1995 Saturn SW problems & reliability
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1995 Saturn SW. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 25% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 22% |
| Seats | 6 | 17% |
| Power Train | 5 | 14% |
| Unknown OR Other | 3 | 8% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% |
| Electrical System | 2 | 6% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 6% |
| Structure | 2 | 6% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Sohc lk0/l24 (from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/saturn_i4_engine#sohc_lk0.2fl24) the sohc (lk0/l24) cylinder head had 8 valves and was made of lost foam cast aluminum. The camshaft was located in the center of the cylinder head and driven by a chain off the front crankshaft sprocket. Motion from the camshaft was…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Dec 21, 2011
“My wife was driving her 1995 saturn sw! Wagon at 50 mph on freeway. Without warning the vehicle went out of control to the left. She managed to get it off the roadway. Initial inspection indicated a broken axle. Upon further inspection by saturn mechanic, vehicles engine cradle is completely rusted away. When the…”
Structure · filed Feb 4, 2008
“I bought a 1995 saturn from precision tune auto. The car was supposed to be cleaned, and wiring fixed. No mention of seat problem. Though there has been some failure with top part of seat, to fall back for some reason. Front seat. Trouble with car. Bad gas mileage, engine sounds like valve trouble, no power on hill…”
Seats · filed Jan 19, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FRONT SEAT BACK CAN RECLINE OR COLLAPSE
Recall Query RQ00005 · opened Feb 16, 2000 · closed Aug 19, 2000 · led to recall 99V045000
- CRUISE CONTROL FAILURES
Engineering Analysis EA95003 · opened Feb 24, 1995 · closed May 31, 1996
- CRUISE CONTROL FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE94079 · opened Nov 7, 1994 · closed Feb 24, 1995
Technical service bulletins
2 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1995 Saturn SW.
This service bulletin revision provides a repair procedure to Remove Debris from Evaporator Case, Disinfect evaporator or Apply Cooling coil coating and install blower motor control module to correct a customer concern…
96-T-34B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2023
Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
130089009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2013
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1995 Saturn SW in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1995 Saturn SW?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.