Problems · NHTSA complaints

1999 Saturn SW problems

Owners filed 16 complaints about the 1999 Saturn SW with NHTSA between Nov 1998 and Dec 2014. The most-cited component is air bags (4).

Complaints
16
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
4
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags4
  2. Equipment2
  3. Power train2
  4. Tires2
  5. Seats2
  6. Steering1
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic1
  8. Seat belts1
  9. Vehicle speed control1
  10. Visibility1
  11. Other / unknown1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
19981
19992
20005
20011
20023
20030
20042
20050
20060
20070
20080
20090
20100
20110
20120
20130
20142

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Air bags

4 reports4 crashes
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 8, 2014Steering, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10663006

Equipment

2 reports
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 5, 2004EquipmentODI 10099681

Power train

2 reports
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2004Power trainODI 10071417

Tires

2 reports
“HOT FLORIDA DAY; CAR FULLY LOADED; TREAD SEPARATED AT 70 MPH (3000 MI ON TIRE AT TIME). *AK (TIRESIZE: P17570R14)”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 14, 2001TiresODI 750479

Seats

2 reports1 crash
“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 COLLISION, A SEATBACK CAN YIELD IF THE FORCES IN THE COLLISION EXCEED THE DESIGN LOAD LIMITS FOR THAT SEATBACK." THEY ALSO REFERRED ME TO THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS FMVSS…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 16, 2000Air bags, SeatsCrash reportedODI 728058

Steering

1 report1 crash
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.