Total Complaints
10 filings
SATURN SATURN · model year
2002 SATURN SATURN
10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2002SATURNSATURN carries 10 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, 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 SATURN is power train:automatic transmission with 2 filings, followed by tires (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (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 SATURN. 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.
10
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 2 |
| TIRES | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050221POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY
GEAR LEVER CAME UNATTACHED FROM FLOOR ASSEMBLY WHILE DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 3-4MPH. AT A HIGHER SPEED, I COULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.
Mileage: 38,000
20030506TIRES
TIRE PLIES WERE SEPARATED ON BOTH FRONT TIRES AS MANUFACTURED CAUSING OUT OF ROUND CONDITION AND VEHICLE VIBRATION WHILE DRIVING AT MODERATE SPEED (45-50). *TS *NLM **DIMSII IVOQ ENTRY POSTED AFTER 12-12-02 CUT OVER TO ARTEMIS*763208
Mileage: 1
20030501TIRES
WHILE DRIVING IN THE SNOW THE VEHICLES TIRES STARTED TO SPIN AND SLIP. *NLM
20030227STRUCTURE:BODY
THE VEHICLE VIBRATED SEVERELY.*JB
20030203POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
DESIGN FLAW IN ALL WHEEL FORWARD DRIVE. *AK
20030203POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
TRANSMISSION DESIGN PROBLEMS. *AK
20030122POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CONSUMER COULD CHANGE GEARS WITHOUT FOOT ON BRAKES. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS. *AK
20021010ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AND NO WARNING THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AND THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE 25 MPH. DEALER NOTIFIED. MR
20020904VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHEN ON AN INCLINE AND IN PARK, THE ENGINE SURGES AND SOUNDS AS IF IT IS GOING TO FALL OUT.*AK
20011120CrashSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
I WAS HEADING UP A HILL WITH 3 CARS AHEAD OF ME, 3 BEHIND... WHEN I GOT TO THE TOP OF THE HILL, THE 3 CARS AHEAD CAME TO A FULL STOP, WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE, NOTHING HAPPENED. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE, AND IT FELL TO THE FLOOR. THE CAR DIDNT SLOW DOWN, AND I HEARD THE SOUND OF SANDPAPER SCRATCHING WOOD. I'VE HAD CARS WITH ABS BEFORE, SO I'M FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THEM TO KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT NORMAL. THE CAR HIT THE BACK OF AN SUV AND THATS THE ONLY THING THAT STOPPED THE CAR. THE ROAD WAS DRY, WARM, NO SAND OR ROCKS, IT WAS A PAVED ROADWAY. I HAD 3 TO 4 CAR LENGTHS IN FRONT OF ME WHEN I BEGAN BRAKING. THE CAR SHOULD HAVE STOPPED! THERE WERE NO SKID MARKS. IT DIDNT EVEN ATTEMPT TO STOP. I CONTACTED SATURN AND THEY BLEW ME OFF WITH THIS "IT WILL BE 7 TO 10 BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE WE DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL INVESTIGATE; AND WE MAY OR MAY NOT CALL YOU". I HAD THE CAR TOWED, EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARED DRIVABLE. I DIDNT WANT THE RISK OF ANOTHER ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT SATURN OF WE
Compare 2002SATURNSATURN 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 SATURN have?▼
The 2002 SATURN SATURN has 10 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 SATURN SATURN?▼
The most-complained component for the 2002 SATURN SATURN is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP.
Is the 2002 SATURN SATURN 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.