NHTSA vehicle safety data

1997 Saturn Saturn Recalls & Complaints

The 1997 Saturn Saturn has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 26 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Saturn dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 1997 Saturn Saturn. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

1997 Saturn Saturn owner complaints

Owners have filed 26 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997 Saturn Saturn, describing incidents dated October 1, 1996 to April 14, 2010.

Most-cited components

Electrical System 9 complaints
Engine 4 complaints
Service Brakes 4 complaints
Fuel/Propulsion System 3 complaints
Exterior Lighting 2 complaints
Steering 2 complaints

Of the 26 complaints on file, 2 report a crash; across all 26 complaints, owners report 3 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

ODI #10326053 · Filed April 16, 2010
"ENGINE RUNS HOT & ENGINE OIL MIXED WITH COOLANT RESERVOIR (REPLACE CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY)" THAT'S WHAT IT STATES ON SERVICE BULLETIN 96-T-65B. FROM WHAT I'VE READ THIS HAPPENS A LOT ON 91-97 SATURNS. OUR SATURN STARTED OFF BY HAVING CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE COLORED FOAMY-NESS IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR…
ODI #10109170 · Filed January 28, 2005
THE CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP SIGN WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, AND HAD NOT SERVICED IT AS OF YET. HOWEVER THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. *AK THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THE #1 CYLINDER WAS SEVERELY LEAKING…
ODI #10073365 · Filed May 7, 2004
PROBLEMS WITH ROTORS AND PADS ON 1997 SATURN. *MR THE ROTORS HAD WORN. (NOT WARPED OR DISTORTED) THE ORIGINAL DISC BRAKE ROTORS LASTED UP TO 88K MILES. THE BRAKE PADS AND DISC ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT ROTORS WERE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. *SC *JB

Read all 26 complaints

AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMP

NHTSA #09E047000 · Fuel System, Other — Delivery — Fuel Pump · NHTSA notice

Reported July 24, 2009 · AIRTEX PRODUCTS

Potentially affected: 1,440 vehicles

Manufacturer campaign FP072009-1 · Owners notified August 15, 2009

Defect description

AIRTEX IS RECALLING 1,440 AFTERMARKET FUEL PUMPS, P/N E3944M, PRODUCED FROM JANUARY 2005 THROUGH JULY 2009, SOLD FOR USE ON MODEL YEAR 1997 SATURN VEHICLES. THE FUEL RETURN LINE AND FUEL VENT LINE ARE REVERSED.

Safety consequence

IN THE EVENT THAT A VEHICLE WITH THE SUBJECT FUEL PUMP IS INVOLVED IN A ROLL-OVER CRASH WITH A FULL OR OVER-FULL FUEL TANK, THE FUEL COULD DRAIN FROM THE TANK INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A FIRE.

Manufacturer remedy

AIRTEX WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE RECALLED FUEL PUMPS WITH A PUMP THAT HAS BEEN CORRECTLY MANUFACTURED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AIRTEX AT 1-618-842-2111.

Notes

AIRTEX PRODUCTS' RECALL CAMPAIGN NO. FP072009-1.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

try.vin has no NCAP crash-test rating on file for the 1997 Saturn Saturn. NHTSA rates some vehicles by body style — pickups by cab, vans by roof height — so check nhtsa.gov/ratings.

26 owner complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Saturn Saturn.

Engine and Engine Cooling

ODI #10326053

Incident: April 14, 2010 · Filed: April 16, 2010

"ENGINE RUNS HOT & ENGINE OIL MIXED WITH COOLANT RESERVOIR (REPLACE CYLINDER HEAD ASSEMBLY)" THAT'S WHAT IT STATES ON SERVICE BULLETIN 96-T-65B. FROM WHAT I'VE READ THIS HAPPENS A LOT ON 91-97 SATURNS. OUR SATURN STARTED OFF BY HAVING CHOCOLATE MILKSHAKE COLORED FOAMY-NESS IN THE COOLANT RESERVOIR (IT'S HAD THAT SINCE WE GOT IT 2 YEARS AGO SO NOT SURE HOW LONG IT'S HAD THIS), THEN IT OVER HEATED, THEN THE LOW COOLANT & COOLANT TEMP LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING, THEN THE 2ND SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT 3 TIMES NOW (IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS)! IF SATURN KNOWS ABOUT THIS WHY HAVE THEY NOT RECALLED IT??? WE HAVE GOT THE SPARK PLUG REPAIRED NOW 3 TIMES & NOT SURE WHERE TO GO FROM HERE. *TR

