Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 82.4% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine and Engine Cooling, with 114 complaints, typically at 6.7 years.
Saturn LS years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 303 | 80 | yes |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 8.5% | covered | |
| 1 year | 14% | covered | |
| 2 years | 17.6% | covered | |
| 3 years | 28.3% | you pay | |
| 4 years | 40.8% | you pay | |
| 5 years | 53.7% | you pay | |
| 6 years | 62.5% | you pay | |
| 7 years | 69.5% | you pay | |
| 8 years | 81.6% | you pay | |
| 9 years | 87.5% | you pay | |
| 10 years | 89.3% | you pay | |
| 11 years | 92.6% | you pay | |
| 12 years | 96% | you pay | |
| 13 years | 97.4% | you pay | |
| 14 years | 99.6% | you pay | |
| 15 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 17.6% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 82.4% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 44% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Saturn LS, the early trouble is Suspension and Power Train — reported at around 3.9 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine And Engine Cooling at 6.7 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 6.7 yrs | — | 1 | |
| Electrical System | 5.4 yrs | — | 2 | |
| Exterior Lighting | 5.5 yrs | 1 | 1 | |
| Steering | 4.3 yrs | — | — | |
| Suspension | 3.9 yrs | — | — | |
| Service Brakes | 5.5 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Power Train | 3.2 yrs | — | — | |
| Structure | 7.5 yrs | 1 | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the LS's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota Camry draws 5.65, the Honda Accord 4.02 and the Dodge Challenger 3.27, against 3.79 for the LS.
| Same class as the LS | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Camry | 161 | 1983–2026 | |
| Honda Accord | 415 | 1981–2026 | |
| Dodge Challenger | 77 | 1981–2026 | |
| Toyota Prius | 109 | 2001–2026 | |
| Hyundai Elantra | 117 | 1992–2026 | |
| Nissan Altima | 148 | 1993–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
- Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Saturn LS reliable?
By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 3.79 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.
When do LS problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Engine and Engine Cooling, typically at 6.7 years, followed by Electrical System.
Will the warranty cover LS problems?
Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 17.6% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 44% of the complaints here.
Is the LS more reliable than the Toyota Camry?
Yes: 3.79 complaints per production run for the LS against 5.65 for the Toyota Camry.
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