Total Complaints
1 filings
SATURN S SERIES · model year
1996 SATURN S SERIES
1 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 1996SATURNS SERIES carries 1 consumer safety complaint in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 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 1996 S SERIES is electrical system:horn with 1 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 1996 S SERIES. 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.
1
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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:HORN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110803ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 SATURN ION S-SERIES. THE CONTACT STATED SHE WAS UNABLE TO RELEASE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, UNLESS THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND PERFORMED THE REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
Mileage: 97,000
20060619ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
HORN STARING BLARING WITHOUT DRIVER PRESSING THE HORN BUTTON. ONLY BY DISCONNECTING FUSE DID HORN STOP. *NM
Mileage: 136,000
Compare 1996SATURNS SERIES 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 1996 SATURN S SERIES have?▼
The 1996 SATURN S SERIES has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 SATURN S SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 SATURN S SERIES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 1996 SATURN S SERIES 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 1996 SATURN S SERIES; 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.