Saturn Aura reliability by year
0 recalls and 1,431 owner complaints across 4 model years. Best year to buy: 2009. Year to avoid: 2008.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 2 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2009 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 4 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Aura aggregated across 4 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Saturn Aura?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2009 Saturn Aura scores 7.2/10 — the strongest in the 2007–2010 range. 390 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Saturn Aura year should I avoid?
The 2008 Saturn Aura scores 7.0/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 432 owner complaints with NHTSA, 0 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2008 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Saturn Aura should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2008 (avoid — the steering — 1 fatality report and 6 crash-related complaints on the steering); 2007 (high-risk ownership — electrical system: 79 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 55,000–117,000 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2009. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Saturn Aura are tracked?
4 model years (2007 through 2010) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 0 recalls and 1,431 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Saturn Aura?
steering is the most-reported category — 387 complaints across 3 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.