Saturn has 64 recall campaigns across 13 models. A defect is admitted 4.47 years after the car was built on average, and 49.6% of campaigns come five years or later.
What gets recalled on a Saturn
By number of separate campaigns, not by cars affected — one campaign can cover a million vehicles or a thousand.
| System | Campaigns | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 14.1% | |
| Power Train | 10.9% | |
| Electrical System | 10.9% | |
| Steering | 10.9% | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9.4% | |
| Air Bags | 7.8% | |
| Exterior Lighting | 7.8% | |
| Structure | 6.3% |
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year they were announced, so we can measure how quickly Saturn acts once a defect exists.
| Measure | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Average gap | 4.47 years | Between the car being built and the defect being admitted |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 49.6% | Share of campaigns on cars already well used |
| Campaigns on record | 64 | Across 13 models, 1995–2010 |
Across all brands the average is 3.79 years. Faster is better, but a low figure can also mean a young line-up — read it next to the number of campaigns.
Saturn recalls by model
13 Saturn models have campaigns on record. The gap between them is wider than the brand average suggests: on the SC a defect is admitted in 0.7 years, on the SKY it takes 5.9 — the same company, the same paperwork, 5.2 years of difference.
| Model | Campaigns | Years covered | Most recalled system | Avg gap before admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturn SL | — | Exterior lighting | 5.4 yrs | |
| Saturn Ion | — | Electrical system | 5.8 yrs | |
| Saturn SC | — | Power train | 0.7 yrs | |
| Saturn Outlook | — | Electrical system | 3 yrs | |
| Saturn SW | — | Power train | 1 yrs | |
| Saturn Vue | — | Electrical system | 5.7 yrs | |
| Saturn Aura | — | Power train | 4.9 yrs | |
| Saturn LS | — | Exterior lighting | 2.7 yrs | |
| Saturn SKY | — | Air bags | 5.9 yrs | |
| Saturn L200 | — | Exterior lighting | 1.3 yrs | |
| Saturn Relay | — | Steering | 1.8 yrs | |
| Saturn L300 | — | Exterior lighting | 1 yrs | |
| Saturn Astra | — | Air bags | 7.5 yrs |
Check your own car
Saturn has 64 campaigns on record across 13 models, but none of them covers a whole model — only a production range inside it, sometimes a few weeks of assembly. So the 64 figure says nothing about any particular Saturn: decoding the VIN narrows those 64 down to the recalls for one model and year. Whether the free fix was already carried out on that exact car, NHTSA's own VIN lookup or any Saturn dealer can tell you.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Every recall for that model and year, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | NHTSA's own VIN lookup or a dealer shows if this car was fixed |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Every manufacturer files recalls; what differs is how many and how fast — see where Saturn stands among all makes on record →
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does Saturn have?
64 campaigns across 13 models. On its own the number reflects how many models a brand sells — the response time says more.
Is Saturn slow to admit defects?
On average a Saturn defect is admitted 4.47 years after the car was built, against about 3.79 years across all brands. 49.6% of campaigns come five years or later.
Does a recall mean the car is unsafe?
It means a specific fault was found in a specific production range and must be fixed free of charge. A brand with many campaigns is not automatically worse — sometimes it simply reports faster.
How do I check my own Saturn?
By VIN. Campaigns cover production ranges, so the model alone does not tell you whether your car is affected.
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