1996 Saturn Sw Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1996 Saturn Sw. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 31 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine and engine cooling. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“The saturnsw2 gasket cover warped year after year;they redesigned it;it should be covered under a recall; many thousands of these covers have put people in danger of a fire with the oil leaks;the expense of changing out the engine is horrific, for a cheap piece of plastic they no longer make from…”
“Regarding a wire that broke off on the seat of his 1996 saturn sw2 wagon and is sticking up vertically -wire went through his pants and skin**cc consumer stated contacted saturn establishment and was informed by saturn factory to take car to dealer. Dealer informed customer entering the car…”
“While driving the oil pressure and battery lights illuminated. *mr *sc *jb”
“While driving the oil pressure and battery lights illuminated. *mr *sc *jb”
“The vehicle stalled without warning. The consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The mechanic informed the owner that the engine's head gasket had failed. *nm”
“Driving on back road, brake pedal repeatedly went straight to floor without resistance. Had to use engine braking and hand brake to slow or stop car. Gas station attendant reported full brake fluid reservoir. Normal braking resumed spontaneously on way home. Dealer unable to replicate problem and…”
“Consumer noticed vehicle was leaking on driveway, just small puddles. Dealer replaced housing unit because of cracks to transmission.*ak consumer feels this should not have happened considering the mileage on the vehicle and is requesting reimbursement. *slc”
“Consumer noticed vehicle was leaking on driveway, just small puddles. Dealer replaced housing unit because of cracks to transmission.*ak consumer feels this should not have happened considering the mileage on the vehicle and is requesting reimbursement. *slc”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1996 Saturn Sw as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.