Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 47.8% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Service Brakes, with 18 complaints, typically at 2.3 years.
Saturn SW years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5 | 4 | yes | |
| 2000 | 13 | 11 | yes | |
| 1999 | 11 | 9 | yes | |
| 1998 | 22 | 15 | yes | |
| 1997 | 26 | 17 | yes | |
| 1996 | 11 | 9 | yes | |
| 1995 | 28 | 25 | yes |
Among the 4 Saturn SW years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 1997, 1998, 2000; the three worth hunting are 1995, 2000, 1998.
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 30% | covered | |
| 1 year | 44.4% | covered | |
| 2 years | 52.2% | covered | |
| 3 years | 60% | you pay | |
| 4 years | 65.6% | you pay | |
| 5 years | 72.2% | you pay | |
| 6 years | 77.8% | you pay | |
| 7 years | 81.1% | you pay | |
| 8 years | 86.7% | you pay | |
| 9 years | 90% | you pay | |
| 11 years | 92.2% | you pay | |
| 12 years | 93.3% | you pay | |
| 13 years | 96.7% | you pay | |
| 15 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 52.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 47.8% 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 24% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Saturn SW, the early trouble is Service Brakes and Hydraulic — reported at around 2.3 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine And Engine Cooling at 4.2 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes | 2.3 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Hydraulic | 2.3 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 4.2 yrs | 1 | 1 | |
| Power Train | 3.2 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Electrical System | 6 yrs | — | 2 | |
| Air Bags | 5 yrs | 8 | — | |
| Seats | 4.8 yrs | 4 | — | |
| Fuel System | 3.6 yrs | — | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the SW's vehicle class. Per production run, the Kia Soul draws 11.34, the Subaru Impreza 1.61 and the Honda Fit 3.24, against 1.3 for the SW. That is the fewest complaints of the group.
| Same class as the SW | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Soul | 39 | 2010–2026 | |
| Subaru Impreza | 183 | 1993–2026 | |
| Honda Fit | 94 | 2007–2020 | |
| Honda HR-V | 37 | 2016–2026 | |
| Buick Envista | 5 | 2024–2026 | |
| Kia Niro | 29 | 2017–2026 |
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
- Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Saturn SW reliable?
By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 1.3 against 3.73 for the average car, and fewer than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.
Which SW years should you avoid?
By complaints per production run, 1997, 1998, 2000. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 1995, 2000, 1998. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.
When do SW problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Service Brakes, typically at 2.3 years, followed by Hydraulic.
Will the warranty cover SW problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 52.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 24% of the complaints here.
Is the SW more reliable than the Kia Soul?
Yes: 1.3 complaints per production run for the SW against 11.34 for the Kia Soul.
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