1994 Saturn Saturn

Routine

Owners filed 33 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the seats › front assembly › recliner. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner7
302
Air Bags › Frontal5
404
Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer1
000
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls1
000
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Tires1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Pedals and Linkages1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip
Filed Feb 16, 200650,000 milesMI

DT*: THE CONTACTS STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO APPLY BRAKE PRESSURE, THE BRAKES WERE DIFFICULT TO PRESS. THIS OCCURRED ON NORMAL ROADS, DURING NORMAL BRAKING WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. IT WAS DETERMINED THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE CLEANED DUE TO CORROSION. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING OVER SPEED BUMPS, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE SUSPENSION. THE DEALERSHIP INSPECTED AND LUBRICATED THE SUSPENSION, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED AND NO ADDITIONAL REPAIRS WERE MADE. UPDATED 03/09/06. *JB

Seat Belts › Rear/Other
Filed Apr 23, 200382,000 milesPA

THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LOCK WHEN THE DRIVER MADE A SUDDEN STOP. THIS CAUSED THE UNOCCUPIED CHILD SAFETY SEAT TO FALL OFF THE REAR SEAT. *NLM *TS

Seat Belts › Front
Filed Mar 25, 2003MI

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT BECAME STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRACK. *JB

Air Bags › Frontal
Filed Nov 15, 2001NY

WHILE AT ANOTHER DELEARSHIP HAVING VEHCLE LOOKED AT THEY INDICATED THERE IS NO AIRBAG THAT IS IN USE ON THE DRIVER SIDE. IT WAS DEPLOYED IN PREVIOUS ACCIDENT BEFORE I PURCHASED VEHICLE AND DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED VEHICLE DID NOT INDICATE PRIOR ACCIDENT OR AIRBAG WOULF NOT DEPLOY IN FUTURE ACCIDENTS EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD CHILD, AND I AM EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANT. *AK

Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls
Filed Jun 5, 2001WA

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Tires
Filed Aug 29, 2000WI

CUSTOMER BROUGHT TIRE IN-HAD LOW SPEED BLOW-OUT. TIRE APPEARS AGED ON SIDEWALL, BUT THE SIDEWALL THREADS ARE SHOWING IN ONE SPOT LIKE IT'S WORN THROUGH ON INSIDE EDGE WHERE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. THIS WAS NOT A USUAL WEAR SPOT, SO WE WANTED TO REPORT THE INCIDENT ANYWAY. LET US KNOW IF YOU WANT US TO SAVE THE TWO TIRES FOR YOU. CUSTOMER IS REPLACING TWO FIRESTONES WITH OTHER MFG. BRAND AT THIS TIME.( DOT NUMBER: W2V9JA1303 TIRE SIZE: 195/60/R15 )

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jan 24, 2000CA

FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT LITERALLY FELL APART, SEAT FELL ALL THE WAY BACK AND WOULD NOT STAY UP. OUR CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECENT RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT IN 1993. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jul 19, 1999TX

FUEL SYSTEM/LINES ARE DESIGNED WITH INADEQUATE PROTECTION FROM ROAD DEBRIS, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED BROKEN FUEL LINE AND LEAKAGE DUE TO DEBRIS FROM TIRE HITTING EXPOSED LINE. MJS

Air Bags › FrontalCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 16, 1999TN

SUSTAINED 5 COMPRESSION FRACTURES OF THE SPINE AND HEAD INJURIES DO TO THE FAILURE OF THE SEATBACK LATCHES. SEATBACKS BROKE AND LAID DOWN ON REAR INPACT, CAUSING SEVERE INJURIES. AIR BAG DID NOT DIPLOY EITHER. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Jul 12, 1999FL

WHEN VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A REAR END CRASH, THE SEAT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE COLLAPSED ALL THE WAY BACK. MANUFACTURER/DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE IS BEING REPAIRED BY A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Seats2 injured
Filed Jul 7, 1999FL

THERE IS AN ACTIVE RECALL (NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 99V045000) AT THIS TIME FOR ITEMS INVOLED. I DID TAKE IT TO A DEALER THEY AGREE REPAIRS NEED TO BE DONE. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED WITHIN THE DATES OF DEFECTIVE ITEMS RECALL AS WELL AS TYPE OF VEHICLE INVOLVED THEY REFUSE TO QUALIFY MY VEHICLE AS WITHIN RECALL LIMITS STATING MY VIN# IS NOT ON THEIR LIST FOR REPAIRS, YET I HAVE THE EXACT PROBLEM STATED BY THE MANUFACTURER AS WELL AS NHTSA.

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash
Filed May 28, 1999NY

I FEEL THAT SATURN MISLED ME. I WILL SEND A COPY OF TWO LETTERS THAT I SENT TO SATURN WHICH WILL EXPLAIN WHY I AM FRUSTRATED. I BELIEVE SATURN WAS AWARE OF THE FLAW IN THEIR SEAT BACK RECLINER AND TOLD ME THAT THE SEAT BACK WAS DESIGNED TO FAIL AS IT DID IN MY WIFE'S ACCIDENT. BECAUSE OF THE SEAT BACK RECLINING UPON REAR IMPACT MY WIFE WAS NO LONGER IN A POSITION TO SEE AND CONTROL THE CAR. I NO LONGER OWN THE CAR BECAUSE IT WAS TOTALLED BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. I AM EXTREMELY UNHAPPY WITH SATURN AND WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER SATURN VEHICLE. *AK

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Mar 26, 1999FL

BOTH FRONT SEAT RECLINER LOCKS FAILED, THE DRIVER'S SEAT FELL BACKWARD CAUSING CONSUMER TO BUMP INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE, RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE. *YC

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Sep 18, 1998NH

WHILE BACKING INTO A PARKING SPACE THE OCCUPANT TURNED TO VIEW THE BACK THEN THE SEAT IMMEDIATELY FELL BACKWARDS ONTO THE BACK SEAT WITHOUT ANY WARNING. ALSO THE PASSENGER'S FRONT SEAT FELL WHILE JUST SITTING THERE. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Sep 16, 1998PA

WHEN MANUALLY SHIFTING GEARS THE ENGINE BACKFIRES.

Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner
Filed Jul 1, 1998KS

PE98008, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE DRIVER'S SEAT FELL BACKWARDS UNEXPECTEDLY, ALMOST CAUSING LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED THE LATCH THAT MOVES THE DRIVER'S SEAT FORWARD AND BACKWARD. NO CURRENT PROBLEM WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. *AK

Seat Belts
Filed Mar 10, 1998MO

FRONT SHOULDER BELT GUIDE TRACK UNIT FAILED.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Exhaust System
Filed Feb 22, 1998NY

CHEMICAL ON AIR FILTER LEAVES GUM DEPOSITS ON VALVES, RESULTING IN VEHICLE SHUDDERING/HESITATING BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 30 MPH AND 60 MPH, ALSO LOOSES ACCELERATION.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Aug 14, 1997NY

THE BRAKES ROTORS WARPED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE.

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor
Filed Jul 1, 1997MA

PASSENGER SIDE MOTORIZED SEAT BELT FAILED.

20 of 33 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1994
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
200310000Routine
200210000Routine
20018010Routine
200014000Routine
19998000Routine
199813000Routine
199726100Routine
199626100Routine
199526000Routine
1994 — this page33000Routine
199319110Routine
199217000Routine
19911000Routine

Compare every Saturn 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.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.