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1991 Saturn Sl

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 1991 Saturn Sl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 171.5.

About this comparison →
29Owner complaints

Model-year median: 171.5

1Recall campaigns

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1Investigations

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
29
1991123
1992175
1993286
1994
Compare all Sl years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Seat Belts
12Seats
4Electrical System
3Engine And Engine Cooling
2Service Brakes, Hydraulic
2
All reported categories
Vehicle Speed Control
2Air Bags
1Power Train
1Steering
1Suspension
1Visibility
1Wheels
1

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 3 of 29 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Seat Belts. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 4 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports

Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints

2 reports
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85,000 miles · Oct 9, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING…

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THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING WAS LOST. THEY DUPLICATED IT BUT REFUSED TO ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM. NOW MY SONS ARE DRIVING AND I CAN'T LET THEM DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH DRIVERS AND IF THEY EVERY GET INTO A PANIC STOP SITUATION THEY NEED TO HAVE EXTRA ROOM FOR GLIDING AS THE WHEELS WON'T LOCK UP. I MADE SATURN REPLACE THE MASTER BREAK CYLINDER AND THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I HAVE THE OLD MASTER BREAK CYLINDER. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10139160

85,000 miles · Oct 9, 2005
Service Brakes, Hydraulic

THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING…

Read full complaint

THE BRAKE PEDAL IS ALWAYS LOW AND SOME TIMES BOTTOMS OUT WHEN YOU FIRST START DRIVING THE CAR. YOU CAN'T STOP. RECORD OF COMPLAINT IS ON FILE WITH SATURN, BUT THEY JUST BLEW ME OFF BECAUSE THEY CHECK OUT THE CAR, BUT SAID IT WAS OK. I SHOWED THEM THAT BY PUMPING THE BREAKS A FEW TIMES THAT THE PEDAL WOULD BOTTOM AND BREAKING WAS LOST. THEY DUPLICATED IT BUT REFUSED TO ADMIT IT WAS A PROBLEM. NOW MY SONS ARE DRIVING AND I CAN'T LET THEM DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT EXPERIENCED ENOUGH DRIVERS AND IF THEY EVERY GET INTO A PANIC STOP SITUATION THEY NEED TO HAVE EXTRA ROOM FOR GLIDING AS THE WHEELS WON'T LOCK UP. I MADE SATURN REPLACE THE MASTER BREAK CYLINDER AND THE PROBLEM BECAME WORSE. I HAVE THE OLD MASTER BREAK CYLINDER. *NM

NHTSA ODI #10139159

Official recalls

1

93V132000 · Electrical System:alternator/generator/regulator

Aug 10, 1993

THE GENERATOR ELECTRICAL WIRING IS NOT PROTECTED AGAINST EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT IN THE GENERATOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: SHOULD AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT OCCUR IN THEGENERATOR, THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WOULD EXPERIENCE EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW.UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, ENOUGH HEAT COULD BE GENERATED TO IGNITE SURROUNDINGMATERIALS. IF THIS OCCURS, AN UNDERHOOD FIRE COULD RESULT WITH OR WITHOUT THEENGINE RUNNING AND WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING.

Remedy: THE GENERATOR WIRING HARNESS WILL BE REPLACED WITH ONE THAT WILL OPEN AS A FUSE WOULD UNDER CERTAIN EXCESSIVE CURRENT FLOW CONDITIONS.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

EA93016 · Fr Seatback Recliner Fails

Opened Jun 8, 1993 · Closed Jul 26, 1994

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner

There is no summary currently available