1998 Saturn SW

Routine

Owners filed 27 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the engine and engine cooling › engine › gasoline. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Vehicle Speed Control3
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline3
010
Visibility › Power Window Devices and Controls2
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine2
000
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control1
000
Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal1
000
Suspension › Rear1
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Master Cylinder1
000
Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner1
100

What owners reported

Newest filings
Suspension › Rear
Filed Apr 15, 2007WV

EXPERIENCING A RATTLE OR CLICK NOISE FROM THE REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND/OR DRIVING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES.*AK

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Sep 14, 2005IL

DT: 1998 SATURN SW2. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT BROKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN USE. THE LATCH CAME LOOSE. SHE HAS SPOKEN WITH SATURN, THEY TOLD HER TO TAKE IT IN TO BE INSPECTED. ON THE WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY WERE PULLED OVER FOR NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT. THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE HAS NOT YET MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. SATURN STATED THERE WAS A SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS PROBLEM, AND THE CONSUMER WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THIS VEHICLE HAS NEVER BEEN IN ANY KIND OF ACCIDENT. THE SAFETY BELT WAS STILL NOT WORKING. THEY WERE GOING TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP NEXT TUESDAY.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Feb 9, 200550,000 milesMA

WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH ENGINE STALLED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE BEARING WORE OUT COMPLETELY ON ONE SIDE. AS A RESULT, THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

Parking Brake › Conventional › Mechanical
Filed Jun 30, 2004110,000 milesCA

BRAKE FAILURE. ON SR88 SOUTHBOUND TO LIBERTY RD. 19'98 SATURN SW2, 110000 MILES. CONDITION EXCELLENT. COMING TO LIBERTY RD AT ABOUT 55 MPH SLOWNG FOR RT TURN..BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. ZERO BRAKING EFFECT. LUCKILY PULLED AHEAD TO A WIDE, SAFE SHOULDER. CALLED AAA FOR TOW,,MEANTWHILE PUMPED PEDAL FOR HALF HOUR WHEN GOT SLSIGHT RESPONSE FROM PEDAL WHICH FINALLY ABOUT 45 MINUTES LATER GAVE FULL PEDAL. CANCELLED TOW. WENT INTO LODI, CA ABOUT 15 MORE MILES SAFELY. SATURN DEALER STATES THAT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND WRONG WITH THE SYSTEM. MECHANIC STATES THAT IF THE PARKING BRAKE WERE ENGAGED EVEN SLIGHTLY THE REAR DRUMS WOULD OVERHEAT AND CAUSE THE BRAKE FLUID TO GET SO HOT THAT BUBBLES WOULD FORM IN IT THUS NO BRAKES. NO LEAKS WERE FOUND ANYWHERE IN THE SYSTEM. MASTER CYLINDER OK .ALL BRAKE PISTONS OK.BRAKES ARE OK AS OF THIS DATE. (6-30-04). DATE OF INCIDENT WAS 6-20-04..TIME/DATE OF DEALERS REPORT: 21 JUNE 04 AT 0839PDT. SERVICE ORDER 76755 PRIMARY TECH. 004.*AK

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Apr 29, 2004125,000 milesMA

THERE IS A CRACK IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD THAT BEGINS WERE THE REAR VIEW MIRROR IS ATTACHED TO THE WINDSHIELD. CONSUMER CAN NOT SEE TROUGH FRONT WINDSHIELD. *AK WINDSHIELD WAS INSPECTED FOR CRACKS, NONE WAS FOUND. IN ADDITION, CRACK REACHED TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES THAT SPANNED APPROXIMATELY 8 INCHES. *LA

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed Feb 11, 2004NY

ACCELERATOR PEDAL HINGE BROKE... LEAVING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL HANGING FROM THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Jan 30, 2004131,000 milesWI

VEHICLE BURNS OIL PREMATURELY. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Oct 22, 2003CA

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING VEHICLE STALLED. *AK

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Aug 21, 2002CA

RPMS DO NOT ALWAYS RETURN TO IDLE AFTER REMOVAL OF ACCELERATOR PRESSURE. THE RPMS AT RANDOM TIMES, REMAIN AT 1800 TO 2200 AS INDICATED BY THE TACHOMETER. THE ENGINE IS ALSO NOISY WHEN COMING TO A STOP. CONSUMER HAS TO SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO NEUTRAL WHEN COMING TO A STOP, BUT RPMS STILL RACE FROM 1000 RPM TO 2200. NORMAL TACHOMETER RESPONSE IS USUALLY FROM 750 TO 1000 RPMS. CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THIS IS PUTTING WEAR AND TEAR ON TRANSMISSION AND BRAKES. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE JUMPED BACKWARDS WHEN CONSUMER REMOVED HIS FOOT FROM BRAKE PEDAL. *TT

