXPERIENCING THIS ISSUE.

78mo ago
Body 1

THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE LINKAGE SYSTEM, WHERE THE VEHICLE STILL ROLLS WHILE IN PARK. I AM HAVING THIS ISSUE AND A GRINDING SORT OF SOUND. THE VIN IS SAYING 0 UNREPAIRED RECALLS ON THE WEBSITE AND I BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM OF THE PREVIOUS RECALL IN '09. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVING THERE WAS THE SOUND THAT SOMETHING WAS DRAGGING, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO CHECK BUT WHILE IN PARK THE VEHICLE WOULD STILL ROLL. THE CAR HAD THE EMERGENCY BRAKE SET IN PLACE AT THIS MOMENT.

79mo ago
Electrical 2

DRIVER HEADLIGHT HARNESS OVERHEATS, CAUSING HEADLIGHT TO GO OUT. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS. I REPLACED THE CONNECTOR HARNESS AND WITHIN A FEW WEEKS IT HAD MELTED AND THE LIGHT WAS OUT AGAIN. WHEN I LOOKED UP WHAT TO DO I FOUND OUT THAT MANY OTHER SATURN OUTLOOK OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

81mo ago
Electrical 1

THE HEADLIGHT WIRING HAS MELTED

83mo ago
Body 2

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.

86mo ago
Body 1

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT WHEN THE POWER STEERING PUMP I WILL SAY EXPLODED FLUID EVERYWHERE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER TURN AT ALL I'M 6'1 270 ATHLETIC AND COULD NOT MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL...I HAVE READ SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME POWER STEERING ISSUE AND AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN MADE...

87mo ago
Engine 2

IN 2016, I PURCHASED A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK FROM A DEALER, WITH 90,000 MILES ON IT. TWO MONTHS LATER, "TRANSMISSION OVERHEATING, LET ENGINE IDLE" INDICATOR CAME ON, AND THE SATURN SHUT ITSELF DOWN AS I DROVE DOWN I-35! MECHANIC SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY RESET MY CODES, AND ALL SEEMED OKAY. THIS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES, BUT KNOW ONE COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG OTHER THAT BANK 1 LOW. FOR THE MOST PART IT DROVE WITHOUT PROBLEMS. REGULAR SERVICE MAINTENANCE, AND OIL CHANGES CONSISTENT WITH THE MANUAL. I RARELY DROVE IT AFTER THE SECOND YEAR OF OWNING IT. ON WAY HOME TO OREGON (PURCHASED OUTLOOK IN IOWA), I CONTINUOUSLY LOST POWER GOING UP THE PASSES. SEMI TRUCKS WERE PASSING ME, AS IF I WERE SITTING STILL. WITH NEW AIR-FILTER SYSTEM, MAF SENSOR, COILS, BOOTS, AND SPARK PLUGS INSTALLED I CONTINUED AT A SNAIL PACE ALL THE WAY TO OREGON. A TWO DAY TRIP TOOK ME SEVEN DAYS. NOBODY COULD TELL ME WHAT WAS WRONG OTHER THAN THE BANK 1 LOW, O2 SENSOR, WHICH I REPLACED THOSE AS WELL. I GET HOME AND SEVEN MONTHS LATER, I ALMOST GET HIT BY A SCHOOL BUS, BECAUSE MY SATURN STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERSECTION. THREE LIGHT CHANGES LATER, I MAKE IT ACROSS THE STREET TO THE COLLEGE. IT SHUDDERED ALL THE WAY, TILL I PARKED IT, WHERE I HAD TO WAIT TO BE TOWED THREE BLOCKS TO HOME. I PAID OVER $15,000 FOR A VEHICLE THAT LASTED ME UNDER 50,000 MILES. IT IS PAID IN FULL, AND IS NOW DEAD. STILL NO CLUE AS WHY. CODES SHOW BANK 1 AND 2 LOW ? BUT WHY WILL IT NOT START? WHY DID MY BATTERY DIE? I COULD NOT HAVE TAKEN BETTER CARE OF MY BABY, IF I TRIED! PLEASE, HELP ME FIX HER. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THIS VEHICLE TO BE OUT OF COMMISSION, YET IT IS AT 134,000 MILES. GM, PLEASE FIX THIS. THIS WAS FAULTY AT 90,500 MILES. I HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN GREAT CARE OF EVERY CAR I HAVE EVER OWNED. IT GOT WORSE AFTER I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALER IN MISSOURI! CATALYTIC BANK 1 AND 2.

90mo ago
Body 3

I WAS UNLOADING GROCERIES AT HOME CAR WAS OFF AND PARKED AND THE REAR LIFT GATE RELEASED AND TRIED TO CLOSE WITH ME IN WAY IT FELL AND HIT MY BACK CAUSING PAIN AND TRIED TO CO TINUE TO CLOSE ON ME I HAD TO PUSHT THE LIFT GATE OPEN AND IT RESISTED

92mo ago
Engine 2

TAKATA RECALL I BOUGHT MY VEHICLE AT THE END OF MAY, 2018. MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT THE BEGINING OF OCTOBER, 2018. I HAD GOT IN MY VEHICLE AND STAYED THE ENGINE AMD IT CAME ON. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO ADVANCE AUTO TO GET THEM TO HOOK THE HAND HELD COMPUTER TO THE VEHICLE TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. IT CODED 2 CODES. ONE WAS FOR THE TIMING CHAIN AND THE OTHER FOR THE CATALYST. THEY SAID I SHOULD TAKE IT TO A BIG CAR SHOP SO THEY COULD PUT IT OM THE BETTER COMPUTER. IT CODES THE SAME CODES. THE MECHANIC SAID THIS IS AN ISSUE WITH THESE GM ENGINS. HOWEVER, THEY ARE NOT ON RECALL. I STILL OWE AROUND 9,000 DOLLARS ON THIS VEHICLE. I AM NOT IN A SITUATION THAT I CAN SPEND OVER. $2,000 ON THIS VEHICLE. IN LISTENING TO THE MECHANIC AND DOING MY OWN RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A REAL PROBLEM. I BELIEVE IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED AT THE COST OF THE MANUFACTURER.

94mo ago
Electrical 1

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 SATURN OUTLOOK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A PROGRESSIVE LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER WITHOUT WARNING. LARRY FANNIN CHEVROLET BUICK GMC (329 E MAIN ST, MOREHEAD, KY 40351, (800) 467-0411) INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE MANUFACTURER INTERNAL CONTAMINATION CAMPAIGN (14515B) REGARDING THE ELECTRONIC CHASSIS AND REPLACED THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL MODULE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE. **TR THE CONSUMER STATED HE ALSO HAS 2 PUNCTURES INSIDE BRACKET OF THE A/C LINE. *TR

95mo ago
Electrical 1

THE PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM LIGHT NO LONGER WORKS, AND BULB REPLACEMENT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC SAID THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

96mo ago

192 total

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