How many recalls does the 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan have?

The 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan has 1 NHTSA safety recall campaign on record.

How do I check if my 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA's official recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) to see open, unrepaired recalls for your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free.

What do owners complain about most on the 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan?

Of 3 NHTSA complaints on file, the most-reported component is air bags.

2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 790 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

SEAT BELTS 02V020000 2002-01-17 790 affected

Defect

CERTAIN SEDANS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES," AND NO. 214, "SIDE IMPACT PROTECTION." THESE VEHICLES WERE MANUFACTURED WITH WELDS BETWEEN THE DOOR STRIKER AND BELT-LINE THAT DO NOT MEET SATURN SPECIFICATIONS.

Consequence

IF THE SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE ON THE PILLAR FAILED IN A CRASH, THE DRIVER COULD BE INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY. IN A SIDE IMPACT, OCCUPANTS COULD ALSO BE INJURED MORE SERIOUSLY BECAUSE OF GREATER INTRUSION OR REDUCED PERFORMANCE OF THE OPTIONAL SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL ADDITIONAL STRUCTURAL FASTENERS TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR PILLAR. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JANUARY 22, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SATURN AT…

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC

Total complaints3

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“A car was going 55 mph, didn't brake and hit the person behind me who was pushed into my car and I was pushed into a truck. The force of the impact moved all our cars 65 feet. The airbags did not deploy, although according to some comments by police and fire, they should have. I just wanted to…”

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL · reported 2010-10-19

“Brakes failed on my 2002 saturn s series sedan (15,000 miles) while decellerating at a yield merge and rearended a car at low speed with minimal damage. Police officer noted brake pedal had to be floored to get only slight braking officer advised vehicle must be towed. Vehicle towed to saturn…”

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:DISC · reported 2002-11-26

“Car engine stalls and dies. Car idles very rough. The manual transmission pops out of gear between 2nd and 3rd occasionally. Car does not have a 1st gear if you use 1st the car bucks like crazy. But according to saturn dealer service centers visited 5 times the vehicle is running within factory…”

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION · reported 2002-09-10

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Saturn S-Series Sedan as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.