Your vehicle report
2002 Saturn LS
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 493
- Received Dec 2001 to May 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Timing chain fails and destroys engine96 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Headlights dim or fail at night49 complaints · 9.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline31 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V245000On certain sedans and wagons, the plastic housing in the rear tail lamp assembly can become distorted if the brake lamps remain on for an extended time.
- Recall #05V158000Certain wagons fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the seat belt anchor may separate from the floor of the vehicle before holding the required test load for the required time.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 12 crashes, 12 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 1 |
| 2002 | 15 |
| 2003 | 36 |
| 2004 | 29 |
| 2005 | 36 |
| 2006 | 54 |
| 2007 | 48 |
| 2008 | 53 |
| 2009 | 48 |
| 2010 | 43 |
| 2011 | 28 |
| 2012 | 29 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 35 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 5 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 493 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 96 | 19% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 49 | 9.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 31 | 6.3% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 22 | 4.5% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 15 | 3.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 14 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 14 | 2.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 14 | 2.8% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 11 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #05V245000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 10 | 2.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 9 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 8 | 1.6% | – | |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 5 | 1.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 5 | 1.0% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 5 | 1.0% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 5 | 1.0% | – | NHTSA recall #03V231000 |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 0.8% | – | |
| Battery drains and dies when parked | 4 | 0.8% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 3 | 0.6% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 3 | 0.6% | – | NHTSA recall #03V231000 |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V245000June 2, 2005291,652 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights
On certain sedans and wagons, the plastic housing in the rear tail lamp assembly Can become distorted if the brake lamps remain on for an extended time.
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 recall #05V158000April 20, 200520,701 vehicles affected
seat belts
Certain wagons fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the seat belt anchor may separate from the floor of the vehicle before holding the required test load for the required time.
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.
NHTSA recall #03V231000June 23, 2003239,993 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition: module
On certain passenger vehicles equipped with 2.2L L4 (L61) engines, a failure of the ignition control module may cause deterioration in idle quality, reduction in overall engine power, and the vehicle may be hard to start. Continued operation of the vehicle after such an ignition module failure will result in the "service engine soon" light flashing, and may lead to secondary failures of the catalytic converter, oxygen sensor, and exhaust resonator.
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Saturn LS.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN