IllustrationSEATS COLLAPSED WHEN REAR ENDED WHILE STOPPED AT LIGHT--IF PASSENGER WAS IN BACK SEAT, THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS INJURY. IF IT'S A SMALL CHILD, DEATH FROM THE IMPACT OF THE COLLAPSING SEAT COULD CAUSE DEATH.*AK
1998 Saturn Sw
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1998 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: 4 of 27 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.
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
4 crash reports1 fire reports2 injury reports
Seats complaints
2 reportsCONSUMER VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED IT AT AN IMPACT OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, CAUSING BOTH FRONT SEATS TO FALL BACKWARD; DEALER/MFR. NOTIFED AND HAD NOTHING POSTIVE TO SAY. SEEKING INFORMATION FROM NHTSA IN THIS MATTER. *AK
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.