Saturn Outlook Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 328 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the Saturn Outlook across 4 model years. The 2008 model year has the most (164). The words owners use most often: “wiring harness” (27% of reports).
- 328electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $660typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Wiring harness: mentioned in 89 of 328 complaints (27%)
- Low beam: mentioned in 59 of 328 complaints (18%)
- Headlight went: mentioned in 30 of 328 complaints (9%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical electrical system repair on the Saturn Outlook at $660, and half of them between $590 and $1,050.
Based on 8 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2010–2016), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 284 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 328 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 15 a fire, 1 an injury.
Saturn Outlook electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 Outlook | 5 | 31% | 70,000 |
| 2009 Outlook | 44 | 23% | 45,000 |
| 2008 Outlook | 164 | 26% | 57,000 |
| 2007 Outlook | 115 | 23% | 60,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system
Model years: 2007, 2008, 2009
Problem: 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 chamber.
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.
Electrical system
Model years: 2007, 2008
Problem: Gm is recalling 857,735 my 2006-2008 buick lucerne; cadillac dts; hummer h2; my 2007-2008 cadillac escalade, escalade esv, escalade ext; chevrolet avalanche, silverado, suburban, tahoe; gmc acadia, sierra, yukon, yukon xl, saturn outlook; and my 2008 buick enclave vehicles equipped with a heated wiper washer fluid system. A short circuit on the printed circuit board for the washer fluid heater may overheat the control-circuit ground wire.
Risk: This may cause other electrical features to malfunction, create an odor, or cause smoke increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a wire harness with an in-line fuse free of charge. The recall began on september 12, 2008. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080; cadillac at 1-800-982-2339 or http://www.cadillac.com; chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; saturn at 1-800-972-8876 or http://www.saturn.com, gmc at 1-866-996-9436; or hummer at 1-800-732-5493; or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
When it's cold I get frost inside my vehicle I replaced my windshield because I thought air was getting inside to cause the frost but after getting it replaced same issue water is leaking in and causing moisture and causing my vehicle not wanting to start because it's doing something to the battery
I have a wire that burned-out and it controls my windows, sunroof,my ac controls, and then also my transmission is shutering
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
airbag sensor on passenger seat stays off even when passenger is in seat. I have read many complaints from same vehicle since they were new. Also has electrical issues intermittently possibly from water leaking thru sunroof
Unknown
Frequently asked questions
Do all Saturn Outlooks have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 328 owner complaints about electrical system for the Saturn Outlook. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Saturn Outlook electrical system?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix electrical system problems on the Saturn Outlook?
Owners report a typical cost of $660 (half paid between $590 and $1,050), from 8 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the Saturn Outlook?
The most frequent phrase is “wiring harness”, in 89 of 328 complaints, followed by “low beam” (59).
Other Saturn Outlook problems
- Exterior Lighting problems (482)
- Power Train problems (274)
- Air Bags problems (192)
- Steering problems (154)
See all Saturn Outlook problems.