2002 SATURN LS — Owner-Reported Problems
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 482 complaints · 3 recalls
Verdict & Safety Summary
Most-reported system: ENGINE (221 complaints · 45.9%)
Safety signals:
- Crashes 12
- Fires 12
- Injuries 8
- Deaths 0
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)
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 | 221 | 45.9% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 72 | 14.9% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 53 | 11.0% | 0 crashes · 4 fires |
| FUEL SYSTEM | 44 | 9.1% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| POWER TRAIN | 20 | 4.2% | 3 crashes · 0 fires |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 10 | 2.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| SUSPENSION | 10 | 2.1% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| VISIBILITY | 8 | 1.7% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| STRUCTURE | 7 | 1.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 189 | 39.2% | 7 crashes · 5 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
- Campaign 03V231000 was reported 494 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 05V245000 was reported 1,242 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2002-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2002-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2002-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2003-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2003-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2003-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2003-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2004-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2004-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2004-Q3 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2004-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2005-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2005-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2005-Q3 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2005-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2006-Q1 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2006-Q2 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2006-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2006-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2007-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2007-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2007-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2007-Q4 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2008-Q3 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 7 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 03V231000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V158000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 05V245000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE03017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP05001 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE05010 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP05008 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE06006 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | DP08002 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE08061 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE09028 |
Safety Recalls (3)
Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA
-
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.
-
Manufacturer action
Recall campaign 05V158000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- IF A SEPARATION OCCURRED IN CRASH, THE RIGHT AND CENTER REAR SEAT OCCUPANTS MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.
- Remedy:
- DEALERS WILL INSTALL A REAR SEAT CENTER BELT ANCHOR REINFORCEMENT PLATE TO THE FLOOR PAN OF THE VEHICLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 25, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SATURN AT 1-800-972-8876.
-
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.
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
Showing 0 of 482 complaints · page 1 of 20
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
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.