Saturn owners have filed 10,411 complaints with NHTSA across 21 models. On average the car was 6.05 years old when the problem happened, and 27.3% of reports fall inside the first three years — while the factory warranty was still running.
What breaks on Saturn
The systems Saturn owners report most, and how often each failure ended in a crash.
| System | Complaints | Share of Saturn | Ended in a crash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 16.7% | 2.5% | |
| Electrical System | 13% | 0.8% | |
| Power Train | 10.2% | 2.9% | |
| Air Bags | 8.3% | 19% | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4.4% | 0.9% | |
| Exterior Lighting | 3.2% | 0.9% | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2.6% | 0% | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2.2% | 0.9% |
When Saturn problems show up
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average age at failure | 6.05 years | How old the car was when the problem happened |
| Reported inside 3 years | 27.3% | Share of complaints filed while the factory warranty was likely still running |
| Complaints describing a crash | 579 | Of 10,411 total |
| Complaints describing a fire | 125 | Of 10,411 total |
A low average age does not automatically mean a fragile car: a brand with a young fleet on the road will always skew early. Read it next to the share reported inside three years.
Which Saturn models draw the most complaints
Volume follows sales, so a bestseller will always top this list. The columns worth reading are age at failure and how many reports ended in a crash.
| Model | Complaints | Share of Saturn | Avg age at failure | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ION | 33.6% | 6.1 yrs | 180 | |
| VUE | 18.3% | 6.5 yrs | 105 | |
| AURA | 12.3% | 6.9 yrs | 42 | |
| SL | 11.7% | 4.4 yrs | 159 | |
| OUTLOOK | 10.4% | 5.2 yrs | 14 | |
| SKY | 4.4% | 7.6 yrs | 13 | |
| LS | 2.9% | 5.8 yrs | 8 | |
| SC | 1.5% | 6.1 yrs | 26 | |
| ASTRA | 1.4% | 7.6 yrs | 4 | |
| SW | 1.1% | 4.2 yrs | 14 | |
| RELAY | 1% | 3.7 yrs | 2 | |
| SATURN | 0.7% | 2.4 yrs | 6 | |
| VUE HYBRID | 0.3% | 7.2 yrs | 1 | |
| S-SERIES | 0.1% | 4.4 yrs | 3 | |
| S-SERIES SEDAN | 0.1% | 6.3 yrs | 2 |
Saturn complaints by model year
A bad generation shows up here as a block of years, not as a single spike. Recent years look quiet simply because those cars are young and still under warranty.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | — | 1 | |
| 2009 | 23 | 8 | |
| 2008 | 47 | 28 | |
| 2007 | 66 | 17 | |
| 2006 | 56 | 11 | |
| 2005 | 44 | 7 | |
| 2004 | 62 | 5 | |
| 2003 | 54 | 10 | |
| 2002 | 36 | 9 | |
| 2001 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2000 | 16 | 9 | |
| 1999 | 26 | 2 | |
| 1998 | 16 | 3 | |
| 1997 | 25 | 8 | |
| 1996 | 37 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 60 | 4 |
What Saturn owners report
Grouped by the system owners named. Open any row for the full reports, in their own words — one per model so the same fault does not repeat.
