Saturn SW vs Volvo 960

Owner complaints, worst years and recall history side by side, from official NHTSA data. Last verified Aug 8, 2026. Raw complaint counts are not adjusted for sales volume.

Saturn SW

Total complaints: 171
Avg per model year: 23
Recall campaigns (all years): 2
Most complained year: 1995 (36)

Top problems: Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Engine and Engine Cooling, Electrical System

Volvo 960

Total complaints: 158
Avg per model year: 31
Recall campaigns (all years): 0
Most complained year: 1996 (60)

Top problems: Engine and Engine Cooling, Service Brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical System

Complaints by model year

Year	Saturn SW	Volvo 960
1997	31	20
1996	20	60
1995	36	57
1994	30	19
1993	27	7

Method. Complaints are unique NHTSA reports per model year. A model that sold more units will naturally accumulate more complaints — compare the shape across years, not just the raw totals, and read the year pages for what actually fails.