AI Damage1995 Saturn SW: common problems
Owners of the 1995 Saturn SW filed 36 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 36
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine and cooling 22% of all complaints
- 3 Seats 17% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 6 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 9 complaints (25% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 8 complaints (22% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seats: 6 complaints (17% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 2 complaints (6% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 1.9 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speed
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 36 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Seats | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Bad gas mileage, engine sounds like valve trouble, no power on hill, gear shift sticks, clunk in reverse intermittently, bleeding brake line, back brakes. Cvc clicking, and so on. Hit on aug. 22, 2006. Not sure if this caused all the above.
I was stopped on an interstate, and rear ended by a chevrolet sedan. It slammed my car into a minivan in front of me. The front and back of my car accordianed, and my car was a total loss. Neither front air bag deployed, and the front passenger seat flipped back and pinned the back passenger in the seat behind.
Consumer was driving on the interstate when another vehicle hit the passenger's side, and her airbag didn't deploy.
During a rear end collision, upon impact at approx. 35mph, front passenger side seat back collapsed hitting child in head who was in century child safety seat.
Symptoms would range from overheating to low coolant, however, most cars affected by this issue exhibited oil migration into the cooling system. The resulting mixture of the two fluids would result in a thick brown "milkshake"-like mixture, visible in the coolant overflow tank.
Upon further inspection by saturn mechanic, vehicles engine cradle is completely rusted away. When the drivers side engine cradle broke during operation it force itself and other parts to break causing my wife to lose all control.
Drivers side seat belt locked up. The seat belt latch did not consistently latch to the belt metal contact.
When I got in and leaned back to put my seat belt on, the seat fell back into a reclining position. When I asked what had they done, I was informed that my car was built one month prior to time period they covered and no work was done to my car.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,253 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 17% most complained about).
On average one model year of the SW has 21 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 36, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
- Seats. Occupant sensor, power adjustment, seat mounts.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1995 Saturn SW?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, engine and cooling, seats. Total complaints: 36. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (8%), brake failure (6%), oil leak or consumption (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1995 Saturn SW?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 1995 Saturn SW from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 1995 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.