Saturn S-Series

Owners filed 22 complaints across 10 model years of the Saturn S-Series. The 2001 drew the most (5); the 1997 the fewest (1).

Model years10
Complaints22
Recalls4
Fires0
Deaths1

Every Saturn S-Series model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
20023
0Power Train › Automatic TransmissionRoutine
20015
02Seat BeltsRoutine
20003
01Electrical System › Starter AssemblyRoutine
19992
0Electrical System › Ignition › SwitchRoutine
19982
0Visibility › Windshield Wiper/WasherRoutine
19971
01Tires › Tread/BeltRoutine
19962
1Electrical System › HornRoutine
19951
1Power Train › Manual TransmissionRoutine
19943
11Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFatalities reported
19930
1Routine

Which Saturn S-Series years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 2001 is the weakest year on record, with 5 complaints concentrated in the seat belts.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.