2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan

Routine

Owners filed 3 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes, air › disc. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes, Air › Disc1
100
Power Train › Manual Transmission1
000
Air Bags › Frontal1
103

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage02V020000
Filed Jan 17, 2002790 vehiclesGeneral Motors Corp.

Defect. CERTAIN SEDANS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES," AND NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH WELDS BETWEEN THE DOOR STRIKER AND BELT-LINE THAT DO NOT MEET SATURN SPECIFICATIONS.

Risk. IF THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ON THE PILLAR FAILED IN A CRASH, THE DRIVER COULD BE INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY. IN A SIDE IMPACT, OCCUPANTS COULD ALSO BE INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF GREATER INTRUSION OR REDUCED PERFORMANCE OF THE OPTIONAL SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG.

Remedy. DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL FASTENERS TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR PILLAR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 22, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-553-6000, PROMPT #3.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Air Bags › FrontalCrash3 injured
Filed Nov 8, 201078,000 milesID

A CAR WAS GOING 55 MPH, DIDN'T BRAKE AND HIT THE PERSON BEHIND ME WHO WAS PUSHED INTO MY CAR AND I WAS PUSHED INTO A TRUCK. THE FORCE OF THE IMPACT MOVED ALL OUR CARS 65 FEET. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, ALTHOUGH ACCORDING TO SOME COMMENTS BY POLICE AND FIRE, THEY SHOULD HAVE. I JUST WANTED TO REPORT THIS JUST IN CASE THERE WERE OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. CAR WAS TOTALED, NO REPAIR DONE. *TR

Power Train › Manual Transmission
Filed Nov 11, 200412,000 milesWI

CAR ENGINE STALLS AND DIES. CAR IDLES VERY ROUGH. THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION POPS OUT OF GEAR BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD OCCASIONALLY. CAR DOES NOT HAVE A 1ST GEAR IF YOU USE 1ST THE CAR BUCKS LIKE CRAZY. BUT ACCORDING TO SATURN DEALER SERVICE CENTERS VISITED 5 TIMES THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHIN FACTORY SPECS AND THERE ARE NO FAIL CODES. HAVE BEEN SEVERAL TIMES ON THE EXPRESSWAY GOING 65 M.P.H AND THE ENGINE HAS DIED WHAT FUN. THE CAR HAS BEEN INSPECTED AND THE REPORT STATES THE CAR SINCE DAY ONE I DROVE IT OFF THE DEALERSHIP LOT WAS WORTH LESS THAN 50% OF PURCHASE PRICE AND HAS BECOME A SAFETY HAZARD. THE CAR HAS SAT IDLE FOR TWO YEARS NOW IN MY GARAGE AND I HAVE LOST MY FIGHT TO HAVE SATURN UPHOLD THEIR END OF THE LEMON LAW IN WISCONSIN. SATURN HAD TRIED TO REPAIR THE CAR TWICE BY PUTTING ALL NEW FUEL INJECTORS IN THE CAR. CAR WAS RETURNED THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH SAME PROBLEM. THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR TWO WEEKS AND GAVE ME ANOTHER SATURN CAR TO DRIVE AND THEY STILL COULDN'T FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. THE WOULD BE IN THE SHOP EVERY WEEK IF I HAD DECIDED TO STILL DRIVE THE HEALTH RISK TO MYSELF AND DAUGHTER. WENT AND BOUGHT ANOTHER NEW CAR AND DEFINITELY NOT A AUTO FROM GM. *JB

Service Brakes, Air › DiscCrash
Filed Dec 16, 200215,000 milesNJ

BRAKES FAILED ON MY 2002 SATURN S SERIES SEDAN (15,000 MILES) WHILE DECELLERATING AT A YIELD MERGE AND REARENDED A CAR AT LOW SPEED WITH MINIMAL DAMAGE. POLICE OFFICER NOTED BRAKE PEDAL HAD TO BE FLOORED TO GET ONLY SLIGHT BRAKING OFFICER ADVISED VEHICLE MUST BE TOWED. VEHICLE TOWED TO SATURN DEALERSHIP. AFTER MUCH RESISTANCE SATURN HOME OFFICE IN TENNESSEE SENT INSPECTOR. CONVERSATION THIS DATE WITH TENNESSEE OFFICE SAID VERBAL PRELIM. REPORT- NOTHING REALLY SEEN WRONG. I DON'T BELIVE IT AND FEAR DRIVING THE CAR.CAR STILL AT SATURN OF FREEHOLD.

3 of 3 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
2002 — this page3100Routine
20014000Routine
20003000Routine
19994000Routine
19981000Routine
19972000Routine

Compare every S-Series Sedan year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Jan 17, 2002. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.