Total Complaints
4 filings
SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN · model year
2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN
4 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 2001SATURNS-SERIES SEDAN carries 4 consumer safety complaints 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 2001 S-SERIES SEDAN is engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe with 1 filings, followed by child seat:harness/crotch buckle (1) and power train:manual transmission (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 2001 S-SERIES SEDAN. 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.
4
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 |
|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| CHILD SEAT:HARNESS/CROTCH BUCKLE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100928ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2001 SATURN SL2 SEDAN TIMING CHAIN FAILURE. IT IS CURRENTLY AT AN AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR SHOP, SO I DO NOT HAVE THE VIN HANDY (BUT IF YOU NEED IT, CONTACT ME). THEY DO NOT WANT TO REPLACE THE TIMING CHAIN BECAUSE THEY SAY THEY HAVE HAD EXPERIENCES WHERE THEY DO THIS AND IT FAILS AGAIN IN A FEW MONTHS. THEY SAY THEY DO NOT WANT TO LOOK FOR ANOTHER ENGINE BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I SPECIFICALLY BOUGHT THE SATURN BECAUSE IT HAD A TIMING CHAIN INSTEAD OF A TIMING BELT (BECAUSE I OWNED A FIAT ON WHICH THE TIMING BELT BROKE AND I NEVER WANTED TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN). YET, HERE I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A TIMING CHAIN. I HAVE HEARD THAT THERE IS A LUBRICATION ISSUE WITH THE TIMING CHAIN THAT CAUSES IT TO FAIL. I HOPE THIS CAN BE INVESTIGATED. SATURN MADE A BIG DEAL OF THEIR "300,000 MILES CLUB" AND HOW ROBUST AND LONG-LASTING THEIR CARS WERE, AND NOW THIS. TO MAKE THINGS WORSE, OUR FAMILY HAS TWO 2001 SATURN SL2 SEDANS! *TR
Mileage: 157,000
20080910POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION
BRUSHING ON MY 2001 SATURN BROKE WHILE I WAS DRIVING, LEAVING ME STUCK IN 3RD GEAR. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND THAT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND SATURN REFUSES TO SELL THE DEFECTIVE PART, OPTING TO CHARGE THEIR CUSTOMERS OVER $200 FOR A $0.30 PART. *TR
20060515CHILD SEAT:HARNESS/CROTCH BUCKLE
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE THE HARNESS BUCKLE ASSEMBLY THAT LATCHES BETWEEN THE CHILD'S LEGS, THE HARNESS BUCKLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY STRAP WAS CUT IN ORDER TO FREE THE CHILD. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. THE SEAT IS AN EVENFLO MODEL # 3252245P1, DATE OF MANUFACTURE IS MARCH 15, 2005.
Mileage: 40,000
20050314ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON DIAGNOSED CODES FOUND 34 1,300 AND 507 VVB PRESENT. DIAGNOSED FURTHER FOUND INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK. REPLACED TAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. DID A GOODWILL SPLIT ON COST. ON MARCH 14 2005 THE SAME PROBLEM CAME UP HAD TO REPLACE MANIFOLD GASKET. THE REPAIR THIS TIME HAD TO PAY $100 FOR REPAIR. SATURN PAID FOR THE REST OF THE REPAIRS. I FEEL I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED IN FULL FOR BOTH REPAIRS, AND THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE 2001 SATURN SLI *AK
Mileage: 56,482
Compare 2001SATURNS-SERIES SEDAN 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 SEDAN have?▼
The 2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include CHILD SEAT:HARNESS/CROTCH BUCKLE and POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN 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 2001 SATURN S-SERIES SEDAN; 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.