Owners filed 20 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine. No safety recall has been issued.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Electrical System › Ignition | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Windshield Wiper/Washer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Suspension › Front | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Pads | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
THE SATURNSW2 GASKET COVER WARPED YEAR AFTER YEAR;THEY REDESIGNED IT;IT SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER A RECALL; MANY THOUSANDS OF THESE COVERS HAVE PUT PEOPLE IN DANGER OF A FIRE WITH THE OIL LEAKS;THE EXPENSE OF CHANGING OUT THE ENGINE IS HORRIFIC, FOR A CHEAP PIECE OF PLASTIC THEY NO LONGER MAKE FROM PLASTIC; IT IS NOW ALUMINUM OR SOME FORM OF METAL. SMALL LEAKS ARE ONE THING;THESE MAJOR LEAKS ARE ANOTHER. *TR
REGARDING A WIRE THAT BROKE OFF ON THE SEAT OF HIS 1996 SATURN SW2 WAGON AND IS STICKING UP VERTICALLY -WIRE WENT THROUGH HIS PANTS AND SKIN**CC CONSUMER STATED CONTACTED SATURN ESTABLISHMENT AND WAS INFORMED BY SATURN FACTORY TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER. DEALER INFORMED CUSTOMER ENTERING THE CAR INCORRECTLY. *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE OIL PRESSURE AND BATTERY LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. *MR *SC *JB
THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE OWNER THAT THE ENGINE'S HEAD GASKET HAD FAILED. *NM
WHILE TRAVELING 30 MPH, THE COMPARTMENT BEGAN FILLING WITH GRAY SMOKE. ELECTRICAL WIRING FROM THE STEERING SMOLDERED AND MELTED. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. MR
DRIVING ON BACK ROAD, BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY WENT STRAIGHT TO FLOOR WITHOUT RESISTANCE. HAD TO USE ENGINE BRAKING AND HAND BRAKE TO SLOW OR STOP CAR. GAS STATION ATTENDANT REPORTED FULL BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR. NORMAL BRAKING RESUMED SPONTANEOUSLY ON WAY HOME. DEALER UNABLE TO REPLICATE PROBLEM AND CLAIMS INABILITY TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR. *AK
CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE WAS LEAKING ON DRIVEWAY, JUST SMALL PUDDLES. DEALER REPLACED HOUSING UNIT BECAUSE OF CRACKS TO TRANSMISSION.*AK CONSUMER FEELS THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED CONSIDERING THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE AND IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT. *SLC
WITH THE GASKET FAILURE, THE OIL AND COOLANT MIXED WITHIN THE ENGINE, THE DEALER HAD THE ENGINE FLUSHED OUT AND I HAD IT BACK IN 1 WEEK, 2 MONTHS LATER WHILE DRIVING TO WORK , IT WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO 2RD GEAR,. HAD TO DRIVE IT DOWN TO THE DEALER'S 2.5 HOURS FROM HOME . GOT IT BACK 1 WEEK LATER. EVER SINCE THE ENGINE WAS WORKED ON WE'VE HAD AN OIL LEAK, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE LEAKAGE WAS IN NORMAL RANGE . WE USE 1-3 QTS EVERY MONTH .
WANT TO REPORT DEFECTIVE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID WHICH FREEZES AT 31 DEGREES F MANUFACTURED BY R.H. CROWN CO. JOHNSTOWN NEW YORK 12095 BOTTLE STATES FREEZING TEMP AT -20 DEGREES F. FROZE IN THE LINES IN MY VEHICLE. WHEN ENGINE HEAT MELTED THE LINES IN THE FRONT THE FLUID FROZE IMMEDIATELY ON THE WINDSHIELD. I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO CLEAR WINDSHIELD THIS MORNING. DANGEROUS SITUATION AT BEST IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH GAS LINE UNDER REAR SEAT BLEW UP, TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY REPLACED CABLES AND GAS LINE. *AK THE FUEL FILLER DOOR WILL NOT STAY SHUT, BECAUSE THE DOOR RELEASE CABLE HAD BEEN BENT BY FOREING OBJECT. *YH
GASKET THAT SEALS THE GAS LINE TO GAS PUMP BECAME LOOSE AND CAUSED FUEL TO SPRAY ONTO ENGINE BLOCK, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED A FIRE. ANOTHER VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. DEALER WILL REPLACE THE GASKET AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. COMMON PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WRONG SPARK PLUG INSTALLED CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL INTERMITANTLY.
WRONG GAS PLUGS WERE INSTALLED IN VEHICLE DURING MANUFACTURING. PROBLEM CAUSED STALLING AND OTHER PROBLEMS. *AK
DESIGN OF HORN LOCATION MAKE IT HARD TO LOCATED THE HORN WHEN NEEDED.
SPARK PLUG FAILURE.
SPEED CONTROL: DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY, ATTEMPTING TO EXIT ON A OFF RAMP, TRIED TO TURN THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT GO OFF, COULD NOT BRAKE. EXITED OFF RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH, WENT THROUGH STOP SIGN, ENTERED ANOTHER HIGHWAY, HIT CURB AND MEDIAN, AND VEHICLE STOPPED. *AK *NLM
BRAKE PADS WORN OUT.
HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS LOCATED ON THE TIP OF THE TURN SIGNAL; OCASSIONALLY WHEN PUSHING TURN SIGNAL TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, INADVERTANTLY HEADLIGHTS ARE TURNED OFF. *AK
ABS: WHEN APPLYING BRAKES DURING PANIC STOPPING, WHEELS LOCK UP, VEHICLE SKIDS, FISHTAILS, REAREND OF VEHICLE SPUNS OUT, CAUSING MODERATE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, NO WARNING, THREE OCCURRENCES, SPEED 30 TO 35 MPH. *AK
VEHICLE MISALIGNMENT CAUSING VIBRATION/TIRE WEAR.
20 of 20 complaints, reproduced as filed.
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.