YearToAvoid

2010 Saturn Outlook Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Best The 2010 Saturn Outlook ranks as the Best year among the 4 model years with data, with a complaint index of 0 and only 16 complaints logged. It carries 4 recalls, but NHTSA shows no crashes, fires, injuries, or deaths tied to this model year.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
0/100
#4 of 4 Outlook years
Verdict
Best
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
16
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
4
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
0
reported in complaints
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Top issue
Electrical System
Best nearby year
2009
rated Good
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
19
16.5 city / 23.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0

Top 2010 Saturn Outlook problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System7 (44%)
  2. Steering7 (44%)
  3. Engine3 (19%)
  4. Other1 (6%)
  5. Structure & Body1 (6%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Headlight wiring harnesses melt, sometimes producing a burning smell or scorched components behind the headlamp.
  • Headlight bulbs burn out repeatedly, with owners tracing the cause to a wiring harness problem.
  • Power steering assist cuts out intermittently at low speeds, making the wheel hard to turn during parking or slow maneuvers.
  • An ignition module failure caused sporadic stalling while driving, requiring multiple restart attempts.
  • Water leaks from the headliner and rear area onto the passenger-side floor.
  • Timing chain stretching triggered a check engine light and a loss of engine power.
2010 Saturn Outlook complaints: complaints filed per month2Apr 2010Mar 2012Mar 2014Jun 2014Sep 2014Jun 2016Feb 2017Aug 2019
16 complaints filed with NHTSA from Apr 2010 to Aug 2019; peak Oct 2016 (2).

2010 Saturn Outlook recalls

4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V415000Jun 30, 2015Structure & Body691,144 vehicles

    Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  2. NHTSA 14V266000May 20, 2014Seat Belts1,339,355 vehicles

    Seat belts

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

  3. NHTSA 14V118000Mar 17, 2014Airbags1,176,407 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    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.

    Remedy: 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.

See all 4 recalls for the 2010 Saturn Outlook →

2010 Saturn Outlook fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
23.5 MPG
Combined
19 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,400
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Outlook years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)02550751002007200820092010
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2008Avoid100633518.5
2009Good33192719
2010Best016419

All Saturn Outlook years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Saturn Outlook a good year?
Yes. Among the 4 Outlook model years with data, 2010 has the lowest complaint index (0) and carries a Best verdict.
What problems does the 2010 Saturn Outlook have?
NHTSA complaints point mainly to the electrical system (44% of complaints, largely headlight wiring harness issues) and steering (44%, largely intermittent power steering loss), plus some engine and body/structure reports.
Does the 2010 Saturn Outlook have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2010 Outlook, covering seat belts, airbags, and a power liftgate software update, none marked do-not-drive.
How does the 2010 Outlook compare to other Outlook years?
It ranks best of the 4 years with data. The 2008 model year is worst with a complaint index of 100 and an Avoid verdict, while 2007 is Caution and 2009 is Good.
At what mileage do 2010 Outlook problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure across all reported issues is 79,243 miles, with electrical complaints centering around 70,000 miles and steering complaints around 80,000 miles.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.