IllustrationFOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE CRUISE CONTROL ON THE CAR WILL TURN ITSELF OFF WHILE ENGAGED, AND, IF LEFT ALONE, WILL RANDOMLY REENGAGE TEN OR FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER WITH NO WARNING. THIS CAN CAUSE A SURGE OF ACCELERATION (AS MUCH AS ONE CAN EXPECT FROM A SATURN, ANYHOW) IF SPEED HAS SLOWED DUE TO TRAFFIC. *TR
1994 Saturn Sl
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 1994 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: 16 of 286 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 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Seats. Review the 48 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 44 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports4 fire reports32 injury reports
Vehicle Speed Control complaints
37 reportsAIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING, REPLACED 2 OF THE COMPONENETS UNDER THE DASH ONE UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE UP IN THE CORNER AND THE OTHER UP BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX. COOLING FAN DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY MUST KEEP THE AC ON FOR THE FAN TO WORK. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS THE SAME CAR AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. TRIED TO FIX BY REPLACING THE…
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AIR BAG LIGHT WAS NOT WORKING, REPLACED 2 OF THE COMPONENETS UNDER THE DASH ONE UNDER THE DRIVERS SIDE UP IN THE CORNER AND THE OTHER UP BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX. COOLING FAN DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY MUST KEEP THE AC ON FOR THE FAN TO WORK. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS THE SAME CAR AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. TRIED TO FIX BY REPLACING THE SENSORS HAD A MECHANIC TRY TO TROUBLE SHOOT, CAN'T FIND A REASON SO IT IS NOT FIXED JUST KEEP AC ON ALWAYS. CAR VIBRATES AND CAN'T FIND A REASON STILL LOOKING FOR PROBLEM, VIBRATES SO MUCH BODY PARTS ON FRONT ARE BECOMING MISALIGNED! AND IT SEEMS THE AUTO-TRANSMISSION SHIFTS FUNNY. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES AND THEN STAYS ON AFTER DRIVING APX. 1 MILE. CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. MY FRIEND HAS ALL THE SAME COMPLAINTS. *NM
UNCOMMANDED ACCELERATION: CAR ACCELERATES ALL BY ITSELF, TO 4000 RPM. *AK
ON A FEW OCCASSIONS CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED A GRADUAL UNWANTED ACCELERATION FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO APPX. 70 MPH BEFORE I MANUALLY DISENGAGED SAME. ADDITIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING, CRUISE CONTROL HAS SELF DISENGAGED, CAUSING UNWANTED DECELERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A GREAT MANY OCCASSIONS, AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS, BUT GENERAL…
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ON A FEW OCCASSIONS CRUISE CONTROL CAUSED A GRADUAL UNWANTED ACCELERATION FROM HIGHWAY SPEED TO APPX. 70 MPH BEFORE I MANUALLY DISENGAGED SAME. ADDITIONALLY, WITHOUT WARNING, CRUISE CONTROL HAS SELF DISENGAGED, CAUSING UNWANTED DECELERATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED ON A GREAT MANY OCCASSIONS, AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT SPEEDS, BUT GENERALLY AT BETWEEN 45 & 55 MPH. SOMETIMES, AFTER DISENGAGING BY ITSELF IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO "RE-ENGAGE" THE CRUISE CONTROL. THESE OCCURRENCES ARE NOT PREDICATED BY ANY SPECIFIC WEATHER CONDITION, ROAD SURFACE CONDITIONS, OR TOUCHING THE BREAK PEDAL. THEY HAVE OCCURRED ON FLAT, LEVEL, GOOD QUALITY ROAD SURFACES IN DRY WEATHER. ON ONLY A FEW OCCASSIONS AFTER THE SELF DISENGAGEMENT, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS FELT TO "CLICK" THEN BECOME RE-ENGAGED WITH CRUISE CONTROL. OCCASSIONS HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY INTERMITTENT TO NOT SEEM A SERIOUS PROBLEM TO TAKE TO DEALER. *AK
EA-95-003; WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED, CRUISE CONTROL WILL DISENGAGE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE WHEN DRIVER TAPPED THE BRAKES/ACCELERATOR OR BY TURNING OFF SWITCH. HUSBAND PULLED UP EMGERENCY BRAKE TO STOP VEHICLE, AFTER BRAKES FAILED, WHICH CAUSED VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL AND HIT SIDE OF BRIDGE. THE VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED. *AK
HELLO, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP. IT WILL AT OTHER TIMES JERK AND HESITATE ON ACCELERATION. WHEN COLD, AFTER STARTING, IT WILL HAS A DECREASE IN RPM AS THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN, KINDA LIKE IT BOGS OUT. WORST OF ALL AFTER WARMING UP THE IDLE WILL SURGE TO ~2500 RPM EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR OUT. THIS…
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HELLO, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP. IT WILL AT OTHER TIMES JERK AND HESITATE ON ACCELERATION. WHEN COLD, AFTER STARTING, IT WILL HAS A DECREASE IN RPM AS THE GAS PEDAL IS PUSHED DOWN, KINDA LIKE IT BOGS OUT. WORST OF ALL AFTER WARMING UP THE IDLE WILL SURGE TO ~2500 RPM EVEN WITH THE ACCELERATOR OUT. THIS MAKES SHIFTING SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC. IF YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ME, IT WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THANKS TONY
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH THE GAS PEDAL BROKE, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO GO DOWN THE FLOORBOARD. WHEN CONSUMER TRIED TO PULL THE GAS PEDAL UP, HE HIT A MAILBOX AND THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. MANUFACTURER FOUND NO DEFECT WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *AK
THE GAS PEDAL FELL OFF AND THE DRIVER COULD NO LONGER ACCELERATE OR OPERATE THE VEHICLE SAFELY. *AK
CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOSE CONTROL, ALSO ABS BRAKES FAILED TO WORK PROPERLY. *AK
Official recalls
199V045000 · Seats
Mar 12, 1999
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER GEAR TEETH MAY WEAR EXCESSIVELY THROUGH REPEATED USE, AND COULD CAUSE THE SEAT BACK TO SLIP PARTIALLY REARWARD WHEN FORCE IS APPLIED.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, IT COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER MECHANISMS.
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
4RQ00005 · Front Seat Back Can Recline Or Collapse
Opened Feb 16, 2000 · Closed Aug 19, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats:front Assembly:recliner
No summary supplied.
EA98017 · Seat Back Failures
Opened Jul 31, 1998 · Closed Mar 16, 1999
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seats
IN ITS LETTER DATED MARCH 5, 1999, GENERAL MOTORS STATED THAT IT WILL RECALL 136,300 MODEL YEAR 1994 AND 1995 SATURN VEHICLE (ALL MODELS) BUILT BETWEEN JANUARY 1994 AND AUGUST 1994.DURING THIS PERIOD, SATURN'S SEAT SUPPLIER MANUFACTURED RECLINER ASSEMBLIES WHICH WERE OUT OF DESIGN SPECIFICATION, ALLOWING THE FRONT SEAT BACKS TO RECLINE OR COLLAPSE INADVERTENTLY.TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, SATURN DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BACK RECLINER ASSEMBLIES.SEE NHTSA'S SAFETY RECALL FILL 99V-045 FOR DETAILS.
EA95003 · 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