Steering 1,739 Read
The contact owned a 2008 Saturn Aura. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH and ascending a grade in the road, the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle jumped the curb on the left side of the vehicle and then crashed into a telephone pole, he was unable to steer due to the loss of power steering functionality. The contact stated that the crash happened very fast and he was not able to depress the brake pedal to avoid the crash. The contact stated that the front driver's side bumper, grill, and lights were crushed. There was also damage to the driver's side front tire wheel well and axle. The contact stated that he called the police who then wrote a report. The contact stated that he was not injured, however the vehicle was undrivable and was towed to an impound lot. The contact stated that the vehicle was later declared a total loss by his insurance provider. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 198,000
While driving on the freeway, something weird happened with the steering wheel & my daughter lost control of her vehicle. She crashed into the brick wall on the freeway & totaled her vehicle. She was hospitalized & had to have surgery to repair a broken jaw (in two places), fractured bone under her left eye, & other various fractures in her face. Her teeth were also knocked out of alignment on the bottom
The contact owns a 2004 saturn ion. While the contact's vehicle was attempting to make a turn, another vehicle crashed into the passenger side of the vehicle. The passenger side air bag deployed. The steering ability was lost and the vehicle shut down. There was no warning indicator illuminated. A police report was filed. There were no injuries. The vehicle was damaged, but was not totaled. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact called all star chevrolet of olive branch at 678-829-0246 (located at 7240 craft-goodman rd, olive branch, ms 38654) and was informed to bring the vehicle to the shop. The contact asked the technician to assist with towing, but the technician did not help. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000
Electrical System 1,352 Read
Per witnesses my daughter's saturn ion hit the rear of a semi truck that had stopped on northbound I-81 near mile marker 210.5. The witnesses state that the air bags did not deploy. The car caught fire and was destroyed
Car has had issues with the starter over the years, requiring countless replacements before the recommended replacement dates. Recently, a starter lasted only 6 months before failing. When a mechanic looked at the starter, he said that there is probably something wrong with the ignition causing the starter to continuously run while the engine is on. This resulted in the starter completely burning up on the inside. Smoke was visible from this starter. The key also slips out of the ignition in any position, including when the engine is on and car is moving. There is a recall from gm affecting saturn ignition switches and ignition cylinders, but it does not include 2002 saturns even though the problem is the same
The contact owns a 2009 saturn outlook. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, smoke started emitting from above the driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle engulfed into flames. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000
Power Train 1,064 Read
Caution: saturn automatic transmision may be dangerous if it hesitates and clunks into gear or downshifts inappropriately. Saturn's computer diagnostic system may not detect dangerous transmission control condition. Saturn corp. Policy on paying dealer for diagnostic work for warranty items may discourage dealer from further investigating possibly dangerous conditions
Transmission has Lube issues for Honda and TRANSGO HONDALK fixes that but requires several hours labor pulling transmission. Transmission and torque converter overheat causing failure. Mine overheated and stalled crossing traffic, wouldn't go into gear. Caused accident
The car does not seem to go into park when you do think you have it in park it isn't another gear and as lurched out and almost smashed a couple people that have helped me with the car it also seems to have a tendency to roll because it is not fully going in the park and I cannot even start it
Air Bags 869 Read
My son lost control of the car hitting a pole head on and then the car spun three times in a 360 and then a 180... Air bags didn't deploy and he and the passenger are badly injured. The air bags could have saved them from several injuries
After a crash in a saturn and the air bags exploded. The passenger side of the dashboard area started smoldering. The fire department arrived and put the fire out before it did a lot of damage
The contact owned a 2006 Saturn Vue. The contact stated that while driving at a slow speed under the 50 MPH speed limit, the vehicle slid on a patch of black ice; the contact was able to correct the vehicle. The contact stated that there was snow on the ground. Soon afterwards, the vehicle slid on another patch of black; the vehicle slid across the road and hit the embankment head-on. The vehicle went up the embankment and down to the ditch below, where the vehicle landed on the driver's side, where it came to a stop. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that none of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. Afterwards, the contact and the contact's daughter stopped by the clinic. The contact suffered minor injuries to the chest caused by the seat belt. The contact had bruises across the chest. The contact's daughter was in the front passenger seat, and her head hit the windshield. The daughter sustained a bump on the head, which turned out to be a mild concussion, and some bruises. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The insurance company was notified of the accident. The contact was unsure if the insurance company had declared the vehicle a total loss. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine And Engine Cooling 461 Read
Was driving along 35 mph. Vehicle started to smoke pull over put the car in park when I got out to check to see where the smoke was coming from I saw flames underneath the vehicle on the passenger side with minutes the vehicle was on fire whole front end of the vehicle was consumed by flames
