RoadVitals

1998 Saturn S-Series Sedan

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Aug 14, 2007
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 1998 Saturn S-Series Sedan, most frequently naming the electrical and engine categories. 12 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • 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.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalEngine
Filed Aug 14, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SATURN S-SERIES. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN SMOKING AND SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT, CONSTANTLY LEAKED ANTIFREEZE, AND THE FAN DID NOT WORK. THE RADIATOR HOSE WAS ALSO DAMAGED. THE IGNITION FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

NHTSA ID
10199488
Incident
Jun 18, 2007
Mileage
103,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

01T43

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

SUBJECT REGARDING SUNROOF SERVICE PROCEDURES AND SERVICEABLE SUNROOF COMPONENTS. *JG

01T44

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

SUBJECT REGARDING SEAT BELT LATCH FALLS TO THE FLOOR OR IS DIFFICULT TO RETRIEVE WHEN PUTTING ON SEAT BELT. *JG

01T42

INFORMATION REGARDING NEW PROCEDURE FOR SUNROOF ACTUATOR TO MODULE TIMING. *SLC

01T43

INFORMATION REGARDING SUNROOF SERVICE PROCEDURES AND SERVICEABLE SUNROOF COMPONENTS. *SLC

99T18A

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

ON SOME VEHICLES WHENEVER THE WINDOW IS CYCLED FROM FULL UP TO FULL DOWN OR, FULL DOWN TO FULL UP POSITION, THE WINDOW REGULATOR MAY EXHIBIT A POPPING, CLICKING, AND / OR BINDING NOISE THAT IS TRANSMITTED INTO PASSENGER COMPARTMENT. *TT

94T25F

STRUCTURE:BODY

ON SOME 1991 - 2000 SEDANS, WAGONS AND COUPES, A WHISTLE TYPE NOISE IS HEARD AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. *TT

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Saturn S-Series Sedan by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2002310—
2001400—
2000300—
1999400—
1998Viewing100—
1997200—
1996000—
1995000—
1994000—
1993000—
1992000—
1991000—

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.