2002 Saturn LW

No photo available — body style shown for reference.

The Verdict

Worst problem area

Engine

Engine leads by volume: 4 of 8 complaints (50%) mention it. Complaints mentioning Electrical include more reported injuries (1) than those mentioning any other identified area.

Complaints filed held steady at 8 in both 2001 and 2002.

Data last changed . Sources: NHTSA complaints and recalls, EPA fuel economy data. Methodology

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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History

Fuel cost, fuel economy, and complaint history by model-yearScroll sideways to see all 5 years. Fuel figures show the range across trims for years with more than one EPA-rated configuration.
Category20002001200220032004vs. 2002 Midsize Station Wagons
Annual fuel cost ($)2,700–3,1002,600–3,1002,600–2,9502,600–2,9502,500–2,950
Combined MPG20–2320–2421–2421–2421–25
City / Highway MPG18–19 / 24–2818–21 / 24–2918–21 / 26–3018–21 / 26–2918–21 / 26–31
CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi)386–444370–444370–423370–423355–423
Complaints filed48810Not compared
Recalls issued00000Not compared
Crash-involved complaints00100Not compared
Fire-involved complaints00000Not compared
Injuries reported02100Not compared
Deaths reported00000Not compared
Configurations compared23332

Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.

Common questions

How many recalls does the 2002 Saturn LW have?

No NHTSA recall campaigns as of Sep 16, 2026.

What is the most common complaint about the 2002 Saturn LW?

Engine: 4 of 8 NHTSA complaints (50%) mention it.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Saturn LW get?

EPA rates it 21–24 MPG combined across 3 configurations.

How much does it cost to fuel a 2002 Saturn LW?

EPA estimates $2,600–$2,950 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.

EPA-Rated Configurations (3)

Every EPA-rated configuration on this page, one row each.A number tagged (low) or (high) is this page’s own cost-table figure of that name, above.
ConfigurationTransmissionCylindersDisplacementDrivetrainFuel TypeVehicle ClassCityHighwayCombinedAnnual Fuel CostCO₂
Configuration 1Automatic 4-spd42.2LFront-Wheel DriveRegularMidsize Station Wagons21 mpg (high)30 mpg (high)24 mpg (high)$2,600 (low)370 g/mi (low)
Configuration 2Manual 5-spd42.2LFront-Wheel DriveRegularMidsize Station Wagons21 mpg (high)29 mpg24 mpg (high)$2,600 (low)370 g/mi (low)
Configuration 3Automatic 4-spd63.0LFront-Wheel DriveRegularMidsize Station Wagons18 mpg (low)26 mpg (low)21 mpg (low)$2,950 (high)423 g/mi (high)

Complaints by Category

Complaints by category, in the same fixed order on every page
CategoryComplaintsCrash-InvolvedFire-InvolvedInjuriesDeaths
Engine40000
Transmission & Drivetrain00000
Fuel System30000
Electrical11010
Brakes00000
Steering00000
Suspension, Wheels & Tires00000
Airbags & Restraints00000
Driver Assistance & Speed Control00000
Body, Seats & Latches00000
Visibility & Lighting10000
Other10000

A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.

Recalls

No recalls have been issued for this model-year.