Total Complaints
1 filings
SATURN S SERIES · model year
2002 SATURN S SERIES
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002SATURNS 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.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 S SERIES is power train:clutch assembly with 1 filings, followed by power train:automatic transmission (1) and power train:automatic transmission (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 2002 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.
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080127POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN QUESTIONED SINCE NEW DELAY SHIFTING INTO REVERSE ,DOWNSHIFTING ERRATIC AND SHIFTS HARD SOMETIMES FLUID HAS BEEN CHANGED BUT TO NO AVAIL. *TR
20071108POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
THE 2002 SATURN SL2 DOES NOT SHIFT INTO REVERSE AND WHINES WHEN STARTED AND UNTIL RUN FOR AT LEAST 15 MIN. CALLED SATURN CORP. AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION FROM OTHER CONSUMERS. THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS WITH THIS CERTAIN VEHICLE. *TR
Mileage: 108,520
20040511POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
I OWN A 2002 SATURN SL PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2002 WITH ABOUT 51K MILES AT THE TIME OF THE PROBLEM IN LATE MARCH. THE CAR IS A STANDARD TRANSMISSION. I WAS DRIVING MY SON TO SCHOOL IN THE MORNING WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST ALL POWER TO THE WHEELS ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO OPERATE. I WAS ON A STRAIGHT ROAD, AND WAS CRUISING AT 45MPH WITH NO SHIFTING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO THE LOCAL SATURN DEALER IN DANBURY, I WAS TOLD THE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY HAD "COME APART" AND SINCE THE CAR WAS OVER 36K ,WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE CLUTCH WAS REBUILT BY THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE PARTS WERE NOT RETURNED TO ME. I HAVE COMPLAINED TO SATURN CORP TO NO SATISFACTION. IN MY OPINION, THERE IS NO WAY A CLUTCH SHOULD SIMPLY COME APART AFTER ONLY 50K MILES AND LESS THAN 2 YEARS SERVICE. I HAVE DRIVEN STANDARD TRANSMISSIONS FOR MUCH OF MY LIFE, AND HAVE NEVER REPLACED THE CLUTCH OR TRANSMISSION. THE CAR JUST PRIOR TO THIS PURCHA
Mileage: 51,000
Compare 2002SATURNS 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 2002 SATURN S SERIES have?▼
The 2002 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 2002 SATURN S SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 SATURN S SERIES is POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2002 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.