Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 123 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1992 Saturn Sl. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 123 · page 1 of 5
SHIFT CABLE LINKAGE BROKE AT SHIFTER WHILE SHIFTING DURING ACCELERATION ,MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL DUE TO NO POWER AT WHEELS NEAR MISS OF BIG RIG. HAD TO DRIVE ON SIDEWALK-AND LAWN. *TR
WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY GOING 70 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL CAME LOOSE AND FELL OFF CAUSING ME TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE CAR. WE WERE IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE OF THREE LANES AND THE CAR PULLED US ACROSS THE OTHER TWO LANES, DOWN A VERY STEEP DITCH AND INTO THE MEDIAN WHERE WE HIT MANY SMALL TREES. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF ANY PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING WHEEL, NOR DID WE EVER TAMPER WITH THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DRIVERS SIDE IS GETTING THE BACK DOOR AND PANEL REPLACED AND THE BACK BUMPER ALSO NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE STEERING WHEEL. NONETHELESS, MY WIFE AND I NEARLY LOST OUR LIVES BECAUSE OF THIS FAILURE. *JB
1995 SATURN SL2, INCOMPLETE DEPLOYMENT OF PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AIRBAG IN MODERATE FRONTAL COLLISION. *BF PORTIONS OF THE AIR BAG FABRIC MELTED THE INTERNAL COMPONETS OF THE MODULE. *JB
THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED AND COLLAPSED DURING A MINOR FENDER BENDER. *MR THE SEAT COLLAPSED. DUE TO POOR INADEQUATE WELDS. *SC
VEHICLE WAS PARKED ABOUT 20 MINUTES WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER DRIVER, THE VEHICLES DRIVERS SEAT BACK COLLAPSED ON TO THE REAR BENCH SEAT. CONSUMER IS VERY CONCERNED WITH REAR PASSENGERS BEING INJURED BY SEAT BACK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
CONSUMER WAS REAR ENDED AND THE DRIVERSIDE SEAT BACK COLLASPED. THE BACK OF THE SEAT SLAMMED DOWN SO HARD THAT IF A PASSENGER WAS SITTING THERE THERE LEGS WOULD HAVE BEEN CRUSHED. "POOR DESIGN", STATES CONSUMER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.
CONSUMER WAS AT A STOP WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE REAR ENDED HER VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND WHEN THE SEAT RECLINED, THE SEAT BELT DID NOT RESTRAIN HER. *JB
WHILE DRIVING STEERING LINKAGE SEPARATED FROM VEHICLE. DEALER HAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED VEHICLE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
SHIFTER CABLE END FASTNER BROKE RENDERING SHIFTER INOPERABLE. *AK
ENGINE WOULD ACCELERATE WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AS IT BEING THE BRAKE BOOSTER DIAPHRAM THAT IS WORN AND LEAKING. THE BOOSTER VACUUM HOSE CHECK VALVE GROMMET IS TORN. *JG *AK
FRAME OF DRIVER'S SEATBACK BROKE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. THIS WAS A BREAK THROUGH THE STEEL U-CHANNEL ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT JUST BELOW WHERE IT IS WELDED TO THE TUBULAR STEEL TOP PIECE. THIS COMPONENT SHOULD NEVER FAIL EVEN UNDER THE STRESS OF A REAR END COLLISION LET ALONE DURING NORMAL DRIVING. DEFECT COULD HAVE LED TO AN ACCIDENT AND IF IT OCCURED DURING A REAR END COLLISION AN UNECESSARY INJURY WOULD LIKELY HAVE RESULTED.*AK
BRAKES FAILED AND BUMPER IS 36 INCHES LONG AND SIDES HAVE NO BUMPER PROTECTION.
SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE IS NOT ABLE TO LOCK INTO BUCKLE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK STITCHING ON SEAT BELT ON DRIVERS SIDE CAME APART. *YD
PASSENGER'S SEAT BELT WILL ONLY WORK INTERMITTENTLY, IT GETS STUCK IN ANY POSITION.ALSO, SINCE JULY 2001 DRIVER'S SEAT BELT ONLY WORKS INTERMITTENTLY.
SEAT BELT RETRACTOR GETS IN OPEN POSITION CLOSE TO WINDSHIELD. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT AT THIS TIME, BUT WAS REPAIRED 1 YEAR AGO, COSTING $800. COMPUTER CONTROLS DOME LIGHTS/ CHIMES/ LOCKS AND SEAT BELT. SATURN HASN'T HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. *AK
WE MOVED FROM LOUISIANA TO ARIZONA AT THAT TIME WE NOTICED OIL IN COOLANT-REPLACED HEAD GASKET NO NOTICEABLE CRACKS IN HEAD, VEHICLE NEVER OVER HEATED WHILE DRIVING PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. LEFT FRONT SEAT IN A PERMANENT SLANT BACKWARD.*AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
RAN OFF ROAD AND HIT STUMP< BURST INTO FIRE WITHIN SECONDS>AIRBAG FAILED. *AK
ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND BATTERY REPLACED 5 TIMES. NOW EXPERIENCING SURGING, HESITATION AND STALLING, AND THE DEALER CANNOT FIND THE CAUSE AFTER FOUR TRIPS. *AK
OUR 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DIED BECAUSE SHE HAD THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT FULLY RECLINED. SHE WAS TAKING A NAP COMING HOME FROM SCHOOL. HER SEAT BELT WAS BUCKLED, BUT AT IMPACT HER UPPER TORSO WAS WHIPPED FORWARD, THEN THE FRONT SEAT RECLINING MECHANISM GAVE OUT AND THE FRONT SEAT POPPED UP TO ITS UPRIGHT POSITION, THEN WHEN HER SHOULDER BELT CAUGHT SHE WAS THROWN BACK INTO THE SEAT. SHE DIED OF SEVERE BRAIN TRAUMA, BUT THERE WERE NO MARKS ON HER. THE NEUROLOGIST SAID IT WAS AKIN TO SHAKEN BABY SYNDROME BECAUSE HER HEAD WAS SHAKEN TOO FAST AND TOO HARD, CAUSING THE BRAIN STEM TO SWELL AND CUT OXYGEN FLOW TO THE BRAIN. THE WINDSHIELD DIDN'T EVEN CRACK. WHY ARE FRONT SEATS MADE TO RECLINE WHEN SAFETY BELTS AND AIRBAGS WILL NOT PROTECT YOU IF YOU ARE RECLINED?*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WILL NOT RETRACT, TOOK TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID TRACK WAS BENT.*AK
SINCE 1993 THE ALTERNATOR HAS BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES DUE TO HEAT RELATED ISSUES. CJ
SUN ROOF HAD FALLEN OFF WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER WAS CONCERNED OF THIS SITUATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH HEARD NOISE COMING FROM ENGINE AND LOST POWER. PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD, THEN SAW THAT ALTENATOR HAD FALLEN OFF VEHICLE. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .