Page 4 of 4 · complaints 151–168 of 168

1998 Saturn SL complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 1998 record →

Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly
Filed Feb 1, 1999CA

SEAT BELT BUCKLE DID NOT FULLY ENGAGE AND BECAME STUCK, WHEN FORCEFULLY DISENGAGED, THE BUCKLE DIDN'T ENGAGE AT ALL. YH

WheelsCrash
Filed Nov 16, 1998LA

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35-45MPH EACH TIME THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME WAS JULY-98, SECOND TIME WAS NOV-14, 1998, AS CONSUMER DROVE THE WHEELS BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION FOR ABOUT 4-5 SECONDS, CONSUMER LOST CONTROL OF STEERING. THE SECOND TIME, THE WHEELS MALFUNCTIONED FOR APPROXIMATELY. 2-3 MINUTES, SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING FELL OFF OR JAMMED IN THE WHEEL AREA. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL, VEHICLE RAN OFF ROAD INTO A SHOULDER ON PASSENGER'S SIDE, AND THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL IS LEANNING OUTWARD. ALSO, THERE IS A SMELL IN THE WHEEL/BRAKE AREA. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Nov 12, 1998OH

TRANSMISSION JERKING AND EXPERIENCES UNWANTED SURGES ALMOST RESULTING IN COLLISIONS.

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline
Filed Nov 5, 1998PA

DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE AND MAKE BUCKING SOUNDS FROM TIME TO TIME. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP EIGHT TIMES FOR DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. ALSO, THERE IS A LACK OF POWER AND GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. TIDE ROD END HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, CONSUMER HAD POWER STEERING/ WINDOW PROBLEMS. REPAIRED VEHICLE THREE TIMES, AND THEY CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN SHOP EIGHT MORE TIMES. *AK

Exterior Lighting › Headlights › Switch
Filed Oct 27, 1998NJ

DESIGN OF THE HEAD LIGHT SWITCH IS LOCATED ON THE TURN SIGNAL DIAL ALLOWING FOR ACCIDENTAL DISENGAGMENT WHILE ENGAGING THE TURN SIGNAL.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed Oct 23, 1998CA

THE PROBLEM IN A NUTSHELL IS UNEXPECTED/UNPREDICTABLE APPARENT LOSS OF BRAKING.

Electrical System › Wiring › Interior/Under Dash
Filed Oct 8, 1998IL

WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH AND COMING TO A HALT THE COMPUTER SHUT DOWN AND NOTHING IN THE CAR WORKED. DEALER CONTACTED TWO TIMES IN THE SAME DAY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER DROVE THE CAR AWAY WITH NO GUARANTEE THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT REOCCUR. CONSUMER IS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SITUATION. SEVERAL REPAIRS OF DUE TO LOSS OF POWER, HOWEVER VEHICLE STILL EXPERIENCES PROBLEMS. TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS DURING SHIFTING, FOUND SCUFFED VALVES, REPLACED VALVES THAT WERE BINDING. *AK

Seat Belts › Front › Retractor1 injured
Filed Sep 22, 1998OH

SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN PASSENGER DURING AN ACCIDENT.

Power Train › Automatic Transmission › Cooling Unit and Lines
Filed Aug 17, 1998NY

TRANSMISSION CONVERTER HOUSING WAS POUROUS AND ALLOWED TRANSMISSION FLUID TO LEAK OUT. THE CONVERTER HOUSING HAD TO BE REPLACED, WITH NEW GASKETS, FILTER AND SEALANT.

Visibility › Glass, Side/Rear
Filed Jun 30, 1998OH

WINDOW WEATHER STRIPPING TOO LOOSE CAUSING VISIBILITY PROBLEMS DUE TO CONDENSATION.

Seats › Front Assembly › ReclinerCrash1 injured
Filed Jun 30, 1998IL

VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. DEFECT WITHIN SEATBACK OF DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDE CAUSED THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE BACKWARDS, RESULTING IN MINOR INJURIES. *AK

Power Train › Automatic Transmission
Filed Jun 22, 1998CT

WHEN TRAVELING 35 MPH, GOING UP AN INCLINE AND VEHICLE IS PLACED IN FOURTH GEAR, THE VEHICLE WILL DROP FROM FOURTH GEAR INTO SECOND AND WILL ACCELERATE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. DEALER STATES NORMAL OPERATIONS. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Suspension › Front
Filed Jun 10, 1998NY

FRONT END MISALIGNED, RESULTING IN PULLING.

Air Bags › FrontalCrash2 injured
Filed Jun 9, 1998CA

AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY DURING FRONTAL COLLISION.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components
Filed May 29, 1998CA

UPON APPLYING STEADY PRESSURE THE BRAKES RELEASE A COUPLE OF SECONDS AFTER INITIAL APPLICATION.

Steering › Linkages
Filed Apr 29, 1998IN

TIE ROD CAME APART DUE TO MISSING/OMITTED NUT AND COTTER PIN.

Seat Belts › Front › Anchorage
Filed Jan 27, 1998CA

FRONT SEAT BELT ATTACHMENTS ARE TOO LOW, WHEN SITTING IN SEAT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE RELEASE BUTTON.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Jan 5, 1998IL

THROTTLE: SITTING AT A STOP SIGN AND PULLED OFF AND FELT LIKE IT WASN'T GETTING ANY GAS. PUT FOOT ON GAS PEDAL, AND SUDDENLY IT STUCK OPEN AND STAYED. HAD TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND TURN CAR OFF AND RESTART. *AK

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Full record for the 1998 Saturn SL → · Every SL year → · How the figures are calculated →