Total Complaints
1 filings
SATURN WAGON · model year
1997 SATURN WAGON
1 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1997SATURNWAGON 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 1997 WAGON is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings. 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 1997 WAGON. 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:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20040811POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A LOUD WHINE. TOOK IT TO MY AUTO-TECH AND WAS PLACED ON DIAGNOSTICS. WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BEARING IN THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING. THIS IS AT THE 66,000 MILE MARK. LET SATURN KNOW THIS AND BECAUSE I DID NOT GET MY CAR SERVICED THERE AT THE DEALERSHIP, THERE WAS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO FOR ME! WHAT A RIP! EVEN FOLLOWING THE SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ON MY OWN, THERE IS NOT MUCH THEY COULD DO FOR ME! I THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH A CAR COMPANY WHEN TRANSMISSIONS FAIL AT THIS LOW OF MILEAGE. SOMEONE SHOULD CHECK INTO THEIR BUSINESS PRACTICES!!!! *JB
Mileage: 66,000
Compare 1997SATURNWAGON 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 1997 SATURN WAGON have?▼
The 1997 SATURN WAGON has 1 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1997 SATURN WAGON?▼
The most-complained component for the 1997 SATURN WAGON is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1997 SATURN WAGON 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.