The contact owns a 2003 saturn ion. While driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the engine and suddenly the engine warning indicator began to illuminate. Also, there was smoke emitting from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they replaced the spark plugs, ignition control module and coil. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000
The vehicle caught fire and burned beyond repair. I was driving the speed limit on a major highway. I heard a very loud thump under the hood. I pulled onto the shoulder to investigate, when a car pulled beside me and the driver told me that there were flames coming from the bottom of my car. The flames quickly grew and huge billows of black smoke impaired visibility of the people driving on the interstate. By the time the fire truck arrived, from the steering wheel forward, the car was largely ash and blackened metal
Exterior Lighting 336 Read
The contact owns a 2004 saturn vue. While the vehicle was stationary, the driver side low beam headlight malfunctioned. The contact stated that the headlight had burned out and was melted at the socket. The contact replaced the driver side headlight three times in the past six months. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 171,000
The contact owns a 2000 saturn ls. While driving at approximately 65 mph, there was smoke coming from the steering wheel into the vehicle and the high beams activated without being prompted. The high beams failed to turn off causing the contact to detach the headlights. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,680
2007 saturn outlook passenger side headlamp connection has melted 3 lamp housings and this time melted the vehicle wiring and caught fire
Fuel/propulsion System 269 Read
The year, make, and model of my car has a factory recall for the fuel pump failing. I went to the dealership and they informed me my Vin # wasn't included and their was nothing they could do about it. My vehicle started leaking fuel last week so I dropped the tank and removed the fuel pump. I have done my homework on this including watching several videos on YouTube concerning this issue and I'm 100% positive this fuel pump has failed in the exact location that all the other recalls have and yet my Vin number isn't on the recall according to this GMC service department manager. I am going to have to put a fuel pump in at my expense today because it's my transportation for work but I'm very upset about this situation and GMCs failure to have my vehicle included and having to replace their defected fuel pump. It's very frustrating knowing I'm putting my time and money towards it because I have my hands full trying to replace the house that Hurricane Ida destroyed about a month ago. We need help with this situation because our money is very tight and don't really have it to fix GMCs mistake. I will keep the fuel pump that came out of it along with the receipt for it so anyone can clearly see that I'm not only correct but being shafted on the recall. Thanks have a nice day I'll be eagerly awaiting your response
While driving the engine lights kept coming on, so we decided to get it checked by a mechanic and he told us that we have a faulty fuel tank pressure sensor and that the IMRC actuator valve is not working at all
Vehicle leaks fuel when filled with gasoline at pump. If operator fills vehicle till the pump stops vehicle will leak fuel after roughly 15 seconds of pump stopping. The vehicle will only drip a small puddle of fuel. Vehicle could leak more if vehicle is at an incline or rolled. This has occurred at multiple pump at stations of differing brands. Over the span of weeks
Fuel System, Gasoline 233 Read
I have a 2003 saturn ion coupe. When I would drive for a little while and let the car warm up, there are intermittent occasions where I will slow down suddenly, for example, the changing of a stop light, and when I either come to the stop or when I accelerate again, the car would in essence stall out and turn off. However the car would start right back up when I put it back in park. It happened once, maybe twice b4 I had a chance to realize it was a serious problem. On the 12th of january it stalled as I was making a right hang turn at an intersection and because of this, I lost power steering and hit the median and a rock bed on the median. There has been substantial damage to the vehicle and it is currently still in the shop. I do not know at this point in time the exact reason for the stall. Just that I have done nothing but take good care of this car and see no reason for it do this
ABS brakes failed resulting in multiple accidents, no deployment of both air bags during collision, passenger seat collapsed during impact injuries due to failures. Yh
The car has gas fumes at the trunk of car but the check engine light doesn’t come on! We are concerned because the fumes enter the car while driving! I know Saturn Ion’s were recalled for this reason
Unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Percentages are shares of all 10,411 Saturn complaints.
Saturn against the rest
| Measure | Where Saturn sits | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| By complaint volume | #22 | 29 brands with 3,000+ complaints |
| By age at failure (later is better) | #8 | 29 brands |
| Complaints ending in a crash | 5.6% | across all 10,411 reports |
Ranking by volume says more about how many cars a brand sells than about how they hold up. Age at failure is the fairer of the two.
Compare Saturn with the rest
Saturn problems by model
11 Saturn models have owner complaints on file. Pick one for its worst years, failing systems and what owners actually wrote. Another 10 Saturn models have no complaints on record at all.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
- The original window sticker and factory options
- Full research report as a PDF for the pre-purchase inspection
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Go deeper
Frequently asked questions
How reliable is Saturn?
Owners have filed 10,411 complaints across 21 Saturn models. On its own that number reflects how many Saturn cars are on the road — compare the average age at failure (6.05 years) instead.
What breaks most often on a Saturn?
The most reported system is Steering with 1,739 complaints.
Do Saturn problems show up under warranty?
27.3% of Saturn complaints describe something that happened in the first three years, while the factory warranty was likely still running.
Which Saturn model has the most complaints?
See the model list above — each card shows its complaint count, and the model page breaks it down by year and by system.