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SATURN · vehicle model

SATURN LS

1,885 NHTSA complaints and 12 safety recalls across model years 2000–2004.

Complaints
1,885
Recalls
12
Model years
4

The SATURNLS appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 1,885 consumer safety complaints and 12 recall campaigns across 4 model years (2000–2004). That averages roughly 471 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 14 investigation files tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
20042
2002631
2001708
2000544

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 41 in 2017-2021 to 8 in 2022-2026, a fall of 80.5%. That is the 16th percentile of change across the 772 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

5
’99
27
’00
55
’01
108
’02
138
’03
185
’04
186
’05
185
’06
161
’07
182
’08
132
’09
120
’10
77
’11
72
’12
43
’13
106
’14
32
’15
22
’16
20
’17
11
’18
3
’19
5
’20
2
’21
2
’22
4
’23
1
’24
1
’25

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare SATURNLS to Similar Vehicles

SATURNLS vs BUICKPARK AVENUE → SATURNLS vs GMCCANYON → SATURNLS vs FORDBRONCO → SATURNLS vs VOLKSWAGENGTI →

NHTSA Investigations

EA11014Engineering AnalysisClosed2011-09-29

Electric Power Steering Failure

RQ10004Recall QueryClosed2010-12-15

Electric Power Steering Failure

PE09016Preliminary EvaluationClosed2009-03-10

OUTSIDE DOOR HANDLES STICK UNLATCHED

PE08061Preliminary EvaluationClosed2008-10-16

TIMING CHAIN BREAKS, ENGINE STALL

DP08002Defect PetitionClosed2008-06-18

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE-STALL

EA06009Engineering AnalysisClosed2006-06-06

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE - STALL

PE06006Preliminary EvaluationClosed2006-01-24

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE

DP05008Defect PetitionClosed2005-12-20

TIMING CHAIN FAILURE

PE05010Preliminary EvaluationClosed2005-02-15

INOPERATIVE TAIL LAMPS

DP05001Defect PetitionClosed2005-02-10

INOPERATIVE TAIL LAMPS

View all 14 investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the SATURN LS?▼
The SATURN LS has received 1,885 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 2000 to 2004, with 12 recalls. That averages about 471 complaints per model year.
What years of SATURN LS are available?▼
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the SATURN LS from 2000 to 2004 (4 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the SATURN LS have safety ratings?▼
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many SATURN LS model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common SATURN LS complaints?▼
NHTSA complaints for the SATURN LS are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my SATURN LS has been recalled?▼
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

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. SATURN LS totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; 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.