RoadVitals

2001 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.
4
Latest Sep 28, 2010
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 4 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2001 Saturn S-Series Sedan, most frequently naming the engine, seat belts and transmission categories. 7 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

  • Engine250.0%
  • Seat belts125.0%
  • Transmission125.0%

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

Engine
Filed Sep 28, 2010

2001 SATURN SL2 SEDAN TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. IT IS CURRENTLY AT AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP, SO I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN HANDY (BUT IF YOU NEED IT, CONTACT ME). THEY DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY DO THIS AND IT FAILS AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. THEY SAY THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER ENGINE BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I SPECIFICALLY BOUGHT THE SATURN BECAUSE IT HAD A TIMING CHAIN INSTEAD OF A TIMING BELT (BECAUSE I OWNED A FIAT ON WHICH THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND I NEVER WANTED TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN). YET, HERE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A TIMING CHAIN. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS A LUBRICATION ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN THAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. I HOPE THIS CAN BE INVESTIGATED. SATURN MADE A BIG DEAL OF THEIR "300,000 MILES CLUB" AND HOW ROBUST AND LONG-LASTING THEIR CARS WERE, AND NOW THIS. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, OUR FAMILY HAS TWO 2001 SATURN SL2 SEDANS! *TR

NHTSA ID
10358159
Incident
Sep 27, 2010
Mileage
157,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2008

BRUSHING ON MY 2001 SATURN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, LEAVING ME STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND SATURN REFUSES TO SELL THE DEFECTIVE PART, OPTING TO CHARGE THEIR CUSTOMERS OVER $200 FOR A $0.30 PART. *TR

NHTSA ID
10241692
Incident
Sep 9, 2008
Seat belts
Filed May 15, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE HARNESS BUCKLE ASSEMBLY THAT LATCHES BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEGS, THE HARNESS BUCKLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY STRAP WAS CUT IN ORDER TO FREE THE CHILD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE SEAT IS AN EVENFLO MODEL # 3252245P1, DATE OF MANUFACTURE IS MARCH 15, 2005.

NHTSA ID
10157555
Incident
May 14, 2006
Mileage
40,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 14, 2005

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON DIAGNOSED CODES FOUND 34 1,300 AND 507 VVB PRESENT. DIAGNOSED FURTHER FOUND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. REPLACED TAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. DID A GOODWILL SPLIT ON COST. ON MARCH 14 2005 THE SAME PROBLEM CAME UP HAD TO REPLACE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE REPAIR THIS TIME HAD TO PAY $100 FOR REPAIR. SATURN PAID FOR THE REST OF THE REPAIRS. I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED IN FULL FOR BOTH REPAIRS, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE 2001 SATURN SLI *AK

NHTSA ID
10114090
Incident
Dec 17, 2003
Mileage
56,482 mi

Manufacturer communications

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

SB-10-08-50-003B

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:HEAD RESTRAINT

GENERAL MOTORS: INFORMATION PROVIDED BY BULLETIN FOR ALL 2012 AND PRIOR GENERAL MOTOR TRUCKS AND PASSENGER VEHICLES REGARDING THE ADJUSTABLE COMFORT AND CUSTOM UPHOLSTERY OF THE DRIVER AND THE PASSENGER HEAD RESTRAINT. *PE

01T43

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

01T42

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

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

01T43

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

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

00T75

VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES

CUSTOMERS MAY COMMENT THAT THE INNER MIRROR TRIM PANEL ASSEMBLY ON EITHER THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE IS LOOSE OR DETACHED FROM THE DOOR. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO COMMENT ABOUT A RATTLE NOISE COMING FROM THE INNER MIRROR TRIM PANEL AREA. *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—
2001Viewing400—
2000300—
1999400—
1998100—
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.