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Apr 30, 2002FL

WHILR AT A COMPLETE STOP, VEHICLE WILL NOT RETURN TO CORRECT IDLE POSITION, IT WILL STAY AT A HIGH IDLE POINT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER CAN NOT LOCATE THE PROBLEM.*AK.*JG

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 29, 2001MI

WHEN ENGINE WARMS UP/SLOWING DOWN OR STOPPING RPMS WILL INCREASE. ALSO IF TAKEN FEET OF GAS PEDAL, VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPAIRED AND REPLACED PARTS, BUT STILL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Nov 29, 2001MI

THIS IGNITION-HIGH IDLE PROBLEM HAS EXHISTED SINCE OWNERSHIP AND FIRST PART REPLACEMENT UNDERWARENTY WAS THE IDLE AIR CONTROL J5542 IN FEB. 2000. THE IDLE ACCELERATION PROBLEM STARTED IN 1999, HOWEVER, COULD NOT BE REPEATED DURING TESTS DRIVE UNTIL FEB. 15,2000. AT THE 42,000 SERVICE THE SAME COMPLAINT WAS ADDRESSED WITH THE IAC MOTOR REPLACED. THE 60,000 MILE SERVICE THE TEMP. SENSOR AND IGNITION MODULE WAS REPLACED FOR $391.00, AND THE PROBLEM OF ACCELERATION CONTINUES WITH THE RPM'S OVER 2,000. I AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFTEY. THE CAR HAS ACTUALLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT GAS/OR CLUTCH CHANGES. IF I WERE ON ICE, WHICH THIS AREA IS NOTED FOR IN THE WINTER, I WOULD BE IN DANGER. AGAIN, THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVEN FOR A WHILE AND THE MOTOR IS WARM, AND INTERMITTANTLY.*AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Dec 22, 2000WA

ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AND STALLS. SOMETIMES SES LIGHT COMES ON, SOMETIMES NOT. VEHICLE WILL NOT START. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR TO THE DEALER 8 TIMES IN 2 YEARS AND THEY ALWAYS "FIX" SOMETHING--SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERYTIME, BUT THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME EVERY TIME. DEALER SAYS THERE IS "NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR" AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS DIFFERENT EVERY TIME I BRING IT IN. SEVERAL TIMES THERE HAVE BEEN NO CODES STORED TO INDICATE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS-THEREFORE, ACCORDING TO THE DEALER-"THERE IS NO PROBLEM". I DON'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!!! I AM TIRED OF TAKING THE CAR IN FOR THIS PROBLEM, IT HAS MOST RECENTLY BEEN IN ON OCT. 12, 2000 , DEC. 1, 2000 , AND DEC. 21, 2000---EVERYTIME I REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND ACCORDING TO THE DEALER, EVERY TIME IT IS A DIFFERENT PROBLEM. THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS VEHICLE CAUSING THIS PROBLEM TO CONTINUE. I HAVE ALL THE REPAIR RECORDS.*AK

Seat Belts
Filed Nov 21, 2000NJ

SEAT BELTS WILL TIGHTEN WHILE SWITCHING LANES OR WHEN INCREASING SPEED. CONSUMER CANNOT MOVE AROUND TO CHECK TRAFFIC BEHIND HER. HAS BEEN TO DEALER WHO SAID THAT BELTS ARE WORKING AS DESIGNED. PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

SeatsCrash2 injured
Filed Oct 25, 2000VT

SEATS COLLAPSED WHEN REAR ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHT--IF PASSENGER WAS IN BACK SEAT, THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS INJURY. IF IT'S A SMALL CHILD, DEATH FROM THE IMPACT OF THE COLLAPSING SEAT COULD CAUSE DEATH.*AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Aug 17, 2000FL

MY MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAS HAD TO REPLACE SEVERAL TRANSMISSIONS ON 1998 SATURNS, SO MINE IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT.

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash
Filed May 26, 1999AZ

CONSUMER VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED IT AT AN IMPACT OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, CAUSING BOTH FRONT SEATS TO FALL BACKWARD; DEALER/MFR. NOTIFED AND HAD NOTHING POSTIVE TO SAY. SEEKING INFORMATION FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › GasolineFire
Filed Feb 17, 1999TX

BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY ENGINE CATCHES ON FIRE. VERY SUDDEN. NO INDICATION OF UPCOMING PROBLEM. CAR UNDER WARRANTY. TOTAL LOSS. *AK

Electrical System › 12v/24v/48v Battery
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

BATTERY FAILED. *YC

Power Train › Driveline › Constant Velocity Joint
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

INNER CV JOINT / BOOT CLAMP / WHEEL BEARING FAILED. *YC

20 of 27 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 1995
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20016200Routine
200015710Routine
199916101Fatalities reported
1998 — this page27010Routine
199731020Routine
199620010Routine
199536200Routine
199430110Routine
199327210Routine
19921110Routine
19910100Routine

Compare every SW 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.