2000 SATURN LS — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 365 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (135 complaints · 37.0%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 10
  • Fires 5
  • Injuries 16
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 1999 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 135 of 365 owner complaints (37.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 135 complaints, 37.0% of reports ENGINE 135 · 37.0% · 1 fire reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 55 complaints, 15.1% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 55 · 15.1% · 1 crash reports 1 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 41 complaints, 11.2% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 41 · 11.2% · 2 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 19 complaints, 5.2% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 19 · 5.2% · 1 crash reports STEERING: 18 complaints, 4.9% of reports STEERING 18 · 4.9% STRUCTURE: 18 complaints, 4.9% of reports STRUCTURE 18 · 4.9% · 1 crash reports POWER TRAIN: 13 complaints, 3.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 13 · 3.6% SUSPENSION: 13 complaints, 3.6% of reports SUSPENSION 13 · 3.6% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 9 complaints, 2.5% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 · 2.5% · 2 crash reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 207 complaints, 56.7% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 207 · 56.7% · 7 crash reports 3 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 135 37.0% 0 crashes · 1 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 55 15.1% 1 crashes · 1 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 41 11.2% 0 crashes · 2 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 19 5.2% 1 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 18 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 18 4.9% 1 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 13 3.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SUSPENSION 13 3.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 9 2.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 207 56.7% 7 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 1999; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 1999. 1999-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2000-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2000-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2000-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2001-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2001-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2001-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2001-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2002-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2002-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q1: 7 owner reports 7 2003-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2003-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2003-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2004-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2004-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2004-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2004-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2005-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2005-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2005-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2005-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2006-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2006-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2006-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2007-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2007-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2007-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2007-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2008-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2008-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2008-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2008-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2009-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2009-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2009-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2014-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 1999 Apr 2024 Recall campaign 99V197000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V197000 Recall campaign 99V199000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V199000 Recall campaign 99V345000 ◆ Recall campaign 99V345000 Recall campaign 00V228003 ◆ Recall campaign 00V228003 Recall campaign 03V231000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V231000 Recall campaign 05V245000 ◆ Recall campaign 05V245000 Investigation PE99064 ● Investigation PE99064 Investigation DP05001 ● Investigation DP05001 Investigation PE05010 ● Investigation PE05010 Investigation DP05008 ● Investigation DP05008 Investigation PE06006 ● Investigation PE06006 Investigation DP08002 ● Investigation DP08002 Investigation PE08061 ● Investigation PE08061
  • Campaign 03V231000 was reported 1,130 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 05V245000 was reported 1,447 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
1999-Q4 Owner reports 1
2000-Q1 Owner reports 7
2000-Q2 Owner reports 1
2000-Q3 Owner reports 4
2000-Q4 Owner reports 5
2001-Q1 Owner reports 7
2001-Q2 Owner reports 6
2001-Q3 Owner reports 3
2001-Q4 Owner reports 1
2002-Q1 Owner reports 4
2002-Q2 Owner reports 8
2002-Q3 Owner reports 5
2002-Q4 Owner reports 7
2003-Q1 Owner reports 7
2003-Q2 Owner reports 4
2003-Q3 Owner reports 12
2003-Q4 Owner reports 9
2004-Q1 Owner reports 14
2004-Q2 Owner reports 9
2004-Q3 Owner reports 10
2004-Q4 Owner reports 16
2005-Q1 Owner reports 18
2005-Q2 Owner reports 7
2005-Q3 Owner reports 12
2005-Q4 Owner reports 6
2006-Q1 Owner reports 8
2006-Q2 Owner reports 12
2006-Q3 Owner reports 8
2006-Q4 Owner reports 8
2007-Q1 Owner reports 5
2007-Q2 Owner reports 7
2007-Q3 Owner reports 6
2007-Q4 Owner reports 6
2008-Q1 Owner reports 9
2008-Q2 Owner reports 9
2008-Q3 Owner reports 15
2008-Q4 Owner reports 6
2009-Q1 Owner reports 9
2009-Q2 Owner reports 6
2009-Q3 Owner reports 5
2009-Q4 Owner reports 2
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q2 Owner reports 3
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2010-Q4 Owner reports 3
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q4 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 3
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 3
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 2
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 2
2014-Q2 Owner reports 5
2014-Q3 Owner reports 2
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q2 Owner reports 1
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 99V197000
Recall campaign 1 99V199000
Recall campaign 1 99V345000
Recall campaign 1 00V228003
Recall campaign 1 03V231000
Recall campaign 1 05V245000
Defect investigation 1 PE99064
Defect investigation 1 DP05001
Defect investigation 1 PE05010
Defect investigation 1 DP05008
Defect investigation 1 PE06006
Defect investigation 1 DP08002
Defect investigation 1 PE08061
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 00V228003

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY DATE CODES AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE ANY SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 03V231000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    FAILURE OF THE RESONATOR WILL CAUSE INCREASED EXHAUST NOISE. PROLONGED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE FOLLOWING A RESONATOR FAILURE MAY LEAD TO A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL (1) REPLACE THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, (2) REPLACE THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE AND SPARK PLUGS, OR (3) REPLACE THE IGNITION CONTROL MODULE, SPARK PLUGS, AND UPDATE THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE CALIBRATION. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-553-6000, PROMPT 3.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 05V245000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    THIS CAN CAUSE (1) AN INTERMITTENTLY INOPERATIVE BRAKE/TAIL LAMP BULB OR (2) A SHORT CIRCUIT THAT OPENS A FUSE CAUSING INOPERATIVE BRAKE LAMPS (INCLUDING THE CENTER HIGH-MOUNTED STOP LAMP) OR TAIL LAMPS. A FOLLOWING DRIVER MAY NOT KNOW WHEN THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN APPLIED, AND A REAR-END CRASH COULD OCCUR WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL TWO NEW TAIL LAMP REINFORCING SOCKET ADAPTERS AND SOCKETS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 17, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V197000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    IF A VEHICLE WITH AN INOPERATIVE VALVE WERE INVOLVED IN A ROLLOVER, FUEL SPILLAGE COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES TO ENSURE THAT THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY VALVE IS OPERATING AS INTENDED. THEY WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY IF NECESSARY.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V199000

    Report date
    Component:
    EXTERIOR LIGHTING
    Consequence:
    OTHER DRIVERS MAY NOT BE ALERTED THAT THE VEHICLE IS TURNING AND A CRASH COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH ASSEMBLY.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 99V345000

    Report date
    Component:
    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
    Consequence:
    IF AN IGNITION SOURCE IS PRESENT, A FIRE COULD RESULT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL PERMANENTLY SEAL THE OUTLET PORT OF THE OPR VALVE.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 365 complaints · page 1 of 15

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources