Saturn SL
Owners filed 2,218 complaints across 12 model years of the Saturn SL. The 1995 drew the most (355).
Model years12
Complaints2,218
Recalls29
Fires43
Deaths7
Which Saturn SL years should you avoid?
Going by 2,218 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Saturn SL years to avoid are 1995.
- 1995355 complaints, 2.1× a typical SL year, most often about the seats.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
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 | |
| 1995Avoid | 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 |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.