Total Complaints
7 filings
SATURN S SERIES · model year
2001 SATURN S SERIES
7 NHTSA complaints, 4 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001SATURNS SERIES carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 4 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2001 S SERIES is seat belts with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (1) and service brakes, air:antilock (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 2001 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.
7
Complaints
4
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
4 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 |
|---|---|
| SEAT BELTS | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080623CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER
DRIVING NORTH ON I-5 IN OREGON. THE TRAFFIC WAS STOP AND GO. THE CAR IN FRONT STARTED TO GO. I FOLLOWED. THE CAR IN FRONT SLAMMED ON HER BRAKE. I DID THE SAME. MY BRAKE WOULD HOLD THAN RELEASE AND HOLD. WHEN THE BRAKE RELEASED I COULD FEEL THE CAR SURGE FORWARD. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD AND CAUSED ME TO HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE DAMAGE WAS MINOR. THE ENGINE WILL STAY REVERED AFTER I TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS. IT WILL DO THIS ALMOST EVERY TIME THAT I DRIVE THE CAR. I HAVE HAD THE CAR INTO THE SATURN DEALER TWICE. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM TO SATURN. NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *TR
20040616SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES BEING TOO SENSITIVE. FOUND ANITLOCK SENSOR RING ON THE RIGHT SPINDLE CRACKED. *AK
Mileage: 3,500
20040616CrashAIR BAGS
HIT IN THE RIGHT REAR, NO ARIBAG ENGAGED BUT ON IMPACT THE SEATBELT RELEASED AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED. *AK
Mileage: 3,500
20040616CrashSEAT BELTS
HIT IN THE RIGHT REAR, NO ARIBAG ENGAGED BUT ON IMPACT THE SEATBELT RELEASED AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED. *AK
Mileage: 3,500
20040616CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
HIT IN THE RIGHT REAR, NO ARIBAG ENGAGED BUT ON IMPACT THE SEATBELT RELEASED AND THE SEAT COLLAPSED. *AK
Mileage: 3,500
20030130SEAT BELTS
WHILE TRAVELING ABOUT 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT COLLAPSED. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS
20001107SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
THE BRAKE PEDAL MAKES A LOUD POP NOISE AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, SOMETIMES THE PEDAL DROPS HALF WAY OR ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT WARNING, CONSUMER BELIEVES IT'S A DEFECTIVE MASTER CYLINDER OR BOOSTER BUT SATURN IS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NLM
Compare 2001SATURNS 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 2001 SATURN S SERIES have?▼
The 2001 SATURN S SERIES has 7 NHTSA complaints, 4 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 SATURN S SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 SATURN S SERIES is SEAT BELTS with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK.
Is the 2001 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.