Saturn Sl
Owners filed 2,218 complaints across 12 model years of the Saturn Sl. The 1995 drew the most (355); the 1991 the fewest (29).
Model years12
Complaints2,218
Recalls29
Fires43
Deaths7
Every Saturn Sl model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 131 | 1 | 5 | 20 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2001 | 111 | 3 | — | 14 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Routine | |
| 2000 | 148 | 8 | 3 | 10 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 1999 | 178 | 2 | 1 | 26 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 1998 | 168 | 1 | 2 | 23 | Power Train › Automatic Transmission | Fatalities reported | |
| 1997 | 227 | 3 | 9 | 30 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Above average | |
| 1996 | 287 | 2 | 2 | 50 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 1995 | 355 | 3 | 6 | 75 | Seats › Front Assembly › Recliner | High concern | |
| 1994 | 286 | 1 | 4 | 51 | Vehicle Speed Control | High concern | |
| 1993 | 175 | 2 | 8 | 24 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Routine | |
| 1992 | 123 | 2 | 2 | 18 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 1991 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Seat Belts | Fatalities reported |
Which Saturn Sl years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 1995 is the weakest year on record, with 355 complaints concentrated in the seats › front assembly › recliner. It carries 3 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.