RoadVitals

1998 Saturn Sl Tires & wheels Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the tire or wheel system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Tires & wheels reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Oct 22, 2012
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 168 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Saturn Sl submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 12 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming tire or wheel

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 22, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SATURN SL, EQUIPPED WITH SUMMIT SIENPRE 6 TIRES, SIZE 185/65/R15. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE NOTICED THAT THE REAR DRIVER AND PASSENGER TIRES HAD DEVELOPED LARGE BUBBLES IN THEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES ON THE TIRE WERE APPROXIMATELY 30,000. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES ON THE VEHICLE WERE APPROXIMATELY 125,000.

NHTSA ID
10481376
Incident
Oct 22, 2012
Mileage
125,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Apr 13, 2010

MY FIRESTONE COMPACT SPARE TIRE FOR A 1998 SATURN SL2, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN USED, SHOWS TREAD SEPARATION. THE RUBBER IS SPLITTING APART IN THE TREAD AREA AND THE BELTS ARE SHOWING THROUGH. THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO A PREVIOUS FIRESTONE COMPACT SPARE I OWNED FOR A SATURN. THE TIRE IS SIZE T115/70R14 AND THE SERIAL NUMBER IS HYM7H5A377. THE TIRE IS ADMITTEDLY OLD, BUT THE EXTENT OF DAMAGE IS ALARMING CONSIDERING THE TIRE HAS NOT BEEN USED. IT HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND A NEW REPLACEMENT- TIRE DEALERS SAY TO GET A REPLACEMENT FROM A JUNK YARD, BUT THEY WOULD HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. A FULL SIZE SPARE WILL NOT FIT IN THE TRUNK'S TIRE WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID
10325422
Incident
Apr 11, 2010
Mileage
70,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 10, 2009

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 SATURN SL1. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TIRES, SIZE P185/70/R14. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT WITHOUT WARNING. WITHIN ONE YEAR, SIX IDENTICAL TIRES IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE TIRES TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE FIRST SET REPLACED. SHORTLY AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THE TIRES FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST AND THE TECHNICIAN COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAS POSSESSION OF THE FAILED TIRES. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 10,000. UPDATED 03/09/09. *LJ UPDATED 03/11/09. *JB

NHTSA ID
10258200
Incident
May 21, 2007
Mileage
10,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 29, 2005

MY NEW HUSBAND AND I HAD JUST DRIVEN OVER 300 MILES THE NIGHT BEFORE ON THE INTERSTATE TO OUR HONEYMOON DESTINATION. THE NEXT AFTERNOON, WE WERE TRAVELING ON A DIVIDED FOUR LANE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN A TIRE BLEW. THE TIRES WERE RELATIVELY NEW AND HAD LITTLE WEAR. THE GENTLEMAN AT THE TIRE DEALERSHIP SHOWED US WHERE THE TIRE HAD JUST "RUPTURED" ON ITS ON. THE TIRE WAS MADE BY FIRESTONE AND WAS AN AFFINITY LABEL. I REPLACED THE DAMAGED TIRE AND THE OPPOSITE TIRE ON THE FRONT (MY CAR IS FRONT WHEEL DRIVE). THE REMAINING TWO TIRES ON THE REAR LOOK JUST LIKE THE FRONT TIRES DID, AND THE SALESMAN RECOMMENDED WE HAVE THEM CHECKED AS WELL AND ALSO RECOMMENDED THEY BE REPLACED ASAP. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS SAME TIRE (AFTER I MADE MY PURCHASE) AND WAS WORRIED. I FEEL THESE TIRES SHOULD BE RECALLED BY FIRESTONE ASAP BECAUSE THEY ARE UNSAFE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10141216
Incident
Oct 23, 2005
Mileage
110,700 mi
AirbagsTires & wheels
Filed Dec 12, 2003
Crash reported

WHILE DRIVING AT 65 MPH LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL, VEHICLE ROLLED OVER, AND NEITHER OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED . CONSUMER BOUGHT VEHICLE FIVE DAYS PRIOR TO ACCIDENT, AND WAS NOT SURE IF THERE WERE AIR BAGS IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10050457
Incident
Dec 12, 2003
Mileage
56,000 mi
Tires & wheels
Filed May 14, 2001

WHILE DRIVING AT 25-30 MPH SIDEWALL BLEWOUT ON FRONT PASSENGER'S TIRE. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON A SATURN, SL1, 1998. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID
888120
Incident
May 12, 2001
Tires & wheels
Filed Dec 6, 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLES. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P28565/R15 )

NHTSA ID
737424
Incident
Dec 2, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Oct 17, 2000

TRAVELING ON I-5 SO @ APPROX 72MPH LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT. ORIGINAL STOCK TIRE ON SATURN. LUCKILY VEHICLE DIDN'T FISHTAIL OR GO OUT OF CONTROL @ FREEWAY SPEEDS. SATURN DEALERSHIP REFERRED ME TO FIRESTONE. FIRESTONE CLAIMED NO CREDIT TOWARDS NEW TIRES; REPLACED ALL FOUR AT THIS TIME. TIRE HAD MULTIPLE GASHES/HOLES & TREAD COMING APART. HAD TO DRIVE ON RIM TILL GOT TO SHOULDER 2 LANES OVER. DON'T KNOW IF LUCKY I WAS IN A LOW PROFILE VEHICLE SO AVOIDED THE PROBLEMS THE SUV'S HAVE OR NOT? DUE TO LONG COMMUTES WILL NOT PURCHASE THIS TYPE OF TIRE. HAVE HAD BETTER RESULTS FROM OTHER BRANDS.DAMAGE OF $120 IS ONLY 1/4 COST OF COMPLETE SET OF TIRE REPLACEMENT OF $467.87 PAID. (TIRESIZE: P185/65HR1)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P185/65HR1 )

NHTSA ID
734489
Incident
Sep 21, 1999
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 24, 2000

PE 00 020/TIRE TREAD SEPARTION: REPORTING TIRES WERE CUPPING AND A FLAT WAS RECEIVED AFTER TWO MONTHS OF PURCHASE ON A 1998 SATURN, SL. ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT, P195/60R15, DOT# UNAVAILABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
871336
Incident
Jul 31, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Sep 1, 2000

THE TREAD SEPARATED FROM THE BELTS. I HAVE SEEN THIS ON RETREADS BUT NEVER NEW TIRES. IT IS AS IF YOU TOOK A KNIFE AND CLEANLY SEPARATED THE TREAD ABOVE THE BELT.( DOT NUMBER: W2EP TIRE SIZE: P175/70R14 )

NHTSA ID
729892
Tires & wheels
Filed Aug 28, 2000

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 35 MPH LEFT REAR TIRE SUDDENLY BLEWOUT. FIRESTONE INFINITY P185/65R15. *AK

NHTSA ID
868926
Incident
Aug 23, 2000
Tires & wheels
Filed Feb 1, 1999

TWO FIRESTONE TIRES WRRE FLAT. YH

NHTSA ID
608965

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.

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Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .