IllustrationCONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 30MPH ON HIGHWAY AND WAS APPROACHING A STOP LIGHT WHEN SHE APPLIED BRAKES, AND BRAKE PEDAL WAS GUSHY AND WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND VEHICLE WOULDN'T STOP.*AK
1997 Saturn Sw
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1997 Saturn Sw do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 20.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sw years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 6 of 31 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports2 fire reports2 injury reports
Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints
4 reportsONGOING PROBLEM WITH BRAKES SQUEALING WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED WITHIN THE FIRST MILE OF DRIVING,. THEN BRAKES FAILED. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT IT WAS A NORMAL CONDITION. ASKING NHTSA TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS MATTER.*AK
ANTI LOCK BRAKES MAKE SHRILL NOISE AND THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, BRAKES WORN EXCESSIVELY.
FRONT BRAKES WORN, CAUSING DIFFICULTY DURING EMERGENCY STOPS.
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.