2010 Saturn Outlook Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Aug 30, 2024 · 16 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Outlook years
Far fewer complaints than other years 4th of 4 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 16 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 Saturn Outlook. That ranks 4th out of 4 Outlook model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (7 complaints, 44%), typically at around 80,000 miles. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.

Saturn Outlook
2007 Saturn Outlook photographed in USA.. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2010 Saturn Outlook problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Steering7 · ~80,000 mi
Exterior Lighting6 · ~62,500 mi
Electrical System5 · ~70,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control2 · ~53,622 mi
Engine1 · ~109,761 mi
Structure1
Unknown or Other1 · ~80,000 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Steering744%80,000——
Exterior Lighting638%62,500——
Electrical System531%70,000——
Vehicle Speed Control213%53,622——
Engine16%109,761——
Structure16%———
Unknown or Other16%80,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 5 complaints
2010: 2201022012: 1201212013: 1201312014: 5201452015: 1201512016: 3201632017: 2201722019: 120191

n = 16 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2010 Saturn Outlook recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Structure:body:hatchback/liftgateJun 30, 2015 · NHTSA campaign 15V415000 · 691,144 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

Seat beltsMay 20, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V266000 · 1,339,355 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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 recall number for this campaign is 14187.

Air bags:side/windowMar 17, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V118000 · 1,176,407 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

Seat beltsAug 12, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V375000 · 207,210 vehicles

Problem: 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.

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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (EA20002) — opened Aug 31, 2020, closed Aug 30, 2024, led to recall 21V245.
  • Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure (RQ19003) — opened May 28, 2019, closed Aug 31, 2020.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

Intermittent loss of power steering when trying to park in a space in a parking garage. It also happened when turning in motion into a street off a highway while braking. Power steering fluid levels were full both times.

Steering · received Aug 23, 2019 · NHTSA complaint 11246016

My 2010 saturn outlook has 124,xxx miles on it. I've owned it since january of 2017. 2 or 3 months ago my passenger side low beam headlight went out. I decided that due to having to go through the wheel well to get to the bulbs, i would just change all 4 while i was in there. Everything seemed fine…

Exterior Lighting · received Aug 3, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 11012725

Tl* the contact owns a 2010 saturn outlook. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the pedal was depressed. Ocassionally, the vehicle would abnormally accelerate without the pedal being engaged. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired…

Vehicle Speed Control · received Feb 23, 2017 · NHTSA complaint 10956453

Engine light was coming on & off. After a couple days, the outlook had a loss of power. Had it checked & was told we had a timing issue with the 3 timing chains. The chains were stretched & one of the timing chain gears was one tooth off. They needed to be replaced. I was also told that there was a…

Engine · received Oct 20, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10917699

Headlights wire harnesses burnt

Exterior Lighting · received Oct 6, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10914376

Other Saturn Outlook years

← 2009 Outlook

YearComplaintsRecalls
2010164
2009 Outlook1927
2008 Outlook6335
2007 Outlook5115

See all Saturn Outlook problems by year, every Saturn model, or the VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Saturn Outlook?

Owners most often report steering, exterior lighting, electrical system problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 7 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Saturn Outlook?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2010 Saturn Outlook a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Outlook model years, the 2010 has far fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.