Total Complaints
4 filings
SATURN EV1 · model year
1997 SATURN EV1
4 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997SATURNEV1 carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1997 EV1 is electrical system:12v/24v/48v battery with 3 filings, followed by electrical system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 1997 EV1. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
4
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000911ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THESE VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH A CHARGE PORT ASSEMBLY THAT MAY FAIL DURING A CHARGING EVENT, RECALL ISSUED HOWEVER OWNER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RECEIVE NEW VEHICLE AT THIS TIME, RECALL SOLUTION IS NOT SUFFICIENT. *ET
20000908ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
EVI VEHICLE IS ON RECALL BECAUSE A DEFECT IN THE CHARGE PORT COULD CAUSE TO OVERHEAT (00V-069), HOWEVER CONSUMER IS NOT HAPPY WITH IT. YH
20000508ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
VEHICLES WERE BUILT WITH A CHARGE PORT ASSEMBLY PRIOR TO RECALL THAT MAY FAIL DURING A CHARGING EVENT (00V-069), RECALL DOES NOT REMEDY THE FAILURE. YH (ATTORNEY AT LAW)
20000222FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
SOMETIMES WHEN THE HEATER WAS RUNNING, I HEARD A POP NOISE FROM LEFT FRONT AREA OF THE CAR. WITH OUT WARNING OR ENGINE LIGHTS. WHILE CHARGING UP ELECTRICAL BATTERY VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK.ET.
Compare 1997SATURNEV1 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
RQ10004Recall QueryClosed
Electric Power Steering Failure
PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED
PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed
TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL
DP08002Defect PetitionClosed
TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1997 SATURN EV1 have?▼
The 1997 SATURN EV1 has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 SATURN EV1?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 SATURN EV1 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1997 SATURN EV1 safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1997 SATURN EV1; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.