SATURN S SERIES · model year

2000 SATURN S SERIES

3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000SATURNS SERIES carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2000 S SERIES is electrical system:starter assembly with 1 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition:switch (1) and air bags:frontal (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 14 investigation files overlapping the 2000 S SERIES. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

3
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1

Recent Complaints

20041216CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL

AFTER BEING INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AT 60 MPH, STRIKING A MEDAL POLE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK

Mileage: 85,000

20040701ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN ONE DAY MY CARS IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN ON, I HAD TO FIGHT WITH IT FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD START, HAVE NOT REPLACED THE PART YET. *NM

Mileage: 87,000

20030516ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY

TRIED TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION TO START BUT THE STEERING COLUMN WAS LOCKED. COULD NOT JIGGLE THE STEERING WHEEL TO UNLOCK. MECHANIC SAID THE IGNITION CYLINDER WAS FAULTY, HOWEVER WHEN HE TRIED TO REMOVE IT TO REPLACE, IT WOULD NOT COME OUT. HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. FIRST REPLACEMENT ASSEMBLY ORDERED FROM SATURN WAS FAULTY SO HAD TO ORDER ANOTHER ONE. SATURN MECHANICS SAID THEY HAD SEEN "SEVERAL" OF THE SAME TYPE OF PROBLEM. I'M KEEPING THE ORIGINAL PARTS IN CASE THERE IS A RECALL. THE CAR ONLY HAS 44K MILES ON IT. *NLM

Mileage: 44,000

Compare 2000SATURNS SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 SATURN S SERIES have?
The 2000 SATURN S SERIES has 3 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 SATURN S SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 2000 SATURN S SERIES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH and AIR BAGS:FRONTAL.
Is the 2000 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 as of 2025. 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.