Suspension; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Engine and Engine Cooling; Vehicle Speed Control; Electrical System

ODI #10109170

Incident: January 28, 2005 · Filed: January 28, 2005

THE CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP SIGN WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. THE CONSUMER STARTED THE VEHICLE, AND HAD NOT SERVICED IT AS OF YET. HOWEVER THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED. *AK THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE IN THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A NEW ENGINE WAS NEEDED. THE #1 CYLINDER WAS SEVERELY LEAKING OIL AND CAUSED A MISFIRE IN THIS CYLINDER. THE SPARK PLUGS WERE BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. OTHER PROBLEMS WERE: THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING, THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING AND WAS REPLACED AND HAD LOOSENED UP AGAIN, THE REAR BRAKES AND DRUMS NEEDED REPLACEMENT, THE SWAY BAR LINKS WERE BAD, THE MOTOR MOUNT WAS BAD, THE IDLER PULLEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE GAS PEDAL WOULD STICK, FOUR NEW TIRES WERE NEEDED AND THE HORN WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ODI #10073365

Filed: May 7, 2004

PROBLEMS WITH ROTORS AND PADS ON 1997 SATURN. *MR THE ROTORS HAD WORN. (NOT WARPED OR DISTORTED) THE ORIGINAL DISC BRAKE ROTORS LASTED UP TO 88K MILES. THE BRAKE PADS AND DISC ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE REPLACEMENT ROTORS WERE OF INFERIOR QUALITY. *SC *JB

Air Bags

ODI #10062813

Crash 1 injury

Incident: January 1, 2003 · Filed: March 2, 2004

WHILE DRIVING ON ICE, THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, CRASHED AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *PH *JB

Fuel System, Gasoline

ODI #8021601

Incident: October 11, 2002 · Filed: October 25, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THERE FUEL PUMP AFTER THE DEALER REPAIR THE VEHICLE. DEALER NOTIFIED TS

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

ODI #8018064

Incident: August 22, 2002 · Filed: September 6, 2002

WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, WITH NO WARNING, AND APPLYING THE BRAKES BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

Fuel System, Gasoline

ODI #863053

Incident: April 1, 2000 · Filed: June 6, 2000

CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER ON FUEL PUMP. DEALER EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO 70 MILES. CONSUMER FELT LIKE SHE WAITING ON A TIMING BOMB TO EXPLODE. *AK

Suspension; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Engine and Engine Cooling; Vehicle Speed Control

ODI #852626

Incident: November 5, 1999 · Filed: November 5, 1999

FRONT END OF CAR IS VERY LOOSE. WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP IT FEELS LIKE THE WHOLE FRONT IS GOING TO FALL OFF. CONSUMER ALMOST LOST CONTROL. TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID THE FRONT END WAS FINE. WHEN STARTING UP THE CAR THE BRAKES GO TO THE FLOOR, AND WHEN THEY CATCH, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GRINDING NOISE LIKE METAL TO METAL. THERE ARE ALSO FUMES COMING INTHE CAR TO POINT WERE ITS HARD TO BREATH. ALSO, VEHICLEDOES NOT IDLE CORRECTLY, IT MAKES IT HARD TO STEER. *AK

Electrical System

ODI #851550

Incident: October 21, 1999 · Filed: October 22, 1999

COONSUMER STATES HER CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND WHEN YOU PLUG IN THE CELL CONSUMER SEE SPARKS AND THE DEALER WILL REPAIR UNLESS SHE PAY SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS JUST TO LOOK AT HER CAR

Electrical System

ODI #834443

Incident: February 2, 1999 · Filed: February 3, 1999

BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON AND MECHANIC FOUND PROBLEM WITH ALTERNATOR. BATTERY REPLACED AND ALTERNATOR REBUILT. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

Other Saturn Saturn model years

Check your 1997 Saturn Saturn VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Saturn Saturn at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Saturn VIN