Car Problem DataNHTSA records

1996 Saturn S-Series

Routine

Owners filed 2 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system › horn. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System › Horn1
000
Electrical System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Exterior Lighting06E026000
Filed Mar 23, 200661,944 vehiclesPro-A Motors, Inc.

Defect. CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

Risk. WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.

Remedy. PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Electrical System
Filed Aug 3, 201197,000 milesOH

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 SATURN ION S-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, UNLESS THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Electrical System › Horn
Filed Jun 19, 2006136,000 milesMA

HORN STARING BLARING WITHOUT DRIVER PRESSING THE HORN BUTTON. ONLY BY DISCONNECTING FUSE DID HORN STOP. *NM

2 of 2 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2001
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20023000Routine
20015000Routine
20003000Routine
19992000Routine
19982000Routine
19971000Routine
1996 — this page2100Routine
19951100Routine
19943101Fatalities reported
19930100Routine

Compare every S-Series year →

Other Saturn models

All Saturn models →
Ion 4,343Vue 2,351SL 2,218LS 1,458Aura 1,439Outlook 1,352Sky 516SC1 413SC 296Saturn 211

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: Mar 23, 2006. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.