IllustrationDT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT SEAT BELTS WOULD NOT EXTRACT. THE DEALER DETERMINED BOTH RETRACTOR MODULES NEED TO BE REPLACED.
1993 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1993 Saturn Sl do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 171.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sl years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
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: 12 of 175 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.
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 32 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 30 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 26 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
24 crash reports8 fire reports13 injury reports
Seat Belts complaints
15 reportsWHILE STARTING VEHICLE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT WILL WORK ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS SEAT BELT TENDS TO BE INOPERABLE. HAS HAD SEAT BELT SERVICED. THIS WILL BE THE 2ND TIME FOR SERVICE ON SAME PROBLEM.*AK
DRIVER'S SIDE RESTRAINT DOES NOT RETRACT, LEAVING DRIVER UNRESTRAINED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK *SLC
THE SHOULDER BELT RETRACTORS ARE JAMMED ON DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SIDES, LEAVING OCCUPANTS UNPROTECTED. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN. *AK
AUTOMATIC SEATBELT HARNESS MOVES BACK AND FORTH WHILE CAR IS IN MOTION. AT TIMES THE HARNESS HAS FROZEN PART WAY THROUGH THE TRACK OFFERING THE DRIVER NO PROTECTION.
CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5-10MPH SHE WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER DRIVER . WHEN THROWN AGAINST THE SEAT BELT, THE THE SEAT BELT DISCONECTED AND CONSUMER WAS INJURED. *AK
VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED AND PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF CONSUMER. HAD BOTH FRON TAND RAE IMPACT. DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK IN TIME TO PREVENT DRIVER FROM FALLING FORWARD, HITTING HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, SEATBACK COLLAPSED, DRIVER FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT BACK OF HEAD. SUSTAINED I…
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VEHICLE WAS REAR-ENDED AND PUSHED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF CONSUMER. HAD BOTH FRON TAND RAE IMPACT. DRIVER'S AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY, AND SHOULDER BELT DID NOT LOCK IN TIME TO PREVENT DRIVER FROM FALLING FORWARD, HITTING HEAD ON STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, SEATBACK COLLAPSED, DRIVER FELL BACKWARDS AND HIT BACK OF HEAD. SUSTAINED INJURIES, AND VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK
THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM HAS FAILED. BOTH HAVE INTERMITTANT PROBLEMS, THEY WILL OPEN AND CLOSE AT WILL FOR NO APPARENT REASON, SAFETY ALARM SOUNDS RANDOMLY ETC. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL SATURN (OF ESCONDIDO) DEALER AND THEY STATE THAT IT IS MAY PROBLEM AND NOT SOMETHING COVERED UNDER WARRA…
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THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AUTOMATIC SHOULDER RESTRAINT SYSTEM HAS FAILED. BOTH HAVE INTERMITTANT PROBLEMS, THEY WILL OPEN AND CLOSE AT WILL FOR NO APPARENT REASON, SAFETY ALARM SOUNDS RANDOMLY ETC. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL SATURN (OF ESCONDIDO) DEALER AND THEY STATE THAT IT IS MAY PROBLEM AND NOT SOMETHING COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HAVE OTHER SATURN OWNERS REPORTED PROBLEMS OF THIS NATURE? I HAVE CONTACTED SATURN THROUGH THEIR WEB SITE BUT HAVE NOT HEAR FROM THEM.
WHEN DRIVING THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT SHOULDER BELT BECAME VERY TIGHT, MAKING IT VERY IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE DRIVER TO MAKE ANY TYPE OF MOVEMENT WHEN DRIVING. ALSO, ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER, PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
SEAT BELT DEFECTS. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM DEFECTS--POWER ACCESSORIES DON'T WORK.
Official recalls
293V132000 · 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.
93V094000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery:cables
May 25, 1993
THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE TERMINAL AT THE STARTER SOLENOID MAY BE FORMED INCORRECTLY. INCORRECTLY FORMED TERMINALS CAN CONTACT THE STARTER SOLENOID HOUSING AND CAUSE AN ELECTRIC SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT BETWEEN THE BATTERY CABLE ANDTHE STARTER HOUSING CAN RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
Remedy: INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, ADJUST THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE POSITIVE BATTERY CABLE TERMINAL SO THAT IT DOES NOT CONTACT THE STARTER SOLENOID HOUSING.
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
3EA95003 · Cruise Control Failures
Opened Feb 24, 1995 · Closed May 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
THIS INVESTIGATION DOCUMENTED HTE FUNCTIONAL ABERATIONS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THE SUBJECT CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM.MOST OF THE MALFUNCTIONS INVOLVED FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO PROPERLY REGULATE VEHICLE SPEED WHEN ENGAGED, FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE, OR SELF-DISENGAGEMENT OF THE SYSTEM. THESE PROBLEMS WERE INVESTIGATED AND STEPS TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER TO REMEDY THEIR OCCURRENCES.SERVICE PROCEDURES WERE ISSUED FOR VEHICLES IN USE, AND A DESIGN MODIFICATION MADE FOR NEW VEHICLES.NO CONFIRMED ALLEGATIONS OF FAILURE OF THE SYSTEM TO DISENGAGE UPON COMMAND WERE IDENTIFIED.IMPROVED QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES AND DESIGN MODIFICATIONSIN THE SYSTEM WERE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE A MORE CONSISTENT LEVEL OF SYSTEM PERFORMANCE.THE DETAILS OF THESE FINDINGS AND THE RESULTING CONCLUSIONS ARE CONTAINED INTHE SUBJECT ENGINEERING ANALYSIS CLOSING REPORT.A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND WAS NOT IDENTIFIED AT EHIS TIME AND FURTHER USE OF AGENCY RESOURCES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
PE94079 · Cruise Control Failure
Opened Nov 7, 1994 · Closed Feb 24, 1995
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Equipment
There is no summary currently available
PE93022 · Steering System Lockup
Opened Apr 5, 1993 · Closed Sep 30, 1993
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available