1997 Saturn S-Series Sedan Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 1997 Saturn S-Series Sedan, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical150.0%
- Engine150.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING THE CAR IS A 1997 SATURN AND I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE HEATER BLOWER MOTOR WORKING SOMETIMES AND THEN NOT YOU HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE WIRING TO GET IT TO WORK AND THE SAME FOR THE BLINKERS THE BLOWER WORKS NOW AND THE BLINKERS DON'T? *NM
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
OIL FOUND IN COOLANT IN MY 1997 SATURN SL IN SUMMER 2004 AFTER MINOR FRONT-END COLLISION. IN THE 2-3 MONTHS PRIOR TO COLLISION, I HAD TO ADD COOLANT EVERY 3-4 WEEKS, AS COOLANT LOW WARNING LIGHT WOULD COME ON. COOLANT HAD NORMAL APPEARANCE PRIOR TO ACCIDENT. CAR RAN FINE, TEMP GAUGE NEVER WENT ABOVE NORMAL. CAR HAD @ 78,000 MILES WHEN THIS BEGAN TO HAPPEN. ADVISED BY MECHANIC FRIEND THAT I HAD PROBABLY BEGUN TO DEVELOP A CRACKED HEAD BEFORE ACCIDENT, THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN SATURNS BUILT IN 90'S. THE COLLISION POSSIBLY WORSENED CONDITION. HE ADVISED THAT HEAD WOULD CERTAINLY NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT CAR COULD POTENTIALLY RUN FOR SOME TIME BEFORE OVERHEATING PROBLEMS DEVELOPED-STATED I WOULD HAVE AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, AND I COULD REPAIR NOW OR WAIT UNTIL I HAD TO REPLACE PART. HE ADVISED CAREFUL WATCHING OF GAUGE AND OIL IF I CHOSE TO WAIT. CAR RAN FINE FOR 6 FULL MONTHS AFTER OIL FIRST FOUND IN COOLANT, WITH FREQUENT OIL "TOP-OFFS" AND RELIGIOUS WATCHING OF TEMP GAUGE, WHICH NEVER WAVERED FROM NORMAL IN THOSE 6 MONTHS. ABSOLUTELY NO NOTICEABLE EFFECT ON CAR'S PERFORMANCE. IN LATE NOVEMBER CAR FINALLY OVERHEATED. THE CRACKED HEAD I KNEW I HAD 6 MONTHS AGO IS NOW BEING REPLACED. I AM FORTUNATE TO HAVE "FRIENDS IN THE BUSINESS," SO MY REPAIR WILL NOT BE AS EXPENSIVE AS THE FOLKS FORCED TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP. I AM REPAIRING THIS CAR BECAUSE OTHER THAN THIS INCIDENT, THE ONLY MECHANICAL REPAIRS NEEDED HAVE BEEN A FEW MINOR REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN PROGRAM ITEMS (HORN ISSUE AND STEERING ISSUE) TAKEN CARE OF FOR FREE BY THE DEALER AND ONE MINOR OIL LEAK FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .