Total Complaints
23 filings
SATURN SW · model year
1999 SATURN SW
23 NHTSA complaints, 6 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1999SATURNSW carries 23 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 6 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 2 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 1999 SW is structure:body:door with 2 filings, followed by equipment:appliance:air conditioner (2) and tires:tread/belt (2). 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 1999 SW. 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.
23
Complaints
6
Crashes
0
Fires
5
Injuries
2
Deaths
Crashes Reported
6 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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 2 |
| EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | 2 |
| AIR BAGS | 2 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20141208CrashFatalAIR BAGS
MY SON WAS KILLED IN A 1999 SATURN THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK I NEED TO KNOW WHY CAR CUT OFF WHILE GO DOWN I-20. *TR
20141208CrashFatalSTEERING
MY SON WAS KILLED IN A 1999 SATURN THE AIRBAGS DID NOT WORK I NEED TO KNOW WHY CAR CUT OFF WHILE GO DOWN I-20. *TR
20140618CrashAIR BAGS
THE AUTOMOBILE IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES, I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES AND MY CHEST HIT THE STEERING COLUMN. THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
Mileage: 36,000
20041129EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
BROKEN STEERING WHEEL MECHANISM REPLACED, RUSTED OUT HOOD REPLACED. MODE CONTROL FROM A/C TO DEFROST WENT OUT, LESS THAN 14,000 MILES. *BF THE MODE DOOR CABLE DISCONNECTED DUE TO MODE DOOR FABRIC COMING OFF AND CAUSED CABLE TO STICK. *NM
Mileage: 13,430
20040423POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND VEHICLE JERKED. CONSUMER PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER. THEN, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND VEHICLE JERKED AGAIN AND SMOKED BADLY. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT DIFFERENTIAL PIN CAME OUT AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Mileage: 37,000
20040423POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING SOUND AND VEHICLE JERKED. CONSUMER PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER. THEN, CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD BANG, AND VEHICLE JERKED AGAIN AND SMOKED BADLY. DEALER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, AND DETERMINED THAT DIFFERENTIAL PIN CAME OUT AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK
Mileage: 37,000
20020813SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS DEFECTIVE BRAKES, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY DEALER THAT THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS A HOT SPOT ON THE BRAKE DISC WHICH CAUSES RUBBING, THE DEALER ALSO STATED THE PROBLEM IS A RESULT OD DRIVEABILITY OR MISHANDLING OF THE VEHICLE.*MJ
20020716CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
DURING A VEHICLE CRASH AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY, CONSUMER SUSTAINED INJURIES. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
20020514SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
AT A SAFETY CHECK FOR SEATBELTS, 3 OF THE SEATBELT RETRACTORS IN WERE FOUND TO BE INOPERATIVE. ONLY FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT RETRACTOR WORKS.*AK
20010820TIRES:TREAD/BELT
HOT FLORIDA DAY; CAR FULLY LOADED; TREAD SEPARATED AT 70 MPH (3000 MI ON TIRE AT TIME). *AK (TIRESIZE: P17570R14)
20010117POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
INTERMEDIATE SHAFT/CARRIER BEARING ASSEMBLY FAILED AT RELATIVELY LOW MILES. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THIS SPECIFIC FAILURE IS COMMON SO OWNERS CAN BE NOTIFIED AND AVOID THIS COSTLY AND SERIOUS REPAIR.*AK
20000831CrashSEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER (AGE 4) WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON JULY 27, 2000 IN OUR 1999 SATURN SW1. THEY WERE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WHEN THEY WERE REAR ENDED AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45PMH. UPON IMPACT NIETHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO), BUT THE MAJOR CONCERN WAS THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT SPRINGS BROKE COLLAPSING THE DRIVERS SEAT AND LEFT MY HUSBAND LANDING IN THE BACK SEAT, HIS FOOT FALLING FROM THE BRAKE AND ROLLING INTO TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 12-15MPH. MY HUSBAND ENDED UP INJURED WITH A THORACIC STRAIN. MY DAUGHTER (IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) WAS ALSO INJURED. BOTH OF THEM WERE RESTRAINED WITH FULL SEAT BELTS. IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND AT THE SIGHT WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS LUCKY THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT THAT DAY OR SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AND KILLED BY THE SEAT THAT COLLAPSED BEHIND MY HUSBAND. IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM WITH SATURN THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEIR SEATS ARE DESIGNED LIKE THAT FOR SAFETY PURPOSES AND THAT "IN A REAR-END
20000831CrashAIR BAGS:FRONTAL
MY HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER (AGE 4) WERE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT ON JULY 27, 2000 IN OUR 1999 SATURN SW1. THEY WERE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT WHEN THEY WERE REAR ENDED AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45PMH. UPON IMPACT NIETHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED. I'M NOT SURE IF THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO), BUT THE MAJOR CONCERN WAS THAT THE DRIVERS SEAT SPRINGS BROKE COLLAPSING THE DRIVERS SEAT AND LEFT MY HUSBAND LANDING IN THE BACK SEAT, HIS FOOT FALLING FROM THE BRAKE AND ROLLING INTO TRAFFIC AT APPROXIMATELY 12-15MPH. MY HUSBAND ENDED UP INJURED WITH A THORACIC STRAIN. MY DAUGHTER (IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) WAS ALSO INJURED. BOTH OF THEM WERE RESTRAINED WITH FULL SEAT BELTS. IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM AND AT THE SIGHT WE WERE TOLD THAT IT WAS LUCKY THAT MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE FRONT SEAT THAT DAY OR SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED AND KILLED BY THE SEAT THAT COLLAPSED BEHIND MY HUSBAND. IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM WITH SATURN THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEIR SEATS ARE DESIGNED LIKE THAT FOR SAFETY PURPOSES AND THAT "IN A REAR-END
20000627TIRES:TREAD/BELT
FIRESTONE TIRES TREAD CAME APART, WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED A TIRE BLOWOUT AND CRASH. FIRESTONE REPLACED THE TIRES AT CONSUMER'S EXPENSE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TIRE SIZE P18565R15. *AK
20000426VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
STEPPING ON THE BRAKE CAUSED THE IDLE TO GO TO MAXIMUM RPM. YH
20000124SEATS
DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE SEATS, WHICH ARE ANGLED BACK FOR SAFETY PURPOSES, THE CHILD SAFETY SEATS DO NOT FIT PROPERLY, WHICH COULD LEAD TO INJURIES IF IN ACCIDENT. *MJS
19990930SUSPENSION:FRONT
FRONT END VIBRATION AND NOISE SINCE PURCHASE, AFTER SEVERAL REPAIRS FRONT END STILL EXPERIENCES PROBLEMS. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
19990930STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
DOOR OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING VIBRATION. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
19990930STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
PASSENGER DOOR BEHIND DRIVER'S SEAT WILL NOT UNLOCK, SEVERAL REPAIR ATTEMPTS, HOWEVER NOT FIXED. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
19990930SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
BRAKE ROTORS OUT OF ROUND CAUSING VIBRATION AND NOISE. MJS (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).
Compare 1999SATURNSW 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 1999 SATURN SW have?▼
The 1999 SATURN SW has 23 NHTSA complaints, 6 crashes, 0 fires, 5 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1999 SATURN SW?▼
The most-complained component for the 1999 SATURN SW is STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER and TIRES:TREAD/BELT.
Is the 1999 SATURN SW 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.